With rising energy costs and greater regulatory pressure, sustainability tops the agenda for operators in all sectors. Now MKN, a ceda Platinum Partner, is showcasing its support for dealers and end users with a new sustainability report.

Download now – discover technologies to save costs reduce environmental impact www.mkn.com/en/sustainability

‘Make a Lasting Impact for a Better World of Cooking’ has been prepared by experts at MKN to give you a handy guide sustainability in cooking equipment.

It sets out our commitment to sustainable performance across our products, operations and supply chain, including:

• – How we focus on longevity and innovation to help save resources, reduce CO₂ emissions, and avoid waste in catering sectors
• – Details of key products and technologies including the FlexiChef multi-functional cooking appliance, FlexiCombi and SpaceCombi combi steamers, plus modular and individual ranges
• – ensure an ethical and responsible approach
• – Practical recommendations on how to save energy in the kitchen

Do you need inspiration to enhance your sustainability commitment? Don’t delay, download our guide today from www.mkn.com/en/sustainability

The winners of the 2023 ceda Grand Prix Awards were announced last night (Thursday 8th June 2023) at a gala dinner at St George’s Park, which brought to a close this year’s ceda Conference.

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

The ceda Grand Prix Awards celebrate the exceptional design, project management, installation and customer service carried out by member companies during 2022.

This year, our new Awards judges, Nick Howe and Iain Munro, have introduced the ‘Judges Commendation’ for those Projects that do not win the category but nevertheless they deem them to be exceptional entries, amongst the outstanding shortlists.

Well done to all the 2023 winners!

Design Project Under £100k

Cook For Good by C&C Catering Equipment Ltd

Outstanding Customer Service

JOINT WINNERS!

Whitbread – Chargrill rollout by Space Group

View project brief and images here

AND

Wembley Stadium, Delaware North by Gratte Brothers Catering Equipment Limited

View project brief and images here

Project Management Excellence

House of Koko by C&C Catering Equipment Ltd

View project brief and images here

Rising Star

Justin Ring of Gratte Brothers Catering Equipment Ltd

Supplier of the Year

Maidaid Halcyon Ltd

We’re pleased to announce a new appointment to the ceda Board.

On the 8th June 2023, Natasha Baker of Gratte Brothers Catering Equipment Ltd, was duly ratified in by the ceda Board and is now a ceda Director.

Commenting on Natasha’s appointment, ceda Chair, Kirstin Hatherley said, “I would like to welcome Natasha on board. I believe that she will add value to our association and the wider industry and I hope that she will find her time with ceda a rewarding experience.”

Natasha herself is delighted with her new role and is keen to get started. She said, “I am absolutely delighted to be appointed as a Director of ceda.  I had no idea back in 1996, when I joined Gratte Brothers Catering Equipment, how ingrained the world of commercial catering equipment would become, it is therefore an incredible honour to now be able to bring my years of experience into the wider industry.  Thank you to Kirstin, Adam and the Board of Directors for affording me this opportunity.”

Natasha joined Gratte Brothers Equipment Limited in 1996 as a Projects Administrator. Her background in Project Coordination allowed her deal with many different stakeholders from the supply chain through to the end user. She was promoted to Business Support Manager in 2017, was soon elevated to Head of Operations and then to her current position as Service & Operations Director.

Natasha continues, “I am very passionate about this industry, which is enhanced by the people within it sharing the same passion and drive for delivering the exceptional customer experience that is expected by the end user. I feel incredibly fortunate to be in a position where I can make a difference to our team, the industry and the customer.

“Being a part of the ceda Board is the icing on the cake, giving further opportunities to be effective by bringing my many years of knowledge to the table. Gratte Brothers have been a member of ceda for 35 years with several of my predecessors being actively involved, I therefore feel incredibly honoured and grateful to be afforded this opportunity.”

We’re delighted to have Natasha as part of the Board!

Opinion piece: Chris Mansell, Product Manager, Warewashing, Hobart UK

“In October 2023, the hospitality industry in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be met with a huge legislation change around the supply of single-use plastics, with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) pledging to make good on a January 2023 commitment to ban the sale of single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers.

