Mechline is delighted to announce the appointment of Gary Thacker to the newly created role of Market Development Director. With over 25 years’ experience working within the catering equipment industry, most recently for Fri-Jado and previously Standex, Gary’s remit will extend beyond the UK market to include global growth opportunities across foodservice, hospitality and hygiene.

Andrew Farrell, Managing Director at Mechline is delighted with the appointment:

“Gary brings a wealth of equipment and hospitality knowledge. Add to this his background in electrical and manufacturing engineering, and you appreciate why we are so pleased to welcome him on-board. Gary will be instrumental in developing our key growth sectors of hygiene, sustainability, and operational efficiency, whilst helping to deliver complex projects.”

Speaking of the appointment, Gary explained:

“As an innovative manufacturer of catering and hospitality products, Mechline is perfectly positioned to fulfil the needs of a range of markets. I am looking forward to working closely with the team, as well as with both current and future customers, to accurately determine the markets most pressing demands and operational concerns, and to ensure Mechline can provide the perfect solution.”

In the last year Mechline has introduced a range of new products to the market including the Aquatechnix TX-i sensor tap that can help operators save 72% more water compared to standard taps, the latest generation of LED insect killers; CaterZap+ and CaterTTract+, as well as further developments on FOG (Fats, Oils & Grease) Management.

For further information on Mechline, please visit www.mechline.com.

In a climate defined by economic uncertainty, regulatory change, and rising costs, UK businesses are under increasing pressure to maintain growth while managing financial risk. From inflation and high interest rates to shifting employer obligations, today’s challenges are reshaping how organisations are approaching cashflow, credit management, and risk resilience.

To uncover how businesses are navigating these conditions, Marsh surveyed 500 finance directors and 500 sales leaders across a range of sectors. The findings from this research are compiled in their latest Trade Credit report, titled, The balancing act: How UK businesses are fuelling growth and navigating risk in uncertain times.

How trade credit insurance works

Protect your business from the effects of non-payment from your customers trading on credit terms. Trade credit insurance helps protect you if customers fail to pay for goods or services provided on a credit basis (where the buyer pays at an agreed future date), usually due to insolvency or lack of funds.

Marsh recommend it for any business dealing on credit terms – whether you are supplying goods, providing services, or operating in a contracting environment with unfamiliar customers or export markets.

Benefits of trade credit insurance

• Supports growth by safeguarding cash flow.
• Helps unlock access to financing.
• Enables you to trade with confidence.
• Optimises your business’s working capital.
• Protects one of the most important assets on your balance sheet.
• Your business gets paid if your customers/buyers become insolvent while owing you money.

Want a copy of the report? Need expert advice?

Contact Beth Keeling to request your copy of the Marsh UK Trade Credit report, or for help in navigating trade credit insurance.

Some catering equipment, such as glasswashers, dishwashers, and combi ovens, require a Class A air gap to meet water regulations and ensure total backflow protection. The WaterCare BTP-Compact break tank provides the ideal solution – compact, compliant, and easy to install.

By incorporating a Class A air gap, the BTP-Compact guarantees complete separation between mains water and the appliance, removing any risk of contamination and providing operators with total peace of mind. Its small footprint makes it perfect for commercial kitchens where space is at a premium, while still delivering robust performance.

With the BTP-Compact, achieving compliance doesn’t have to mean compromising on space or efficiency. WaterCare makes it simple to meet requirements, protect your water supply, and keep your equipment running safely.

Contact us to find out more: 01279 780 250 / info@watercare.co.uk or visit our website www.watercare.co.uk.

📅 Date: 21st November
📍 Location: Your Office or On the Road

Join us for our next Brew and Biscuit Event on the 21st of November! We’re encouraging all Members and Partners to host an in-house gathering where staff can come together over a cup of tea or coffee and have an open conversation about mental health and wellbeing.

Whether it’s in the office or a meet-up on the road, this is a chance to connect, check in with colleagues, and raise awareness about the importance of mental health.

