Stepping into a high-end Cheltenham restaurant on a blustery December day to find a robot zooming out the kitchen carrying plates was not on my 2025 bingo card.

But along with fellow diners at The Nook on Five – the town’s only rooftop eatery – I could not help but be amused, and admittedly impressed, by the so-called ‘BellaBot’.

The cat-like robot, made by Chinese company Pudu, can be programmed to travel to different zones in the restaurant carrying up to 40kg on four trays, which are then served by human staff. It has sensors that prevent it from crashing into tables (or humans) too.

The concept is not new; UK restaurant chain Bella Italia trialled the same robot at its Center Parcs Whinfell Forest branch three years ago in a bid to ‘boost’ the customer experience.

But The Nook on

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