“While this is an overwhelmingly positive move, bringing the rest of the UK in line with Scotland and several EU countries where such legislation already exists, at the time of writing (Summer 2023) the government has yet to provide any further guidance or cast-iron details on what will or won’t be outlawed, creating unnecessary confusion around an incredibly important issue.

“We know from our constant dialogue with the industry that operators are at differing states of preparedness and, given the unprecedented challenges the industry has faced over the last three years, it’s little wonder.

“Many are still in recovery mode from the pandemic, trying to recoup the estimated £115 billion worth of sales lost versus expected revenue in 2020 and 2021.* Having navigated their way through that crisis, businesses have had little-to-no breathing space, instead hit with spiralling energy costs, the cost-of-living crisis, and staffing worries – all of which have wreaked devastation in their own way – undermining consumer confidence and further reducing already tight margins.

“Given the number of fires operators are already having to fight, it’s hardly surprising that a somewhat vague legislation change as far off as October, has been less of a priority in their minds.

“That said, addressing the issue now and researching the impact it may have on their business, could save countless hours come the autumn, when last-minute purchases in the rush to become compliant, could lead them to seek to less commercially-viable decisions.

“In a larger context, considering a business’s relationship with single-use plastics now, and acting sooner rather than later to make improvements, could also have a positive impact on how it is perceived by customers and the wider world.

“The public is undoubtedly becoming more savvy when it comes to sustainability, with the conscious consumerism trend only expected to proliferate in 2023 and beyond. In the profit sector, younger generations in particular have been altering their spending habits, demanding more transparency from hospitality venues to prove their sustainability credentials, before choosing where to spend their hard-earned cash. Cost-sector sites are also under pressure to meet targets, with recent policy stipulating the need to work with reusable items wherever possible.*

“And with innovation in the industry absolutely thriving, the latest solutions available to the sector to help operators become less reliant on single-use plastics – embracing instead the much-vaunted circular economy – can help to ease the transition and even allow sites to profit in the process.

“As a market leader with a real commitment to sustainable issues and a global reach into territories where single-use plastics have either been eradicated or their usage severely curtailed, Hobart’s expert teams have been able to get at least two years ahead of the UK market. Our range of reusable washing solutions – including ground-breaking HYLINE Rinse Aid, bespoke racking systems and range of innovative drying solutions  – have been designed around the core guiding principles of simplicity and performance to help remove the headache of the move away from single-use plastics, however it looks come October.

“Talk to us today to see how Hobart can help you get ahead with the transition to reusables and save you money in the process. In the face of Government inertia, it could be one of the most sensible business decisions you make this year.”

To find out more, visit www.hobartuk.com/reusables

* https://www.ukhospitality.org.uk/news/596042/Two-years-of-Covid-does-115bn-damage-to-hospitality-industry-.htm

* https://consult.defra.gov.uk/public-sector-food-procurement/food-and-catering-consultation/supporting_documents/Proposed%20public%20sector%20food%20and%20catering%20policy%20for%20England%201.pdf

Rehan Uddin demonstrates Asian Cuisine with a digital twist!

The founder the Asian Restaurant Owners Network (ARON), and chef patron of Indi-Yang, Torquay Rehan Uddin in partnership with Rational is presenting at two separate events. Taking place on 12 June, at First Choice, Cannock.

The first event of the day, the Rational Expert Chef Asian Academy, Rehan will demonstrate how the intelligent applications of the intelligent Rational iCombi Pro combi-steamer can turn into a digital tandoori oven and also prepare charred and non-charred dishes. The Academy is designed for existing users of Rational combi-steamers to get the most out of their appliance.

During the event participants will learn about the intelligent appliance‘s settings, how they can deliver speed, flexibility and energy savings, whilst maintaining excellent and consistent results.

The Expert Chef Asian Academy commences at 10.00, register at: https://www.rational-online.com/en_gb/lp/expert-chef-academy/

During the afternoon event, the Rational iVario Pro Expert Chef Cook Live, Rehan will demonstrate Asian cuisine at it’s best. He will prepare high volume food in the iVario Pro a technologically advanced bratt pan, demonstrating how onion gravy, bulk curry and masala sauces can be prepared with ease and flexibility. Rehan will also show how the intelligent iVario cooking system can also help to reduce energy, save on labour, make cost savings and increase business profits.

