North Manchester General Hospital, part of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, has implemented Hupfer’s VARIOCART trolley to enhance its catering services. The hospital’s catering and hospitality manager, Michael Eastham, reports that the VARIOCART is already enhancing service quality, handling, and load efficiency for his 65-member team, who serve up to 2,500 meals daily.

Designed for demanding environments, the VARIOCART boasts a robust 300kg load capacity, with 100kg per shelf, reinforced by extra-strong welded seams. The trolley also features adjustable shelves with 11 configuration levels and an optional ergonomic handle that encourages better posture for staff of all heights. Eastham highlighted the benefits for his team, stating: “It’s already evident that Hupfer’s VARIOCART is much smoother to manoeuvre, and the handle positioning allows for easier movement across the hospital site, reducing strain and improving staff wellbeing.”

Supporting NHS Sustainability Goals
Beyond its performance, the VARIOCART stands out for its sustainability features, which align with NHS targets for reducing carbon emissions. The trolley is made from approximately 85% recycled materials, and its flatpack delivery reduces transport space by 75%, cutting both storage costs and the hospital’s carbon footprint. Hupfer also offers climate-neutral shipping to further enhance its environmental credentials.

The VARIOCART is supported by Hupfer’s innovative Buy Back Guarantee. This program ensures that at the end of its life, the trolley can be recycled, with Hupfer buying it back or arranging local recovery. The scheme helps hospitals participate in the circular economy, with rebates available when purchasing replacement products. “This is a brilliant initiative for life cycle works, knowing the product will be recycled rather than putting the responsibility on operators,” Eastham added. He has already recommended the VARIOCART to other NHS Trusts and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust sites.

Marc Sumner, sales and marketing director for Hupfer UK, emphasised the product’s market-leading features, saying: “We were always confident that VARIOCART would stand out for its load capacity, handling, and ergonomic design. The added sustainability benefits, including our Buy Back Guarantee, make it a game changer in the catering sector, especially for hospitals with high-volume operations.”

As the VARIOCART continues to gain traction in healthcare settings, its combination of performance, durability, and eco-friendly credentials makes it an essential tool for modern catering teams.

For more information, visit https://uk.hupfer.com/en/commercial-catering/transport-solutions/variocart/

Industry stalwart Martin Allen has joined ceda Platinum Partner, Hupfer UK, as National Sales Manager – and this is your invitation to meet him and discuss the range.

Martin’s appointment brings a wealth of catering industry experience to complement Hupfer’s innovative range of solutions for storage, transportation, kitchen logistics, regeneration, warming and presentation.

Many of you will know Martin from previous roles over many years in foodservice sales, where he has built strong dealer relationships.

Now he will be working closely with dealers to support the specification of Hupfer products including storage solutions and servery units, trolleys, transport, regeneration, holding and warming units.

Hupfer UK is fully invested in the UK with new impetus and keen to chat with any dealers or distributors about the added value potential of its integrated solutions – all built with energy efficiency in mind and to the highest German manufacturing standards.

Call on ‪+44 7955 285663‬ or email martin@hupferuk.com to book a chat with Martin and discuss the opportunities.

Welcome to ignite, by ceda.

ceda represents over 125 companies across the UK. And each and every ceda member is a specialist. Design specialists, project specialists and equipment specialists. All exclusively serving the foodservice, catering and hospitality industry.

Quite rightly, we’re massively proud of what our members create. And so ignite is their showcase. In each issue we feature amazing projects and installations for organisations of all sizes up and down the UK and beyond.

Every year at our annual conference we honour the best of our members’ projects with the ceda Grand Prix Awards. In this special edition of ignite we celebrate the 2024 award entries…

Alternatively, to learn more about ceda and our members, please visit our Find a Specialist page.

We’re delighted to announce two new appointments to the ceda Board.

Mo Romanowicz, of NCE Group and Claire Smith, of ABDA Design, have been duly ratified in by the ceda Board and are now ceda Board Directors.

ceda Chair, Kirstin Hatherley, is enthusiastic about what the pair can bring to the Board. She said, “I am delighted that Mo and Claire are joining us on the ceda Board. They both have significant experience in the industry and will bring a wealth of knowledge to ceda and our growing community. I have no doubt that they will be great assets.”

Mo is thrilled to have been invited to join the ceda Board. He said, “It’s an incredible opportunity to contribute to meaningful discussions concerning the foodservice equipment industry and drive positive change within the community.”

