A computer-implemented method of controlling a plurality of individually addressable and individually controllable food holding units (108, 110, 112, 114, 304A, 306A, 308A, 304B, 306B, 308B, 500) in a modular food holding bin, the method comprising: receiving, at a user station (1006A, 1006B, 1100) via a user interface, user selections of tunable parameter values for a plurality of tunable parameters corresponding to adjustable aspects of operation of the food holding units; publishing the tunable parameter values to a controller of the modular food holding bin, wherein the tunable parameter values are published to the controller as one or more tunable payload components (1110, 1112, 1114); executing, at runtime by a processor of the controller, a control program comprising programming instructions for operating at least one of the food holding units, wherein executing the control program includes accessing the tunable parameter values from the one or more tunable payload components (1110, 1112, 1114); and controlling, by the processor of the controller, operation of the at least one of the food holding units according to the tunable parameter values the method characterised in that: the user station is located remotely from the modular food holding bin; and publishing the tunable parameter values to the controller of the modular food holding bin comprises transmitting the one or more tunable payload components (1110, 1112, 1114) to the modular food holding bin via a communication network; and wherein publishing the tunable parameter values to the controller of the modular food holding bin further comprises: accessing, via the communication network, version information associated with the tunable parameter values in use by the controller of the modular food holding bin; identifying, by a processor of the user station, an updated version of the tunable parameter values; and transmitting, via the communication network, the updated version of the tunable parameter values in the one or more tunable payload components (1110, 1112, 1114) to the modular food holding bin. receiving, at a user station (1006A, 1006B, 1100) via a user interface, user selections of tunable parameter values for a plurality of tunable parameters corresponding to adjustable aspects of operation of the food holding units; publishing the tunable parameter values to a controller of the modular food holding bin, wherein the tunable parameter values are published to the controller as one or more tunable payload components (1110, 1112, 1114); executing, at runtime by a processor of the controller, a control program comprising programming instructions for operating at least one of the food holding units, wherein executing the control program includes accessing the tunable parameter values from the one or more tunable payload components (1110, 1112, 1114); and controlling, by the processor of the controller, operation of the at least one of the food holding units according to the tunable parameter values the method characterised in that: the user station is located remotely from the modular food holding bin; and publishing the tunable parameter values to the controller of the modular food holding bin comprises transmitting the one or more tunable payload components (1110, 1112, 1114) to the modular food holding bin via a communication network; and the user station is located remotely from the modular food holding bin; and publishing the tunable parameter values to the controller of the modular food holding bin comprises transmitting the one or more tunable payload components (1110, 1112, 1114) to the modular food holding bin via a communication network; and wherein publishing the tunable parameter values to the controller of the modular food holding bin further comprises: accessing, via the communication network, version information associated with the tunable parameter values in use by the controller of the modular food holding bin; identifying, by a processor of the user station, an updated version of the tunable parameter values; and transmitting, via the communication network, the updated version of the tunable parameter values in the one or more tunable payload components (1110, 1112, 1114) to the modular food holding bin. accessing, via the communication network, version information associated with the tunable parameter values in use by the controller of the modular food holding bin; identifying, by a processor of the user station, an updated version of the tunable parameter values; and transmitting, via the communication network, the updated version of the tunable parameter values in the one or more tunable payload components (1110, 1112, 1114) to the modular food holding bin.