Infographic picks out eight most essential apps for foodies

A restaurant in the centre of Sydney has produced an infographic pinpointing the eight most essential smartphone apps for food lovers, and has claimed that working with app developers could be the best way for restaurants to improve their service offering.

Stuart Johnson – marketing executive for Civilian Bar and Kitchen – has picked out apps such as Humane, which sorts restaurants on their vegan, vegetarian and humane sourcing credentials, as well as Wineglass, which allows users to to take a photograph of a wine list and receive price information, reviews, ratings and food pairings for each varietal.

Johnson said: “Recent years have seen a significant increase in apps aimed at the food sector. In a flooded market, choosing apps that offer genuine value can be a difficult task. At Civilian, we have endeavoured to provide information on a diverse range of apps that we feel can be helpful to the food industry as a whole.”

“In general, the majority of apps are targeted at consumers in order to simplify certain tasks. For example, unit converters and kitchen timers enable the user to set different timers for each item being cooked. However, living in a society where people are time poor has resulted in many consumers demanding more emphasis on technology in relation to dining and even in food retail. While apps such as Fooducate are primarily aimed at providing important information such as gluten content and calorie content for the consumer, they also ensure that brands embrace this technology in order to remain competitive. This is evident in CellarTracker’s partnership with the Wineglass app. The app enables consumers to receive an informed and respected opinion on the wine list at a particular restaurant, while CellarTracker increase their brand recognition and popularity.

“It is without question that foodservice operators are slowly adapting to the demand for increased technological options from consumers. Mobile ordering and online coupons have become increasingly prevalent. With mobile device usage continuing to grow year on year, there are excellent opportunities for brands and restaurants to work in conjunction with app developers to improve their service offering to clients. In reality, failing to do so could have negative implications for business.”