Mo is passionate about mental health and hopes to make a positive impact and focus on improving mental health awareness across the industry. He adds, “I feel truly fortunate to be in a position where I can make a positive impact on my team, our customers, the industry and the wider community within the industry. Being a part of the ceda Board is the cherry on top, offering even more opportunities to contribute by sharing my years of experience and passion to help, so I feel deeply honoured and grateful for this opportunity.”

Mo set up Northern Catering Equipment in 2017 and has grown the business by acquisition and formed the NCE Group. He’s currently CEO at the NCE Group.

Having worked in hospitality design for her entire career, Claire is thrilled to join the ceda Board. She said, “I have seen ceda develop and evolve into the diverse association it is today and I am very much looking forward to being a part of its future.

“I have a huge passion for hospitality design and how the operation and aesthetics of a space work together. I am really enthusiastic about the next generation coming through the industry and creating a more diverse workforce. I’m looking forward to working with the Board and the ceda Academy to see how this looks.”

Claire worked in admin, estimating and sales at the beginning of her career for the family business. In 2003 she joined CDG as a project consultant and developed a passion for interiors and worked closely with the design team on projects. In 2011 she joined ABDA and was drawn to high-end projects and design-led interiors. She became a director in 2019 and now looks after new business, key accounts, marketing and PR, alongside the day-to-day running of the business with her colleagues. In recent years Claire has been involved in industry panels at HRC, The Restaurant Show, Independent Hotel Show and Clarkenwell Design Week. She also speaks regularly at the University of Northampton, working with design students on workshops and career development.

Precision Refrigeration’s back bar storage solutions combine the latest energy saving refrigeration technology with stylish good looks. They come as standard with a sleek stainless steel exterior but are available in numerous finishes to create high impact displays which compliment any aesthetic.

The BBS range are, first and foremost, robust reliable pieces of equipment with front breathing and venting refrigeration systems and maintenance free condensers. The polyurethane insulation, as well as being zero ODP, helps keep your drinks cool in the hottest of climates up to 43ºC in the tropicalised TBBS models.

Precision’s single door BBS600 bottle coolers and matching GFS600 glass frosters are available in three heights: 800mm, 845mm and 900mm. The BBS can have a large ‘picture frame’ glass door instead of solid; and the 900mm high model is now also available with drawers!

Managing Director, Nick Williams, knows from years of industry experience that drawers are an extremely practical storage solution. “They allow you to see everything without having to crouch down, and they offer easy access to products stored at the back of the fridge. For this reason, they are by far our biggest selling optional extra on our foodservice products.

“We are now offering this option on our back bar range to give the same convenience to bar operators. Our new bottle cooler drawer option is especially useful when serving lots of chilled wines by the glass, by storing them upright it’s really easy to see and access all the open bottles.”

Precision’s new BBS600-900-H is now available, please contact the sales office for more details.

sales@precision-refrigeration.com | 01842 753994 | www.precision-refrigeration.com

With the recent refurbishment of Bertram’s restaurant at Crow Wood Hotel and Spa Resort, Adande Refrigeration is proud to have played a key role in enhancing this stunning, modern retreat.

Nestled in the heart of Lancashire, this luxurious resort offers exquisite culinary experiences at its on-site restaurants. Guests can dine at the critically acclaimed Bertram’s Restaurant, Wilfred’s Italian Restaurant, The Woodland Spa or The Lounge Bar. All of which chose Adande Refrigeration to elevate their team’s workflow and keep their quality ingredients fresh.

The site has 50 Adande drawers, of which 31 are utilised in the newly renovated Bertram’s where maximising capacity and ergonomic working conditions was a priority.

“I’m not just saying it, because it’s true… When we got Adande drawers it was a game-changer in Bertram’s. The way you can stack your produce and have back-up stock underneath. So, during service, you don’t have to keep running to the walk-in fridge to get prep. It’s right where you need it.” – Gary Entwistle, Head Chef

Discover the full testimonial and more on the Adande website.

Transform your kitchen space with the Uni-Fresh re-circulation unit – A compact, eco-friendly solution that integrates perfectly with your existing setup, offering superior air quality while contributing to a greener environment.

Seamless Integration
• No ductwork required – installs easily in your kitchen without expensive renovations.
• The compact design fits neatly into your existing space.
• Remote mounted tower options available.
• Range of control options from a simple On/Off to a full control panel.

Zero Emissions
• Completely electric-powered, eliminating harmful gas emissions.
• Our bespoke multi-stage filtration system reduces grease, smoke and odors, ensuring a clean kitchen environment.

Multi-Stage Filtration
• Advanced multi-stage filtration: mesh, panel, bag, HEPA, and carbon filters capture even the smallest airborne particles.
• Improves air quality and reduces fire risks by removing grease particles.

