GB2570852A - Catering supply system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A catering supply system 100 that comprises an interface 110, which is operable by a user to select event parameters. Storage 120 stores data items representing food and drink items, and metadata associating each of the data items with event parameters. A menu items selector 130 selects a subset of the data items based on the metadata in order to generate a menu which fulfils the received event parameters. The interface may comprise an application installable on a smart phone or other user computing device 10. The event parameters can include an event type, a meal type, an event format, an event purpose, a food style, dietary requirements, a time and date and a number of diners. The menu may be displayed on a web interface. The metadata may include an association score between the event parameters and items, and an effort score relating to the preparation of dishes.

Description

CATERING SUPPLY SYSTEM AND METHOD

FIELD [01] This invention relates to a catering supply system and a computer-implemented catering supply method.

BACKGROUND [02] In the catering industry, it is necessary to provide food and drink items for a wide variety of different types of events, in a wide variety of locations. Choosing food and drink items that are appropriate for the occasion, and which are able to be prepared and served in the particular location is problematic. For example, some food items may only be suitable for certain meal times (e.g. suitable for breakfast/brunch but not lunch or dinner) or dietary requirements, some food items may require specific equipment to prepare, or involve different levels of complexity in their preparation (e.g. from simply uncovering, to microwaving, to complex preparation involving various processes). Accordingly, the range of food items suitable for an event at an office with limited refrigeration capacity and a small microwave will be very different to those suitable for an event hosted at a venue with extensive kitchen facilities. Furthermore, difficulties arise not only in the selection of the food and drink items, but also in determining the required number of staff and the correct amount of glassware, crockery, cutlery and so on.

[03] Additionally, a successful catering provision needs to account for the particular style (in the case of a corporate brand) and/or preferences (for a private client). These are often reflected in terms of the nature of the menu chosen; whether it is presented as smart casual menu with elegant canapes offered, or perhaps as a more traditional seated dinner. All of these elements represent judgements normally made by a caterer or hospitality professional once they have met with a client and are then incorporated into a particular menu or other service proposed to the client following a meeting with them.

[04] Accordingly, effectively planning such events typically requires the input of an experienced catering professional, who will discuss the event with the customer, source and supply the food, ensuring that it meets the specific requirements of the event and venue.

[05] Recently, there has been a desire to move towards online ordering, rather than liaising with a catering professional directly. However, such online systems have drawbacks, in that the onus is on the customer to correctly select items that are appropriate for the type and location of the event. Accordingly, the customer may inadvertently select food that cannot be prepared or stored in the event location, or that is poorly matched to the event.

[06] It is an aim of the invention to provide a means of supplying catering services that addresses at least some of the above-mentioned disadvantages, and any other disadvantages that would be apparent to the skilled reader from the description herein.

SUMMARY [07] According to the present invention there is provided a system and method as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and the description which follows.

[08] According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a catering supply system comprising:

an interface operable to receive a plurality of event parameters;

a storage comprising a plurality of data items representing food and/or drink items, and metadata associating each of the data items with one or more of the event parameters; and a menu item selector operable to select a subset of the data items based on the metadata so as to generate a menu fulfilling the received event parameters.

[09] The metadata may comprise an association score indicating a level of association between one of the event parameters and the food and/or drink item. The association score may be an integer, preferably in the range 0-9.

[10] The menu item selector may be operable to select data items having metadata comprising an association score greater than a predetermined threshold with respect to each of the event parameters. The predetermined threshold may differ for each of the event parameters.

[11] The metadata may comprise an effort score, representing the level of customer intervention required to prepare the dish. The menu item selector may be operable to select dishes having an effort score less than a predetermined threshold, based on the received event parameters.

[12] The interface may be a web interface. The system may comprise a web server operable to serve webpages that comprise the web interface.

[13] The interface may comprise an application installable on a smartphone, tablet or other computing device.

[14] The event parameters may include an event type describing the nature of an event. The event type may include one or more of party, wedding, and corporate event.

[15] The event parameters may include a meal type indicating the type of meal required. The meal type may include one or more of breakfast/brunch, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea and all day dining.

