The free resource includes 116 ready-to-use prompts covering menu planning, compliance, food safety, costing, training and team management.
Nestlé Professional has launched a free AI Prompt Library designed to help chefs and foodservice operators use artificial intelligence across everyday kitchen and business tasks.
The resource is aimed at teams looking for practical ways to apply AI without needing previous experience. It includes prompts covering menu planning, recipe development, compliance, cost management, team leadership, sustainability, training and marketing.
Research by Nestlé Professional found that 78 per cent of surveyed chefs aged between 18 and 25 use AI in some form, while 34 per cent currently use it for work.
The findings suggest AI is already familiar to many young chefs, but its use across day-to-day kitchen operations remains more limited.
More than 100 prompts for kitchen and business tasks
The library includes 116 prompts across two collections developed for aged care kitchens and pub and casual dining venues.
Each prompt follows a “Copy. Paste. Go.” format and can be used with the user’s preferred large language model. The aim is to give chefs and managers a starting point for tasks that may otherwise require significant time or administration.
Prompts can be used to adapt menus for dietary and nutritional requirements, develop seasonal menu ideas, organise food safety documentation, improve recipe consistency and support staff training.
They also cover the commercial side of foodservice, including portion control, cost management, marketing, team coordination and research into the local market.
Nestlé Professional General Manager Kristina Czepl says many chefs are interested in AI but are still working out how it can be applied in a professional kitchen.
“AI is already becoming part of everyday life, but many chefs are still working out how it can practically support them at work,” says Kristina.
“We’re launching this resource to help move AI from curiosity to something that can be used in professional kitchens across the country to help ease pressure on teams.”
Supporting chefs without replacing judgement
Nestlé Professional says its research also highlighted pressures facing foodservice teams, including staff shortages, long hours and gaps in training and support.
The company believes AI could help reduce some of the administrative work placed on chefs and managers, particularly across documentation, planning and staff communication.
Kristina says the technology should be viewed as a support tool rather than a replacement for the judgement and experience of chefs.
“AI fluency is the future of our industry, but it doesn’t replace the judgement, creativity and critical thinking that define a great chef. It amplifies them,” she says.
“If we can take some of that admin off their plate and make these tools easier to use, it gives chefs and operators more time to focus on running the kitchen, supporting their teams and delivering great food.”
Chefs and operators will still need to check any AI-generated material before putting it into practice.
This is particularly important when using prompts for food safety, nutrition, compliance or dietary requirements, where outputs must be reviewed against current regulations, workplace procedures and professional advice.
Teams should also avoid entering personal staff information, customer data, trade pricing or other confidential business information into external AI tools.
Tailored tools for different foodservice settings
The aged care collection includes 52 prompts across 12 categories.
These cover areas such as menu planning, dietary and nutritional requirements, changing care standards, food safety, documentation and compliance.
The pub and casual dining collection includes 64 prompts across 14 categories, with a focus on menu development, specials, portioning, cost control, recipe consistency and communication between team members.
The two collections reflect the different operational pressures facing each sector.
An aged care kitchen may require more support with nutritional requirements and documentation, while a busy pub kitchen may be more focused on consistency, food costs and coordinating teams through service.
Kristina says the library forms part of Nestlé Professional’s broader focus on helping foodservice businesses respond to change and improve the way their kitchens operate.
“Our role is to be a practical, forward-thinking partner to the industry,” she says.
“That means providing tools and solutions that genuinely help kitchens run better. This is one way we’re supporting foodservice professionals to navigate change and build more efficient, resilient businesses.”
The Nestlé Professional AI Prompt Library is available to access for free, with users required to sign up before accessing the resource.
The Nestlé Professional research, Shaping the Future Kitchen: Passion, Pressure and the Next Generation of Chefs, was conducted in April and May 2026. It included 300 young and apprentice chefs aged between 18 and 25 across Australia and New Zealand.