🔹 Resources Provided: We’ll supply Members and Partners with materials to display during the event, ensuring everyone knows about the free support available for mental health and wellbeing.

Let’s take a moment to talk, listen, and support each other. ☕🍪

Parts Town UK are proud to introduce their brand-new Catering Van Stock Catalogue, supporting busy service technicians ensuring they get the parts they need to maximise equipment uptime and first-time fix rates. With the most essential van stock parts in one handy place, customers can find the parts they need quickly and efficiently to keep their vans stocked up at all times.

Digital copies are now available at: www.partstown.co.uk/resources/. From gas and electrical equipment to hardware and tools, the catalogue is your go-to-guide for all van stock parts. Including a brand-new offers page, you can find the bulk buy offers available all on one page, visit page 104!

For quick and easy ordering, Parts Town UK’s catering van stock parts can be found and ordered online at www.partstown.co.uk/shop-by-category/van-stocks/catering, with same day shipping on in-stock orders placed before 7pm.

As well as their new catering van stock catalogue, Parts Town UK have various handy guides and sector specific catalogues to aid in your spare parts selection, check out their range of resources at www.partstown.co.uk/resources/.

A Family Legacy Since 1954

Walk into Silvios London and you step into seven decades of coffee heritage. Founded in 1954 by Silvio’s grandfather, the family-run café has weathered the changing tides of London’s food scene – evolving from a “greasy spoon” in the 1970s, to a quality sandwich bar, to today’s premium Italian café destination.

Silvio, the third generation at the helm, sums it up: “Our point of difference has always been authenticity. We only serve Italian coffee – our own blend imported from Northern Italy – alongside paninis, focaccias, pizzas and pastries. It’s about quality, but also speed and consistency, which is vital in today’s café culture.”

More Than Just a Café

Silvios is no longer a single-site operation. Today, the group runs four outlets across London and the Chilterns:

• Liverpool Street (Paul Street, Shoreditch) – A busy commuter hub where speed of service is essential, run with just two staff at peak.
• Oxford Street (Duke Street) – A seven-day operation catering to shoppers with premium coffee and hot food, supported by a larger team.
• Kingshill Kitchen, Great Missenden – A community venture set up during Covid, trading inside a Baptist Church to give the village a coffee shop, local store, and hub for youth groups.
• High Wycombe Lido (opening soon) – A new outlet that will bring the Silvios experience to a leisure environment.

This mix of city-centre grab-and-go outlets and community-led cafés shows how Silvios has evolved beyond the “traditional London café” into a versatile operator — balancing premium products with local connection.

Alongside its award-winning coffee (including a National Flat White Award win at Ravey Street), Silvios offers a full menu of Italian breads, roasted vegetable paninis, pizza slices, pastries, and cakes — all made fresh on site, true to its ethos of quality and authenticity.

Meeting Modern Café Demands with Hot Food

As café culture evolves, coffee alone is no longer enough. Hot food has become a cornerstone of the Silvios menu – second only to coffee in importance. From toasted ciabattas and focaccias to freshly roasted vegetables, pizza slices, and pastries, customers now expect more than ever: speed, quality, and consistency.

“People don’t want a full restaurant meal at lunchtime; they want high-quality food they can grab quickly. Speed is essential in the city, and that’s where the right equipment makes all the difference.”

The Equipment Solution: Panasonic SCV3

To meet these demands, Silvios turned to Panasonic’s SCV3 ovens — compact, reliable, and powerful solutions designed for modern café operators.

The Panasonic SCV3 offers:

• Speed & Efficiency: Toasts a ciabatta in just 55 seconds.
• Consistency: Panasonic’s Twin Inverter technology ensures even results without cold spots.
• Ease of Use: Touch display, programmable menus, and easy-to-clean cavity make it ideal for busy teams.
• Space Saving: Stackable design means two ovens can fit into the footprint of one competitor unit.
• Versatility: From sandwiches and pastries to roasted vegetables, pizzas, and sausage rolls, it handles the lot.