[16] The event parameters may include an event format indicating the format of an event. The event format may include one or more of: sit-down meal, finger buffet, fork buffet, canapes, sharing platters and barbecue.

[17] The event parameters may include an event purpose. The event purpose may include one or more of: client meeting, product/office launch or staff party.

[18] The event parameters may include a food style. The food style may be a particular regional cuisine, such as British or Indian. The food style may be a particular style of food preparation, such as street food or gourmet.

[19] The event parameters may include dietary requirements. The metadata may indicate that the food or drink item is unsuitable for a person with a dietary requirement. The menu selector may be operable to select data items that are suitable for a person with a dietary requirement based on the metadata. The interface may be operable to receive a name of the person having the dietary requirement, so that the menu selector can associate select a food/drink item fulfilling the dietary requirements with the name of the person having those dietary requirements.

[20] The event parameters may include an event date and time. The metadata may comprise a preparation duration, which represents a duration required to prepare the food or drink item before it can be despatched. The menu selector may be operable to select data items that are able to be prepared and despatched before the event based on the preparation, and preferably a delivery duration indicating an estimated time required to deliver the food or drink item.

[21] The event parameters may include a number of diners. The metadata may comprise a portion sizing unit representing the number of diners each food and/or drink item is intended to serve. The menu selection unit may be operable to select a required quantity of each data item comprised in the menu, based on the metadata, preferably based on the portion sizing unit and the number of diners.

[22] The metadata may comprise a priority score. If the menu selector determines multiple data items are suitable for selection, the menu selector may be operable to select a data item having a highest priority score. One of the association scores may be the priority score.

[23] The interface may be operable to display the menu. The interface may operable to receive a selection of a data items comprised in the menu, and in response to the selection display one or more alternative data items. The alternative data items may be other data items comprising an association score greater than the predetermined threshold.

[24] The system may further comprise an auxiliary item selector, operable to select one or more auxiliary items related to the data items comprised in the menu. The storage may store one or more auxiliary data items, and metadata that links each auxiliary data item with one or more data items representing food and/or drink items. The auxiliary items may comprise side dishes, complimentary drinks and/or tableware. The metadata comprise a portion sizing unit representing the number of diners each auxiliary item is intended to serve. The auxiliary item selector may be operable to determine a required quantity of the auxiliary items, preferably based on the portion sizing unit and a number of diners.

[25] One, or more, of the interface, the storage, the menu item selector and the auxiliary item selector may be located remotely from the other units.

[26] According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a computer-implemented catering supply method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of event parameters;

selecting a subset of a plurality of stored data items representing food and/or drink items, based on stored metadata associating each of the data items with one or more of the event parameters, so as to generate a menu fulfilling the received event parameters.

[27] Further preferred features of the method of the second aspect are defined hereinabove in relation to the system of first aspect, and may be combined in any combination.

[28] According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a computer-readable medium having instructions recorded thereon which, when executed, cause a computing device to perform the method defined in the second aspect.

[29] Further preferred features of the computer-readable medium of the third aspect are defined hereinabove in relation to the system of first aspect or the method of the second aspect, and may be combined in any combination.

[30] According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a computer program product comprising computer program code for causing a computing device to perform the method defined in the second aspect.

[31] Further preferred features of the computer program product of the fourth aspect are defined hereinabove in relation to the system of first aspect or the method of the second aspect, and may be combined in any combination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [32] For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

[33] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary catering supply system;

[34] FIGs 2, 3A-C, 4A-E, 5A-C, 6, 7 and 8A-B are user interface screens of the exemplary catering supply system; and [35] FIG. 9 is a schematic flowchart of an exemplary catering supply method.

[36] In the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding components. The skilled person will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity. For example, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various example embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS [37] At least some of the example embodiments described herein may be constructed, partially or wholly, using dedicated special-purpose hardware. Terms such as ‘component’, ‘module’ or ‘unit’ used herein may include, but are not limited to, a hardware device, such as circuitry in the form of discrete or integrated components, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), which performs certain tasks or provides the associated functionality. In some embodiments, the described elements may be configured to reside on a tangible, persistent, addressable storage medium and may be configured to execute on one or more processors. These functional elements may in some embodiments include, by way of example, components, such as software components, objectoriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. Although the example embodiments have been described with reference to the components, modules and units discussed herein, such functional elements may be combined into fewer elements or separated into additional elements. Various combinations of optional features have been described herein, and it will be appreciated that described features may be combined in any suitable combination. In particular, the features of any one example embodiment may be combined with features of any other embodiment, as appropriate, except where such combinations are mutually exclusive. Throughout this specification, the term “comprising” or “comprises” means including the component(s) specified but not to the exclusion of the presence of others.

