Chef Weekly Brief: June 24ā30, 2025
This past week brought a mix of significant developments for chefs and the broader culinary world. We saw updates on food safety regulations, new strides in kitchen technology, and shifts in food pricing that could impact menu planning. Plus, thereās news on leadership in major hospitality kitchens and a heartfelt tribute from Food Network.
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Food Network Honors Anne Burrell, Announces New Season
Food Network is honoring the late Anne Burrell with special episodes starting June 25, celebrating her talent as a chef and teacher. Her show āWorst Cooks in Americaā is still set to premiere on July 28. Public reaction to the tribute has been noted, highlighting the impact of culinary figures on audiences.
Published: June 24, 2025
https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/anne-burrell-worst-cooks-in-america-new-season-july-2025 -
USDA Updates Key Food Safety Regulations
The USDAās Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced updates, including a proposal to remove the standard of identity for canned āTripe with Milkā to modernize regulations. They also updated administrative methods for listing state inspection programs and released new HACCP models for dried and pasteurized liquid egg products to enhance food safety.
Published: June 27, 2025
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/news-press-releases/constituent-update-june-27-2025 -
AI & Robotics Reshape Restaurant Operations
Automation continues to advance in restaurants, with DoorDash and Flytrex expanding drone delivery in Dallas-Fort Worth, and Uber Eats deploying autonomous robots in Atlanta. Yum China introduced āQ-Smart,ā an AI assistant for KFC managers. However, McDonaldās paused its voice AI partnership with IBM, indicating ongoing refinement in tech integration.
Published: June 28, 2025
Restaurant Technology News Recap: Week of JuneāÆ22,āÆ2025 | -
USDA Forecasts 2025 Food Price Trends
The USDAās June 2025 Food Price Outlook predicts overall food prices will rise at a historical average rate, with food-away-from-home prices increasing by 3.9%. Beef and veal prices are expected to jump by 6.8% due to tight supplies, while fresh vegetable prices are projected to decrease by 2.5%. Egg prices remain volatile due to avian influenza.
Published: June 27, 2025
Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service -
New Executive Chef Leads Culinary Vision at Gaylord Pacific
Jakob E. has taken on the Executive Chef role at the new Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center, starting from its pre-opening phase in May 2025. His responsibilities include developing new menus, refining restaurant concepts, and building a large culinary team of around 30 chefs and nearly 200 associates. He emphasizes a āpeople-firstā leadership style, focusing on mentorship and hiring from local culinary programs.
Published: June 24, 2025
A Marriott Executive Chef from Michelin-Starred Restaurants
Tools & Tips
CHEF iQ App Update: Enhanced Cooking Data Export
The CHEF iQ app updated on June 26, 2025, allowing iQ Sense users to export cooking graphs from their Cooking History for detailed analysis. This helps chefs track and refine their cooking processes. Additionally, iQ MiniOven users can now skip the preheating step for quicker meal preparation.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chefman.chefiq.prod
Fun Fact
A Dash of Culinary History Did you know the word ārestaurantā comes from the French word meaning ārestoringā? It originally referred to the fortifying broths served in French taverns. The term was adopted into English in 1806, replacing āeating-houseā. This origin highlights the industryās historical purpose of providing nourishment and ārestorationā.
10 Fun facts : Chefs & Culinary Arts ā Knife Roll Company
Weād love to hear from you! Have you participated in any chef events or utilized new chef tools recently? Share your experiences or insights with usāweāre featuring selected community voices in next weekās edition.