From farming to supermarket self-checkouts, robots have long been creeping in and taking the jobs of their human counterparts – but is a robot waiter a step too far?
Right here in Greater Manchester, there’s a Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet where your food is brought to your table by a robot. Yes, really.
The Chinese Buffet, or TCB Unlimited Dining Experience, has two sites in the region – one in Bolton. another in Wigan – and both use robots known as ‘Bella Bots’ to run food and drinks to diner’s tables.
These four shelves mean that ‘Bella’ can serve multiple tables at once, and even ‘chat’ with diners thanks to AI programming.
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Customers order all of their food from a bespoke app, then it’s brought to their table by the robot, which has shelves down its back and scoots confidently across the restaurant floor without bumping into anything around it.
You can order as much as you want for a fixed price, starting from £12.50 for lunch going up to £21.99 for a ‘Grand Buffet’ on Fridays and Saturdays.
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What’s on offer to you depends on the restaurant and the sitting time, but even at lunchtime for the cheapest price, you’ll still have a choice of roughly four soups, 11 starters, 16 mains, 3 sides and 9 desserts to get stuck into.
Video: The Manc Group
The robots were first introduced to the restaurant during the Covid pandemic, when strict rules required hospitality businesses to operate as table service only to stop the spread of the virus, but have proven even more useful as staff shortages continue to plague the industry.
She ‘never tires’, does not get sick, or require time off. She has also helped owners weather the storm of staff shortages and recruitment problems, during a period in which hospitality has faced some unprecedented challenges.
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And at a rough price of £14,500 a pop, ‘Bella Bot’ costs the owners of TCB much less than it would to employ a food runner or waiter for 40 hours a week on minimum wage.
Now that restrictions in England have been lifted, bosses have decided to keep her on as a valued member of the team – saying that she makes life easier for their human staff, too.
Paolo Hu, TCB managing director, told the Liverpool Echo earlier this month: “The hospitality industry is facing unprecedented challenges in recruiting staff at the moment, so anything we can do to make team members feel more valued and their jobs easier goes a long way towards keeping staff motivated and happy.
“Bella Bot is a great new addition to the team, making it possible for front of house staff to spend more time attending to the needs of our customers.
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“Bella never tires, she just keeps on going, making the return journey between kitchen and tables, literally hundreds of times a day, so our people can spend more time helping our customers have a great time”.
Feature image – TCB
Eats
Indie food and drink festival to return to popular Greater Manchester town for second year
Emily Sergeant
A food and drink festival shining a spotlight on independent businesses is returning to Greater Manchester this summer.
Following the success of last year’s tasty debut, Urmston’s very-own independent food and drink festival, YUM! – Your Urmston Matters, is back for its second serving later this month, and will once again be transforming the Trafford town’s M41 site on Railway Road into a buzzing hub of ‘flavour, fun, and local pride’.
Organised by Love Urmston and hosted by Urmston resident and food and drink presenter, Matty White, this community celebration will bring together top local street food vendors, artisan producers, and drink retailers, alongside live cooking demos, family activities, and loads of entertainment.
Now in its second year, YUM! continues to shine a spotlight on Urmston’s indie food scene and the passion of the people behind it, but as well as local residents, it also invites the rest of Trafford and the wider Greater Manchester community to come together.
So whether you just live down the road, or you are discovering the town for the first time, everyone is welcome to pop down.
“Bringing YUM! back for a second year is incredibly exciting,” commented Fred Davids, who is the Chair of the Love Urmston committee.
“It’s a brilliant way to celebrate what makes Urmston special – its community, and fantastic food and drink scene, welcoming people from near and far to experience the town at its best.
“And as a committee, we’re proud to support our incredible local independent businesses who put their heart and soul into everything they do.”
YUM! is returning to Urmston for another delicious festival this month / Credit: Emma Boyle (via Supplied)
Just some of the independent businesses you’ll find at the festival throughout the day include English Rose Bakery, Inforno Pizzeria, Dan’s Cookies, Banga Curries, JJ’s Caribbean Kitchen, The Greek Village, Pomona Island Brewery, Kelder Wines, and so many more.
The festival is also proudly sponsored by Gecko Homes – a north west property developer that specialises in creating affordable and shared ownership homes across many of Manchester’s most popular suburbs.
You can read more about what Gecko Homes is doing across the region here.
YUM! – Your Urmston Matters is back this month on Saturday 21 June, and will be getting underway from 11am through to 5pm.
Featured Image – Emma Boyle (via Supplied)
Eats
The Stables – A brand-new Manchester pub on the site of the Rovers Return
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new pub is set to open in Manchester city centre net month, with treats in store like complimentary bowls of crisps, an outdoor terrace, and a games parlour.
The Stables Tavern is taking shape in the St John’s district, poetically on the same site that was once home to Coronation Street’s iconic Rovers Return pub.
They’re promising this will be a ‘historic tavern reimagined for today’s lover of a proper pint’.
The pub will come from Shiko Group, which is also behind Courts Club, where you can play tennis or basketball followed by court-side pints, and Side Street, a bar-restaurant-events space with a mid-Century interior.
Neighbouring the Bonded Warehouse, The Stables Tavern will join this rapidly blossoming new creative district, just across the yard from Caravan, The Trading Route and Aviva Studios.
Inside, punters will find multiple beer taps with local beers, served with complimentary bowls of crisps as well as a menu of pub snacks like handmade sausage rolls and local pies.
The pub will be split into three sections – an outside terrace, a main bar, and a parlour area at the back of the pub for live entertainment, old school games, and rounds of whiskey.
The Stables pub in Manchester
The Stables pub in ManchesterThe Stables pub in ManchesterThe Stables pub in ManchesterThe Stables pub in ManchesterThe Stables pub in Manchester
This might be a new district but it’s a historic area for the city – the same building was a busy watering hole back in the early 19th century for workers, merchants and visitors who made use of the nearby canals and cobbled streets.
It was then the home of the Rovers Return, back when this area was the home of Granada Studios.
Hayley Sammé, Marketing Director, said: “We’re so excited to bring The Stables Tavern back to St John’s. The area’s extensive historical backdrop and burgeoning hospitality scene provides the perfect landscape for a traditional British pub.
“It’s the perfect addition to the existing scene, and we hope it’s going to become a popular spot in our new creative district.”
The Stables Tavern will open at St John’s on Friday 6 June – you can sign up for one of 1,000 free pints HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
28th February 2022 