Complete Package
• Canopies & linking duct work to supply the complete package.

Sustainability at its core
• Eco-friendly design that lowers your energy usage and reduces your carbon footprint.
• Perfect for urban kitchens with strict ventilation restrictions.

Call to book a free demo at our midlands showroom!
02476 367000 or sales@univentsystems.co.uk

Electrolux Professional has announced that several variants of its SkyLine Combi oven have earned the prestigious Energy Technology List (ETL) certification. This is further to three lines from their leading ecostore range having achieved the certification this Summer, reinforcing the sustainability credentials of the company across equipment categories.

The cost-effective ecostore HPe line, which holds both a climate class 5 rating and energy efficiency class A rating, is best-in-class on the market in terms of energy efficiency and capacity, as declared on the European Energy Label. This is based on the ratio between the appliance’s energy consumption of 299 kWh per annum and the net 503-litre capacity of a standard full door cabinet.

Electrolux Professional has concurrently upgraded its warranty support for the energy-efficient cabinets from two to five years, with every new purchase of a HPe Premium cabinet or HPe single door cabinet.

Alex Reed, Foodservice Partner Sales Manager for Electrolux Professional UK & Ireland, said: “While our ecostore range is already recognised by the market as a reliable and sustainable solution, the ETL accreditation truly reveals the progress we have made in driving energy efficiency across all aspects of the business.

“To mirror the trust that we share in our market leading ecostore range, it’s only right that we offer a matching warranty provision, so customers can now enjoy peace of mind in the form of an extended five-year warranty.”
The direct ETL listings for SkyLine combi ovens can be found here and for ecostore here.

Falcon adds new glass hob product to market-leading Dominator Plus portfolio

Falcon have launched their new E3196 Ceramic Top Oven Range. With many operators looking to lower their carbon footprint by switching from gas to electric cooking appliances, the E3196 provides an easy and cost-effective way to do this, without having to go to the additional expense of induction.

The E3196 Ceramic Top Oven Range is a testament to Falcon’s commitment to providing the industry with a wide choice of equipment to suit any buying driver, whether that be cost, energy-saving, carbon-reduction, ease of operation or any other factor. The E3196, with its 6mm toughened ceramic glass hob with six fast-acting elements, not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of any kitchen but also offers excellent durability and ease of cleaning.

Having a smooth glass top offers so many benefits over traditional gas 6 burner or electric 6 hot plate boiling tops. Multi-pot cooking per zone, speed of heat-up and ease of cleaning are just a few of the advantages.

Key Features of the E3196 Ceramic Top Oven Range:

• Advanced Ceramic Glass Top: The E3196’s sleek, smooth surface is scratch-resistant and easy to clean. The hob provides rapid and even heating, allowing for perfect culinary results every time. Operators can benefit from its versatility, using multiple pots on the same elements or straddling multiple elements with larger pots.
• Operator Safety in Mind: There is a warning light that illuminates when the glass top is hot, and won’t go off until the surface has cooled down. This helps to prevent staff from burning themselves thinking the surface isn’t hot.
• Spacious Fan-assisted Oven: The E3196 comes equipped with a large-capacity 2/1 GN fam-assisted oven, that ensures even heat distribution for perfectly cooked food every time. It’s also got glass panelled doors and an internal light for easy monitoring of cooking progress.

Lawrence Hughes, Sales and Marketing Director for Falcon, expressed excitement about the new model: “The E3196 Ceramic Top Oven Range is an excellent addition to our product portfolio. It is the ideal appliance for those operators who want to make the switch away from gas as it offers so many benefits, from both an operational and sustainability perspective.”

The E3196 Ceramic Top Oven Range is available to order now. List price of the unit on feet is £5500. For more information please visit https://www.falconfoodservice.com/products/catalogue/range/e3196/overview

Are you looking to develop tailored, expert-led training programmes for your teams but unsure what professional training can look like?

See us in action on our free, virtual training events, giving you a short taster of what our training can offer, and as a bonus, learn about a trending topic from our leading experts!

Our next event is “Sleep for Success: Enhancing Employee Wellbeing and Work Performance” on Tuesday 26^th November 1pm-2pm. You can register for this on LinkedIn, or get in touch and we can register you manually.

By the end of this one-hour event, you will start to understand:

1. How sleep impacts wellbeing and performance
2. Why we don’t sleep and what’s the science behind why we might struggle?
3. What practical ways we can improve our sleep?
4. How can we link good sleep with work performance?

Get in touch for more information about our free events or for a discussion about developing  training initiatives for your teams. Please contact courteneyclark@maguiretraining.co.uk for an informal chat.