[38] Any combination of one or more computer-usable or computer-readable media may be utilized. For example, a computer-readable medium may include one or more of a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM) device, a read-only memory (ROM) device, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory) device, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), an optical storage device, and a magnetic storage device. Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages.

[39] Embodiments may also be implemented in cloud computing environments. In this description and the following claims, “cloud computing” may be defined as a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned via virtualization and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction, and then scaled accordingly.

[40] The flowchart and block diagrams in the flow diagrams illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, may be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

[41] In overview, embodiments of the invention provide a means of generating a menu for an event based on a number of parameters that have been provided, for example by using an online web-based form. Menu items are then selected so as to generate a menu that fits those parameters. In particular, the menu items are stored with metadata that associates them with a number of categories, which allows selection of menu items fitting the parameters based on their association to the categories. In some embodiments, the metadata comprises an association score, defining a level of association with a particular category.

[42] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary catering supply system 100. The system 100 comprises an interface unit 110, storage 120 and a selection unit 130.

[43] The interface unit 110 is operable to receive user input. In one example, the interface unit 110 takes the form of a communication interface, operable to communicate with one or more user devices 10 over a network. The user devices 10 may be computing devices, such as personal computers, tablets or smart phones. The network may take any suitable form, including secure wired and/or wireless communication links, as will be familiar to those skilled in the art, and may include a wide area network, such as a private leased line or the Internet.

[44] In one example, the interface unit 110 takes the form of a web server, operable to serve webpages to the user devices 10 over a network. In further examples, the interface unit 110 may communicate with a piece of software installed on the user device 10 - for example an application - in order to receive the user input. In further examples, the interface unit 110 may comprise user input means (e.g. a keyboard, mouse and monitor, or a touch screen display) for directly receiving user input from a user, rather than relying on communication over a network.

[45] The interface unit 110 is operable to capture a plurality of event parameters, which detail the requirements of the event. For example, the interface unit 110 displays user interface (Ul) screens that enable the user to enter the relevant parameters. In one example, the interface unit 110 is operable to display a web form that allows user input, wherein the web form includes a variety of questions to elicit the parameters. Exemplary Ul screens of the interface unit 110 will be discussed in more detail below.

[46] The storage 120 comprises suitable persistent storage means, including hard disk drives, solid state drives, RAID arrays and the like. The storage 120 stores, either permanently or temporarily, any data that is required for the operation of the system 100. It will be understood that the storage 120 can include remote storage means, for example cloud storage.

[47] The storage 120 stores a plurality of data items representing food and/or drink items, along with metadata for each of the food and/or drink items. In one example, the food and/or drink items and metadata are stored in a relational database in the storage 120. However, it will be understood that the food and/or drink items and metadata may be stored in any suitable data structure or combination of data structures, including one or more relational databases, nonrelational databases, flat files and the like.

[48] The metadata comprises association scores, indicating the level of association each food/drink item has with a series of categories. Exemplary metadata for several food/drink items is shown in the table below:

	Ham and Cheese Croissant	Tuna Nicoise salad	Steak and Ale Pie	Spinach and Paneer Curry
Breakfast	9	0	0	0
Lunch	3	9	5	5
Dinner	0	5	9	9
Indian cuisine	0	0	0	9
British cuisine	5	3	9	0
French cuisine	9	8	0	0
Finger buffet	7	0	0	0
Sit-down meal	0	6	9	9

[49] The association score indicates how related each item is to the categories. In the example shown above, the score takes the form of an integer in the range 0 to 9, with 9 indicating the strongest association and 0 indicating no association. Accordingly, the croissant is highly associated with breakfast but not at all associated with dinner. The opposite is true of the steak and ale pie, which is highly associated with dinner but not associated at all with breakfast. Other items show differing levels of association with particular categories - for example the salad is highly associated with lunch but also has some level of association with dinner.

