We have appointed Justin Ring to the newly created position of Community Development Manager (Technical).

This full-time role will absorb the responsibilities of ceda’s Technical Support Advisor position, upon Peter Kay’s retirement at the end of July, and gives additional resource to expand and develop our technical provision.

Ben Hatherley, Chair of ceda’s Technical Support Group said, “We had a great response to the vacancy and interviewed five really strong, credible candidates. It was Justin’s vision for the future of what ceda can deliver for service companies and engineers that made him the outstanding choice.”

With fifteen years in the industry in both engineering and leadership positions, latterly with Gratte Brothers Foodservice Solutions, Mr Ring has strong, coal-face technical knowledge.

And as the 2023 Rising Star Award winner and a member of the Academy Leadership Team, Mr Ring is no stranger to ceda and that understanding of the association’s culture, values and purpose will be invaluable.

Mr Ring said of his appointment; “I’m really excited to be starting the next chapter of my career with ceda and look forward to raising standards across our industry. I’m looking forward to working closely with the Technical Support Group, Members and Partners.

“ceda is in a great place to build on the brilliant work already being done and I hope my hands-on experience – from the tools through to technical development – will bring added value to the Community and drive even further progress.”

Natasha Baker, Service & Operations Director of Gratte Brothers Foodservice Solutions said, “Justin has been a valued member of the team at Gratte Brothers, putting the customer first, always striving for improvement and thinking outside the box. Gratte Brothers loss is most definitely the industry’s gain; we wish him every success in his future career.”

The B2W Group were extremely proud to attend the recent ceda Conference, held at The Hilton St. George’s Park in Burton on Trent, which brought together various industry leaders in the commercial catering equipment sector.

The conference proved to be an inspiring and valuable occasion for B2W, and helped to reaffirm their commitment to shaping future talent in the industry through high-quality training and apprenticeships.

Representing ECTA Training at the event was Managing Director, Carl Sutcliffe, who took the opportunity to network with fellow professionals, gain new insights into the latest trends, and promote the growing success of our Commercial Catering Equipment Technician apprenticeship programme.

Carl shared his enthusiasm for the event, stating: “It was fantastic to be part of this year’s ceda Conference. The level of innovation, collaboration, and passion among our fellow members was truly inspiring.

“We’re proud to play our part in developing the next generation of catering equipment gas engineers through our apprenticeship programme. Events like this also helped to remind us why it’s so important to keep investing in people and skills.”

The conference also served as an ideal platform to highlight the continued momentum behind ECTA’s specialist apprenticeship scheme.

With the next cohort of Commercial Catering Equipment Technician apprentices due to begin in September, ECTA is calling on employers across the sector to take full advantage of the opportunity to grow their teams with well-trained, industry-ready talent.

As the industry continues to evolve, ECTA Training remains at the forefront, providing apprenticeships that not only meet, but exceed the standards required in today’s commercial catering landscape.

The B2WGroup believe that their presence at the ceda Conference further solidified their role as a key player in championing key gas engineering skills and how they can support businesses across the UK in the commercial catering industry.

For more information about enrolling your business or an apprentice in the upcoming September intake, visit ECTA Training’s website or get in touch with Hakan.Dalbal@b2wgroup.com

Novameta operates without interruption throughout the summer, ensuring continuous production and dependable support for both ongoing and new projects. This reliability allows partners to plan with confidence, even during the holiday period.

Such consistency is made possible by robust production capacity, short lead times, and the flexibility to scale. As one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of custom stainless-steel equipment for professional kitchens, Novameta operates a 17,000 m² facility in Kaunas, Lithuania, staffed by nearly 300 skilled professionals. The company produces over 300 unique products daily, delivers more than 3,500 bespoke kitchen projects each year, and exports to more than 30 countries worldwide — with lead times starting from just 3–4 weeks.

Founded in 1997, Novameta continues to expand its capabilities to meet growing global demand and to deliver increasingly complex, tailor-made kitchen solutions. From individual custom items to full-scale professional kitchens, Novameta is ready to support your projects.

Jestic Foodservice Solutions is delighted to partner with MKN to bring you the widest range of high-performance modular cooking equipment.

MKN Spaceline offers everything your projects demand, and being fully modular, delivers the opportunity to perfectly design the kitchen to meet the needs of any chef, fit any space and deliver against every sustainability target, budget demand and quality expectation.