“The SCV3 is a vast improvement over what we had before — easier to clean, simpler to use, and fast. The difference in consistency is night and day.”

Working with Regale: Service That Delivers

Silvio first bought an SCV2 online, only to find he lacked the support and training to make the most of it. That changed when Panasonic introduced him to Iain Phillips, Managing Director of Regale Microwave Ovens Ltd – the UK’s leading independent specialist and the world’s largest reseller of Panasonic catering equipment.

“At Regale, our mission is to make accelerated cooking simple, efficient, and reliable for operators of all sizes. It’s not just about supplying ovens — it’s about providing tailored solutions, training, and pre-programming that make kitchens more productive from day one” said Iain Phillips, MD, Regale Microwave Ovens Ltd.

Silvio was also given the opportunity to work closely with Scott Kedwards, Panasonic’s development chef, to support menu development. This was made possible because of Regales ongoing relationship with Panasonic, giving customers access to vital resources including Scott’s expertise to train staff and develop menus on an ongoing basis, not just when a new oven is purchased.

The Impact: Efficiency, Quality, and Growth

Since introducing the SCV3, Silvios has seen immediate results:

• Faster service during peak times.
• Consistent quality, with no risk of burnt food.
• Minimal training needed, thanks to simple pre-programmed settings.

With demand growing, Silvios has already invested in a second SCV3 for its newest site at High Wycombe. Unlike the previous model, the SCV3 includes an innovative app for seamless menu updates across an entire estate, in a matter of minutes, which will prove valuable as the business continues to scale up.

As a Regale customer, Silvios can also benefit from Regale’s unique back to base service package, with a free loan machine available, so their business remains uninterrupted should their oven develop a fault.

“I would 100% recommend the SCV3 — and Regale — to other café operators. It’s compact, economical, and perfectly suited to a busy café. Regale’s support makes all the difference.”

Conclusion: Tradition Meets Innovation

Silvios is no longer just a single café — it’s a multi-site operator with heritage, authenticity, and innovation at its heart. With the trusted partnership of Regale and the cutting-edge performance of Panasonic SCV3 ovens, Silvios continues to thrive — serving not just coffee, but a complete customer experience built on quality, speed, and community.

Box-Out: Hints & Tips for Café Operators

✅ Pre-programming is a game-changer
Have ovens delivered with recipes already loaded, so staff can use them confidently from day one.

✅ Consistency across multiple sites
For operators with more than one location, pre-programmed menus ensure the same results everywhere — protecting brand reputation.

✅ Maximise your space
Choose compact, stackable ovens like the Panasonic SCV3 to double capacity without taking up extra counter space.

✅ Simplify staff training
Touch displays and pre-set menus reduce the reliance on highly skilled staff and speed up onboarding.

✅ Future-proof operations
Use asset tagging and menu connectivity features to keep track of equipment, streamline maintenance, and update menus across sites quickly.

As the new term begins, Hobart is offering schools the exclusive chance to secure an award-winning Two-Level Washer for the same price as its standard hood type machine – with a second wash chamber, AND a two-year warranty for free.

Hobart’s category-defying Two-Level Washer has been designed with the challenges of school catering in mind, helping kitchens power through more ware than ever before in a single cycle. The machine doubles the productivity of a conventional hood-type dishwasher, within the same footprint as a single hood – a key advantage for kitchens where space is at a premium.

With dual wash chambers that can be used independently or simultaneously, the machine offers ultimate flexibility. Heavily soiled pots, pans and cutlery can be handled in the lower compartment, whilst up to three racks of dishes can be washed in the upper level on a separate programme, all with a dedicated hygiene cycle that offers added peace of mind.