[50] It will be understood that the table above merely provides an illustration of the way in which the scores link a food item to these various categories. The categories may also include:

• one or more event types, e.g. party, wedding, and corporate event;

• further meal types, such as brunch, afternoon tea and all day dining;

• event formats such as sit-down meal, finger buffet, fork buffet, canapes, sharing platters and barbecue;

• event purposes, e.g. client meeting, product/office launch, staff party;

• further food styles, e.g. street food or gourmet as well as various regional cuisine styles.

[51] Accordingly, the metadata essentially acts as a means of encoding the expert knowledge of a catering professional, by providing a flexible and fine-grained means of recording the suitability of a food or drink item for a given occasion or theme.

[52] The metadata for each food/drink item also comprises an indication of the suitability of each item fora person having one of a number of predetermined dietary requirements, including for example Vegan/Vegetarian/Halal/Kosher diets or allergies to nuts/fish/gluten etc.

[53] The metadata also includes a preparation duration, which is the lead time required to prepare the item before dispatch.

[54] The metadata also includes information regarding the portion size of each item. For example, a particular item may be able to be prepared for a minimum of 5 people, and is sold in servings that are integer multiples of that number (10/15/20 etc).

[55] The metadata also comprises an effort score for each item, which represents the level of customer intervention required to prepare the dish. For example, each item may rated on a scale of 1-4, with 1 indicating the item merely requires uncovering, and 4 indicating that significant intervention is required on the part of the customer.

[56] The storage 120 also stores a plurality of auxiliary items, along with metadata linking each of the auxiliary items to one or more relevant food/drink items. The auxiliary items may comprise complimentary side dishes, matched beverages, tableware such as cutlery/crockery required to serve the items, and so on. The metadata may also comprise information regarding the portion size of each auxiliary item and a preparation duration, in a similar format to that mentioned above for the food/drink items.

[57] The selection unit 130 is operable to select one or more of the data items representing food and/or drink items from the storage 120 to form a menu. The selection of menu items is based on the event parameters received from the interface unit 110, so that a menu suitable for the relevant event is generated.

[58] In particular, the selection unit 130 applies a series of filters to the food/drink items, eliminating items that are not sufficiently associated with the customer’s selections. For example, if the event parameters include an indication that the event is a breakfast, all data items with an association score under a predetermined threshold (e.g. less than 8) in relation to the category “breakfast” are eliminated.

[59] The threshold may vary depending on the category. For example, a particular cuisine style may only require the items to be loosely associated thereto, and so a lower threshold may be applied (e.g. less than 6), so as to retrieve dishes that are loosely “street food” or loosely British. On the other hand, other categories may require a stronger association and so a higher threshold (e.g. 8 or 9) may be applied.

[60] In addition, the selection unit 130 may apply a filter to eliminate all items that cannot be prepared and delivered before the time at which the event takes place. Particularly, the selection unit 130 may eliminate items wherein the preparation duration combined with the estimated delivery duration is longer than the interval between the present time and the start of the event/the required delivery date. The delivery time may be an estimate based on the distance between the supplier’s address and the customer’s address, or may be an estimate received from an external delivery service.

[61] In one example, the selection unit 130 is operable to filter the items by effort score, based on the event parameters. For example, if the event parameters indicate the event is a finger buffet, it can be inferred that dishes that require significant customer intervention to prepare are not appropriate. Alternatively, the interface unit 110 may allow the entry of a minimum and/or maximum effort score in order to filter the items.

[62] If multiple items meet the criteria of the filters, the item with the highest association to the categories is chosen. In one example, if there are multiple items with the same level of association, one is chosen at random. In a further example, the metadata comprises a priority score for each item, and the item with the highest priority is chosen. The priority score may be a separate metadata value. Alternatively, one of the association scores may also function as a priority score. For example, the item most strongly associated with the chosen meal type may be selected, or the item that has the minimum effort score.

[63] The selection unit 130 is configured to store the generated menu in the storage 120.