Featuring the latest induction technology for more efficient cooking, as well as the very highest build quality to guarantee long service life, MKN Spaceline offers the opportunity to have fully tailored cooking solutions, without compromise.

Partnered with market-leading products such as MKN SpaceCombi – perfect for smaller spaces – Jestic’s MKN portfolio offers the very highest levels of flexibility, durability, reliability, and performance.

For more information click HERE.

Since opening in May 2024, Skof — the debut restaurant from acclaimed chef Tom Barnes — has quickly become one of the UK’s most celebrated dining destinations. Located in Manchester, Skof earned a Michelin star within nine months, alongside multiple national awards. Behind the scenes, Rational’s iVario and iCombi Pro cooking systems have played a vital role in supporting the restaurant’s success.

“I first used iVario at L’Enclume. It was just so handy for us and what we do in the kitchen — it makes our life so much easier,” says Barnes. “So when we opened Skof, that was one of the top things on my list that I really wanted to bring into the kitchen.”

The iVario is used daily for stocks, sauces, and sautéing, with its pressure cooking capabilities significantly improving yield and efficiency. “When we cook a stock in the iVario, it only takes two hours under pressure. Before, we had to cook stocks in pans every night. Now we can make one batch for the week,” he explains. “It has been an absolute game changer for us — the consistency we get, the yield we get, and it’s just a far better product.”

Alongside the iVario, Skof’s kitchen runs two iCombi Pro ovens, which are in constant use from morning prep to evening service. “The iCombi’s are in use all day — roasting bones, vegetables, steaming, drying, proving bread. It’s amazing for the bread as well,” says Barnes.

Ease of use and reliability are key benefits. “If for whatever reason I wasn’t here, the standard would be exactly the same. The team know what they’ve got to do. And having the iCombi really helps with that.”

Both systems also support hygiene and sustainability goals. “We put them on clean every night. The next day we come in and they look brand new — beautiful, shiny inside,” he adds.

With Skof fully booked months in advance, Barnes credits Rational as a trusted partner in delivering excellence. “I wouldn’t think twice about putting Rational into the kitchen.”

We understand the importance of making informed decisions, especially when it comes to investing in innovative kitchen equipment. That’s why we’re thrilled to offer you the opportunity to trial the iVario, the game changer, for FREE for a full 6-week period prior to purchasing. www.rational-online.com/en_gb/lp/ivario-interest-ad/

Unique to Adande Refrigeration, their Blast chill drawer adds several functions to save space and add flexibility. Chefs can choose from a Fridge or freezer (22°C to 15°C) or Blast Chill, all in one drawer! Switch between the functions as you wish to suit your needs.

This option is available to the popular Adande VCS Side engine units. As these are modular, you can stack them up to 3 drawers high. That’s maximum capacity in a small W1100 mm D700 mm footprint.

To make it easier for dealers and end users to understand, they’ve brought out a new demo video to easily show how to use the unit.

See on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2fvsNeuCMs

The winners of the 2025 ceda Grand Prix Awards were announced on Thursday 12th June 2025, at a gala dinner at St George’s Park.

Winners from six project categories were announced, along with the Overall Winner and the ceda Supplier of the Award.

The 2025 ceda Grand Prix Award winners are:

Design Project Under £100K

West Notts College Demo Kitchen – Hatherley Commercial Services

View project brief and images here

Design Project £100K – £250K

Osip – Advance Group

View project brief and images here

Design Project £250K – £500K

Tenera Mor – Vision Commercial Kitchens

View project brief and images here

Design Project Over £500K and Overall Winner

Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort – CHR Food Service Equipment

View project brief and images here

Project Management Excellence

Everton FC Stadium – C&C Catering Equipment

View project brief and images here

Outstanding Customer Service

Evolv Collection – TAG Catering Equipment UK

View project brief and images here

Supplier of the Year

Maidaid Halcyon

The Grand Prix Awards brought to a close this year’s ceda Conference; a packed 2-day agenda of dedicated networking meetings, association updates, industry insights and inspiring speakers. This year’s Conference was held at St George’s Park, home of the England football team, in Burton-on-Trent from 11th to 12th June.

On Wednesday evening, The ceda People Awards were also revealed. These included the Legacy Awards, The Rising Star Award and The Nick Archer Technical Rising Star Award.