Hobart UK Warewash Product Manager, Jeff Priest comments: “We know that school caterers have a lot on their plates, and this offer is about giving them more support where it matters. The Two-Level Washer is the perfect solution for school caterers looking to make kitchen life easier and more productive, especially considering increased demand due to the universal free school meals programme and hotly tipped UK-wide rollout of breakfast clubs. With double the washing power in the same footprint as a hood type machine, the Two-Level Washer has been designed to stand up to the test. By offering it at the same price as a standard hood machine – with a two-year warranty included – we’re helping schools deliver top marks for hygiene and efficiency without added cost pressure.”

Find out more about this exclusive deal and secure your Two-Level Washer today at www.hobartuk.com/1-2-free/.

INVITATION TO SUSTAINABILITY LUNCH ON THE HUPFER STAND AT HOST MILANO – SATURDAY 18TH OCTOBER ’25

The demand for sustainable solutions in commercial kitchen planning is constantly increasing. How can we
work together to reduce CO emissions while meeting the highest standards of functionality and quality? At Hupfer, we rely on innovative technologies and sustainable materials to create forward-thinking solutions for professional kitchen operators.

We cordially invite you to learn more about our sustainability journey, road map, and product concepts at the HOST trade fair in Milan. During an exclusive lunch, you will have the opportunity to talk to our experts and the Impact Loop team, view TM65 carbon calculations for each piece of Hupfer equipment showcased on our stand and exchange ideas about current developments and gain new inspiration for your projects.

SCHEDULE
» 12:00 p.m.: Welcome and short keynote speech
“Sustainability at Hupfer – Our path to sustainability”
Impact Loop and Hupfer – Partnership
» 12:15 p.m.: Networking & lunch
» 1:00 p.m.: Back to business

We look forward to an inspiring exchange on the topic of sustainability in commercial kitchen planning and
discovering how Hupfer products can help make your projects more sustainable.

We look forward to seeing you there!

With kind regards,

Your Hupfer team & the Impact Loop team

Hall 7 Stand L59/M60

Please RSVP to Marc Sumner Marc@hupferuk.com, or use the button below.

Blue Seal ovens have become more technically accurate with temperature control, and better insulated for heat efficiency, with the trend to move toward electric power over gas for lowering carbon footprint and future proofing the kitchen. The demand for quality pizza offering has increased, with many businesses adding this to their existing restaurant or take away menu.

We offer compact 45cm belt conveyor ovens and single/ twin deck pizza ovens. We only offer electric options as this is the future requirement, especially if trying to comply with the TM65 carbon footprint initiative.

The conveyor ovens are forced air, so this de- skills and simplifies the operation for the customer, lowering the requirement for experienced pizza chefs, maintaining consistency and volume output.  Both our deck ovens and conveyor ovens can be stacked up to three units high, enabling maximum output from the same footprint, in a busy kitchen/takeaway. The dough quality and production is essential to the quality of the end result, so with the increased availability of fantastic ready-made frozen dough balls or even pre-formed pizza bases from millers and food production companies, this helps operators produce quality product, with reduced preparation time and minimised wastage.

We do also have dedicated spiral dough mixers to complement our ovens, for traditional style concepts that prefer to produce their own dough or special bread recipes. Our mixers are a very simple operation one or two speed, adjustable cut, with fixed head and bowls. They have heavy-duty, high-performance dough hooks and motors, aiding the production of fantastic silky pizza and bread dough.

As mentioned previously, staffing pressures can be relieved by producing machines that are easy to operate, taking the skill out of the baking process for the operator, helping reduce the number of skilled staff to provide the same high quality product. Quality ingredients can be purchased/frozen and used on demand, reducing the need for more staff to produce the raw product and minimising wastage. Machines that are versatile and can be used to cook/bake other restaurant items, such as garlic breads/cheesy nachos/crock dishes for tapas style cooking of fast cook product, such as garlic prawns etc. can reduce the amount of other equipment required in the kitchen concept for the owner, again maximising the food production output.

For Power/ Performance/ Reliability / Efficiency and Sustainability, Buy Blue Seal.