[64] In one example, the system 100 comprises an auxiliary item selector 160. The auxiliary item selector 160 is operable to select one or more of the auxiliary items stored in the storage

120. Particularly, auxiliary items are selected having metadata that links them to the food/drink items in the generated menu. Accordingly, complimentary items are retrieved that are relevant to the selected menu items. As a result, appropriate quantities and types of cutlery, drinks and side dishes may be provided.

[65] In one example, the system 100 comprises a controller 150, which is operable to control the operation of the system 100. The controller 150 may take the form of one or more processors or integrated circuits, and/or suitable control software, such as an operating system.

[66] Use of the system will now be described with reference to Figures 2-8, which each show user interface screens of the interface unit 110.

[67] Firstly, the system 100 captures a series of parameters regarding the event to be catered, as illustrated in Figures 2-5.

[68] Figure 2 shows a user interface screen 210. The screen 210 comprises an input box 211 for entering a name of the event, an input box 212 for entering the number of guests, an input box 213 for entering the delivery date. Accordingly, the customer can provide parameters relating to the number of guests, and the date on which they would like the food/drink items to be delivered.

[69] In addition, the screen 210 comprises a means of entering a delivery address. This may comprise a postcode entry box 216, which is able to retrieve a street address from a gazetteer, as would be familiar to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, an address may be selected based on the location of the user - for example based on the GPS co-ordinates derived from the device through which they are accessing the system 100. As a further alternative, the user may indicate that they wish to collect the goods themselves, for example by pressing an appropriate button.

[70] As illustrated in Figures 3A-C, the entered delivery date may be validated, to ensure that the order is able to be delivered in time for the event. For example, screen 210A may be shown if the delivery can be made in time, and screen 210B if the delivery date is too soon to be fulfilled.

[71] Figures 4A-4E show the input of various event parameters that enable the food/drink items to be filtered using the association scores. For example, a series of input screens 401,

411, 421, 431, 441 are sequentially shown, each asking a question regarding the nature of the event and presenting a plurality of alternative answers 402, 412, 422, 432, 442.

[72] Figure 4A shows a user interface screen 401 that requires the user to select an event type 402. For example, the event type may be party, wedding, or corporate event.

[73] Figure 4B shows a user interface screen 411 that requires the user to select a meal type

412, indicating the type of meal required. The meal type 412 may include one or more of breakfast/brunch, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea and all day dining.

[74] Figure 4C shows a user interface screen 421 that requires the user to select an event format 422 indicating the format of the event. The event format may include one or more of: sitdown meal, finger buffet, fork buffet, canapes, sharing platters and barbecue.

[75] Figure 4D shows a user interface screen 431 that requires the user to select an event purpose 432. The event purpose may include one or more of: client meeting, product/office launch or staff party.

[76] Figure 4E shows a user interface screen 441 that requires the user to select a food style 442. The food styles 442 may be a regional cuisines, such as British or Indian, or relate to a particular style of food preparation, such as street food or gourmet.

[77] Whilst the user interface screens 401,411,421,431,441 have been described above as being displayed in a particular order or sequence, it will be understood that this order may be varied.

[78] Subsequently, the system 100 captures details of any special dietary requirements, as shown in Figures 5A-C. In Figure 5A, user interface screen 501 comprises button 502 to add a new person with special dietary requirements. Figure 5B shows a subsequent screen 511, which comprises an input box 512 to enter the name of a person with the dietary requirements, and a series ofcheckboxes 513 to input details of the dietary requirements/allergies. Capturing the name allows the food complying with the special dietary requirements to be labelled with the name of the intended recipient. Once entered, a summary 522 is shown in user interface screen 521 (see Figure 5C). The screen 521 allows for the entry of details of further people with special dietary needs.

[79] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 7, the selection unit 130 generates a menu 700 matching the event parameters. For example, the menu 700 may include a number of food/drink items 701, for example a starter, a main course, side dishes and a dessert. The menu 700 also comprises separate food items 703 forthose with special dietary requirements.

