Artificial intelligence has quietly slipped into everything. It’s in our reservation systems, our revenue dashboards and supplier forecasts, our menu-plans and prep lists. At the same time, sustainability has stopped being the headline. Not because it failed, but because the industry seems to be moving on from slogans toward something more useful: tools, systems, and ideas that actually make food and hospitality work better. Less preaching, more doing.
The three podcasts below capture that mood perfectly. They are refreshingly honest about where things stand right now. Together, they map how technology is influencing what we grow, what we serve, and how we welcome guests, without pretending there’s a single silver bullet. If you work in food, drink, or hospitality and want to feel informed rather than overwhelmed, these are excellent places to tune in.
1. The complex question of food innovation
Podcast: Progressive Hedonist
Host: Dana Cowin
Guest: Larissa Zimberoff
This episode opens with a question many people in food are quietly asking: is food sustainability… kind of over? With fewer headlines and a steady stream of 'green start-up' shutdowns, Dana Cowin and journalist Larissa Zimberoff dig into what’s really happening beneath the noise. Larissa brings a rare mix of rigor and taste literacy, looking at food innovation through the lens of health, nutrition, climate, soil, and flavor rather than buzzwords. The result is a tour of food innovation with ideas that range from genuinely exciting to deeply questionable.
This episode helps you recalibrate. It explains why some food tech innovations failed, why the conversation cooled, and where meaningful progress is still happening. Instead of chasing trends, it brings the focus back to fundamentals that matter in kitchens and supply chains alike: taste, resilience, nutritional value. It’s grounding, motivating, and somewhat reassuring.
Featured episode: July 2025
Length: 34 minutes
Listen on: Spotify | Apple
Lees ook
Silicon Valley Journalist Larissa Zimberoff investigates the world of ‘New Foods’
2. The next phase of AI adoption in hotel companies
Podcast: Hospitality Daily
Host: Josiah Mackenzie
Guest: Stuart Greif
If AI still feels abstract to you, this episode brings it straight back to the floor. Josiah Mackenzie talks with Stuart Greif, who is Chief Strategy, Innovation & Operating Officer at Forbes Travel Guide. They discuss how AI is moving beyond experiments and becoming part of how hotels actually run. Not flashy demos, but tools that help teams manage labor, improve service, grow revenue, and reduce friction for both staff and guests.
One of the standout moments is the discussion around visual AI for housekeepers. Cameras and computer vision flag room issues automatically, reducing miscommunication and speeding up turnover. It sounds futuristic, but it’s already here. The bigger message is clear and encouraging: AI isn’t replacing hospitality, it’s quietly supporting it, taking pressure off teams so they can focus on people.
Featured episode: January 2026
Duration: 12 minutes
Listen on: Spotify | Apple | web
3. This is how AI is reshaping agriculture
Podcast: The Spoon
Host: Michael Wolf
Guests: Tim Beissinger, Charlie Andersen
In this episode of the renowned podcast series, Michael Wolf talks with Tim Beissinger (CTO of Heritable) and Charlie Andersen (CEO of Burro) about how AI is reshaping agriculture. Beissinger explains how machine learning is accelerating crop breeding, making plants more resilient and nutritious, faster than traditional methods ever allowed. Andersen brings it back to the field, where AI-powered robots are already handling repetitive labor and easing workforce shortages.
For chefs, restaurateurs, and operators, this episode is a reminder that the biggest shifts often happen upstream. Agriculture is becoming data-driven and automated, and that will determine availability, pricing, quality, and consistency long before ingredients reach your kitchen. Listening now gives you a head start on understanding the forces that will define menus in the years ahead.
Featured episode: December 2025
Length: 64 minutes
Listen on: Spotify | Apple | web