The 2025 ceda People Awards winners are:

Legacy Honour by ceda

Maxine & Derek Maher

Rising Star 2025

Amie Rice

Nick Archer Technical Rising Star 2025

Isabelle Harvey

We’re excited to announce that Aqua Cure will be attending the ceda Conference 2025.

A highlight on our industry calendar, bringing together top-tier speakers and insightful presentations that dive into the most important challenges
and innovations shaping our sector.

We will be showcasing an exciting new range of products for the water treatment industry, and we can’t wait to share them with you.

Whether you’re looking to solve water quality challenges or explore the latest technology, we will be on hand to answer your questions.

Experienced chef Chris Ewing joins the team

Falcon Foodservice Equipment are delighted to announce the appointment of Chris Ewing as their new Product Development Chef, strengthening their commitment to innovation, quality and chef-led solutions across the commercial kitchen sector.

With an impressive background in professional catering, having worked in senior roles in many different foodservice operations, Chris joins Falcon to lead the development and demonstration of their cutting-edge equipment, working closely with customers, distributors, and end users across the UK and beyond. With experience across many different sectors of our industry Chris is ideally suited to this important role within Falcon.

In this highly visible role, Chris will play a central part in bringing Falcon’s product innovation to life — showcasing the performance, efficiency, and versatility of Falcon’s equipment through live demonstrations, new product testing, menu development support, and customer training.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Chris to the team,” said Chris Clark, Falcon’s Managing Director. “His experience in the kitchen and understanding of the challenges chefs face daily will be invaluable as we continue to design equipment that meets the real-world needs of professional kitchens. This appointment reaffirms our dedication to putting chefs at the heart of our product development process.”

Chris Ewing added  “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Falcon — a brand with such a rich heritage and a forward-thinking approach to product innovation. What really drew me to the role is the opportunity to work hands-on with cutting-edge equipment and help shape how it performs in real-world kitchens. I’m passionate about supporting chefs and operators, and I can’t wait to get going, engaging with customers, sharing ideas, and helping them get the very best from their Falcon equipment.”

With Chris’s appointment, Falcon continues to invest in culinary expertise as a cornerstone of its product strategy — ensuring that every innovation is built around what matters most to chefs: performance, reliability and results.

Innovative display equipment cuts energy use without compromising food quality

With the busy summer season approaching, the need for effective, energy-efficient display equipment is greater than ever for foodservice, food-to-go and retail operators. Fri-Jado, a global leader in display technology, is helping operators meet this challenge with its Modular Convenience Counter (MCC) range—an innovative solution designed to boost product visibility, extend shelf life, and cut energy consumption without compromising on performance.

Designed for flexibility and efficiency

Gary Thacker, Sales Director at Fri-Jado UK, explains: “In a market where space, energy, and food quality are all top priorities, the right display equipment makes all the difference. Our MCC range delivers hot and cold holding in a modular, space-saving format that’s ideal for compact operations or large-scale merchandising alike.”

Available in widths from 600mm to 1500mm and configurations up to four tiers, the MCC counters come in serve over, self-serve, drop-in, or floor-standing versions. The hot models feature Fri-Jado’s patented Hot Blanket and Hot Humidification Technology, keeping packaged foods above 65°C and unpackaged items moist and fresh – reducing both energy and product waste.

The cold models use double-glazed glass to reduce condensation and enhance visibility, while self-cleaning condensers minimise maintenance and energy use.

“The MCC Cold range also uses eco-friendly R290 refrigerant and advanced airflow systems to deliver up to 40% energy savings compared to previous models,” says Thacker.

Boosting sales through visibility

Modern food-to-go success hinges on visibility. Fri-Jado’s latest models offer up to 75% more visibility than previous versions, increasing impulse purchases and speeding up return on investment.

“Making your food look irresistible is key,” Thacker adds. “Our modular designs can be used to create cohesive hot, cold, and ambient displays—even in small spaces.”

Built for today’s challenges

Display equipment is one of the largest energy consumers in a foodservice operation. That’s why Fri-Jado’s MCC range is tested to the most stringent standards, including climate class 3 and product class 3M1, ensuring reliable performance in hot, humid conditions.

“We’re helping operators stay efficient, sustainable, and competitive without compromising on food quality,” concludes Thacker.

For more information on the MCC range, visit www.frijado.com Hot & cold food displays – Fri Jado or call +44 (0)189 527 2227.