How Winnow and Hilton developed Winnow Foresight, together

A tool shaped by chefs, grounded in nine years of partnership and solving a problem every kitchen faces.

We launched Winnow Foresight last week, and it's taking kitchens a step further: from managing food waste to preventing it.

Winnow Foresight is an AI-powered forecasting tool that tells chefs how much food to prepare for every service. It works on any mobile device and builds a daily production plan from guest occupancy and waste data, so chefs can prepare the right amount from the start. It wasn't designed at a desk. We built it with Hilton's chefs, in their kitchens, across nine countries, and tested it in their hotels.

"We're absolutely excited about collaborating with Winnow and creating a tool that chefs can use easily, to have access to the data points that are freely available in hotels already and reduce food waste."

Sebastian Nohse, Senior Director, Culinary and Food & Beverage Development, EMEA at Hilton

Nine years of partnership

Winnow and Hilton have worked together since 2017. Winnow Vision, our flagship measurement system, is now installed in more than 220 Hilton hotels worldwide, together preventing more than 5,900 tonnes of food waste and 7.8 million wasted meals. Hilton has used that data to cut food waste across its portfolio as part of its Travel with Purpose strategy and commitment to implement a food waste reduction programme in every hotel kitchen. Winnow Foresight extends that partnership into production planning and is currently live in 13 Hilton hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The problem recognised by Hilton's chefs

Production planning has always run on a chef's experience and a feel for the day ahead. Occupancy numbers are a guide, but knowing 180 guests are in house doesn't tell you how many trays of scrambled eggs to put out at 6:30am.

"All chefs worldwide face the same challenges when it comes to production planning. There is always a tricky part, between having prepared too much and then you have a lot of leftovers, and not preparing enough and the customer says we ran out of food."

Ademir Husagic, Regional Chef, Continental Europe & Executive Chef, Hilton Vienna Park

Why Foresight had to be built with chefs

Good ideas usually fail at implementation, not when they're being planned. That's why it was essential to build Winnow Foresight directly with Hilton's chefs. If a tool doesn't fit the pace of a kitchen, how little time there is before service, or who's on shift that morning, it gets dropped.

So we went to the kitchens ourselves. Over the past three years our product team has been working directly with Hilton's culinary teams across the world. Led by Shonak Nathwani, Product Director at Winnow, the team visited hotels in nine countries, making sure Foresight was built to fit the real working conditions of every kitchen.

Not every iteration of Foresight held up to a busy shift, but each round of feedback went straight back into the product. The chefs shaped the daily routine, the interface and what the plan had to look like. The question we kept asking was simple: are we solving the right problem for the chef, and is it making a difference to their day?

The result was Winnow Foresight. By combining Hilton's culinary expertise with our technology, we developed a tool that not only cuts waste but takes work off a chef's plate. In 10 to 15 minutes a day, a chef can build a production plan and log leftovers, which cuts both overproduction waste and the time spent managing it.

"From executive chefs to the junior members of the breakfast team, Hilton's chefs consistently embraced new ideas and wanted to shape what a modern kitchen looks like. That openness enabled us to test, learn and improve together, guided by a shared belief that food is too valuable to waste. Foresight is the result of that partnership."

Shonak Nathwani, Product Director, Winnow

Designed for focused-service hotels

Winnow Foresight was built for focused-service hotels and properties with lighter food and beverage operations. These hotels have had less access to advanced food waste technology than larger, full-service ones. They tend to have smaller back-of-house teams, tighter budgets and often a junior team running services. That's why Winnow Foresight runs on devices teams already have, so there's nothing to install and very little to learn.

"Chefs at our focused-service hotels often operate with leaner teams and need simple, practical tools that work for smaller operations, so every decision about what to prepare each day matters," said Chef Sebastian Nohse, Senior Director, Culinary and Food & Beverage Development, EMEA, Hilton. "Winnow Foresight takes the guesswork out of production planning. Our chefs are cooking with more precision, wasting less, and spending more time on the food itself rather than managing leftovers."

Results

Winnow Foresight is live in 13 Hilton hotels across 11 countries. Every site faced the same challenge: cutting overproduction without running short.

- Hampton by Hilton Budapest cut the weight of leftovers by 69% within six months, including a 64% reduction in leftover croissants alone, while lifting breakfast satisfaction by 4% and reducing cost per cover by 10%.

- Hilton London Croydon reduced the weight of leftovers by 52% within five months, including a 57% reduction in leftover sausage and a 48% reduction in leftover scrambled eggs, freeing up chefs' time to focus on food quality rather than managing surplus.

- Hilton Frankfurt Airport achieved a 66% total reduction in overproduction weight and a 5% saving on food costs.

Beyond waste

When a kitchen prepares closer to real demand, food is fresher, dish rotation is more frequent and service runs smoother. Guests notice the difference.

At Hampton by Hilton Budapest, Winnow Foresight showed which dishes guests preferred at breakfast, including rice dishes and congee, and breakfast satisfaction rose from 83% to 87%. At Hilton London Croydon, smaller batches kept the buffet fresh from first service to last, and in February 2026 the hotel recorded the number one Hilton breakfast score in the UK.

For Hilton's chefs, preventing waste and serving a better guest experience go hand in hand.

What comes next

Winnow and Hilton have partnered since 2017 to advance food waste reduction efforts across the hospitality industry. Winnow Foresight extends that partnership into production planning moving the industry forward from measuring and managing food into also preventing it in the first places. Winnow Foresight is live in 13 Hilton hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with Hilton evaluating results ahead of a potential wider rollout.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Winnow Foresight?

Winnow Foresight is an AI-powered forecasting tool that tells chefs how much food to prepare for every service, built from occupancy numbers and past service data. It is accessible on any mobile device, with no extra hardware to install.

How did Hilton and Winnow build Winnow Foresight together?

Winnow built Foresight directly with Hilton's culinary teams across the world. Chefs helped shape the daily routine, the interface, and what the production plan needed to look like.

What's the methodology behind Winnow Foresight's forecasts?

Winnow Foresight's AI builds each day's production plan using factors such as guest occupancy numbers and the site's own history of what was actually served and left over. Winnow Foresight builds a detailed production plan for each item which can be customized. After service, leftovers are recorded with Snap & Go - a chef takes a photo of what's left, and Winnow's AI estimates the weight automatically, with no manual weighing or logging required. That result feeds back into the model, so the next forecast is calibrated against the last, and accuracy compounds with every service the kitchen runs.

How accurate is Winnow Foresight?

Forecasts are 2x more accurate than a chef's own instinct (source: Winnow Foresight pilot data), and are given at the level of individual dishes rather than total covers.

Is Winnow Foresight available as a standalone product?

Yes. Winnow Foresight is sold standalone for focused-service hotels and properties with lighter food and beverage operations, and as an add-on for kitchens already running Winnow Vision.

How is Winnow Foresight different from Winnow Vision?

Winnow Vision measures food waste in the kitchen using AI-powered cameras and scales, showing what's being thrown away. Winnow Foresight forecasts how much to prepare before service starts, using occupancy numbers and waste data. Winnow Foresight is accessible on any mobile device with no hardware required. Foresight works standalone, or as an add-on for kitchens already running with Winnow Vision.

How long does it take to use Winnow Foresight each day?

10 to 15 minutes: roughly five minutes to check the plan, ten to record leftovers with Snap & Go.

Is Winnow Foresight available now?

Yes. It's available standalone, or as an add-on for kitchens already running Winnow Vision.