[80] In one example, the system 100 enables the selection of one or more auxiliary items. Figure 6 shows an input screen 601 that allows the user to add tableware via input section 602 or matching beverages via input section 603. Side dishes or other complementary food items may be added via input section 604. The auxiliary item selector 160 selects auxiliary items by choosing auxiliary items that are linked to the items selected in the menu 700. For example, a particular wine may be linked to a particular dish - e.g. a pudding wine to a dessert. The quantity of auxiliary items is automatically derived based on the number of guests, so that the correct quantity of cutlery/crockery can be provided.

[81] Afterthe menu 700 has been generated, it can be edited by the user as shown in Figures 8A and 8B. Figure 8A shows user interface screen 801, which permits a user to select a menu item 802 to be replaced. Upon selecting the menu item 802, a plurality of alternative food/drink items 812 are shown on screen 811, thus allowing the selection of one thereof. The displayed alternatives 812 are food/drink items that also meet the criteria of the event parameters.

[82] Subsequently, the user confirms the selections and pays for the catering. The system 100 is then able to generate order preparation information (e.g. an order summary that can be printed or displayed on screen) that allows the operator of the system to prepare and pack the food/drink items and auxiliary items ready for dispatch to the customer.

[83] Figure 9 is a flowchart of an exemplary computer-implemented catering supply method. The method includes the step S91 of receiving event parameters via the interface unit 110. The method includes the step S92 of selecting a number of data items representing food/drink items from the storage 120 that fulfil the event parameters, using metadata associating each of the data items to the received parameters. The method includes the step S93 of generating the menu. Further steps may be included in the method, as have been described herein.

[84] The above-described systems and methods advantageously facilitate the retrieval of food items that are well-suited to the user’s event, both in terms of being suitable food for the occasion and in terms of being food that is capable of being prepared in the time frame and facilities available. Accordingly, wasted effort and wasted food is avoided.

[85] In addition, the above-described systems and methods advantageously provide a finegrained and flexible mechanism that allows the operator to encode the relationship between a food/drink item and a plurality (e.g. tens or hundreds) of categories. Advantageously, the relationships are weighted, so that the amount of association between an item and a category can be stored. Accordingly, food/drink items can be efficiently selected, without needing the expertise of a catering professional. This makes the process of procuring the food/drink significantly easier for the user.

[86] Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

[87] All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

[88] Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[89] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (20)

1. A catering supply system comprising:

an interface operable to receive a plurality of event parameters;

a storage comprising a plurality of data items representing food and/or drink items, and metadata associating each of the data items with one or more of the event parameters; and a menu item selector operable to select a subset of the data items based on the metadata so as to generate a menu fulfilling the received event parameters.

2. The catering supply system of claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises an association score indicating a level of association between one of the event parameters and the food and/or drink item.

3. The catering supply system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the menu item selector is operable to select data items having metadata comprising an association score greater than a predetermined threshold with respect to each of the event parameters.

4. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the metadata comprises an effort score, representing the level of customer intervention required to prepare the dish.

5. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the interface is a web interface.

6. The catering supply system of any of claims 1-4, wherein the interface comprises an application installable on a smartphone, tablet or other computing device.

7. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the event parameters include an event type describing the nature of an event.

8. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the event parameters include a meal type indicating the type of meal required.

9. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the event parameters include an event format indicating the format of an event.

10. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the event parameters include an event purpose.

11. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the event parameters include a food style.

12. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the event parameters include dietary requirements.

13. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the event parameters include an event date and time.

04 09 18

14. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the event parameters include a number of diners.

15. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the metadata comprises a priority score, and if the menu selector determines multiple data items are suitable for selection, the menu selector is operable to select a data item having a highest priority score.

16. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the interface is operable to display the menu.

17. The catering supply system of any preceding claim, wherein the system further comprises an auxiliary item selector, operable to select one or more auxiliary items related to the data items comprised in the menu.

18. A computer-implemented catering supply method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of event parameters; and selecting a subset of a plurality of stored data items representing food and/or drink items, based on stored metadata associating each of the data items with one or more of the event parameters, so as to generate a menu fulfilling the received event parameters.

19. A computer-readable medium having instructions recorded thereon which, when executed, cause a computing device to perform the method defined in claim 18.

20. A computer program product comprising computer program code for causing a computing device to perform the method defined in claim 18.