The Rational iVario Pro Asian Cook Live event commences at 13.30 register at: https://www.rational-online.com/en_gb/lp/expert-chef-asian-cook-live/

These exclusive free events will have a Q&A session, and take place at First Choice Catering Spares Ltd, Lakeside Cannock, WS11 8LD. Space is limited, therefore it is highly recommended to register attendance early.

In today’s world, it’s becoming increasingly important that we all actively adopt sustainable business practices to help protect the environment.

An important step in this process of becoming more environmentally conscious is shifting from a linear to a circular economy approach. That means moving away from a single use culture and instead reusing already existing products and resources, preventing them from ending up in landfill after their first lease of life comes to an end.

Now is the ideal time for businesses to act responsibly before legislation forces their hand, and reuse expert and auction house Ramco is here to help drive this change.

With over 26 years of experience working with organisations across all sectors, from the Ministry of Defence, to Legoland and National Highways, Ramco knows how to find new homes for unwanted assets, extending product lifecycles and contributing to the circular economy.

But what’s in it for the business? Aside from doing your bit to protect the environment and reduce your carbon footprint, using Ramco’s services helps you to free up storage space and generate vital funds.

Ramco’s value finder tool gives an overview of the kind of assets the auction house has found a home for in the past – from catering equipment to a fire engine and an Excavator. It also shows the financial return that was generated, and the carbon emissions that were saved by re-selling these assets and extending the lifespan.

Talking about financial return – research conducted by Ramco revealed there’s £59 billion worth of perfectly good equipment sitting idle in organisations across the country. That’s an average of around £10,000 per organisation!

Do you have items sitting idle? Start adopting a circular economy approach, for the environment and your business, and contact the Ramco team to start a conversation about finding value in your surplus assets.

Helping to support energy savings in professional kitchens.

The Professional Food Service Equipment (PFSE) category on the energy technology listing (ETL) has just seen a landmark addition. Rational UK’s listing marks the scheme’s first independently verified PFSE equipment.

Rational announced that their iCombi Pro gas models have achieved a place on the PFSE category, for the ETL  this month. Helping operators making well informed decisions for sustainable catering equipment in their professional kitchens.

“Rational are very pleased to have been approved as the first manufacturer in the UK to be awarded ETL for combi-steamers, gas appliances,” says Graham Kille, technical sales director, Rational UK.

The ETL is list created by the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The managed list provides details of energy efficient  products for businesses and the public sector. With over 8,000 listed products, it is one of the world’s largest databases of top performing energy-saving products.

“Our Rational team will be working closely with the ETL over the coming months to gain approval for their electric combi-steramers. As the market leader in combi-steamers we are working hard to support the continued drive to deliver a evermore sustainable world,” concludes Kille.

To help caterers throughout the leisure industry overcome the most pressing sector-specific challenges, Electrolux Professional will be hosting a series of live culinary and product demonstrations at its ‘Future of Leisure,’ event on 25 May.

Held between 10am – 2pm at its Center of Excellence in Luton, the event is aimed at caterers operating across the leisure sector, including gyms and leisure centres, cinemas and garden centres.

It aims to provide practical solutions to help caterers tackle a wealth of critical issues such as labour shortages and rising costs as well as energy inefficiency and sustainability concerns. The live demonstrations will showcase several Electrolux Professional products in action, including the SkyLine combi oven and blast chiller, SpeeDelight and GourmeXpress food-to-go appliances, as well as a selection of beverage, refrigeration and warewashing equipment.

Stuart Flint, Training & Demonstration Manager at Electrolux Professional said: “Despite a return to pre-pandemic operating practices, rising energy costs and labour shortages are directly impacting caterers across the leisure sector. While these will remain significant challenges in the short-term, advances in modern catering equipment can help caterers to really squeeze every ounce of productivity and efficiency out of their appliances.

“We hope our ‘Future of Leisure’ event will give leisure-sector caterers some easy-to-implement, actionable takeaways that will not only provide some short-term respite but help futureproof their operations in what is certainly a challenging time.”

There are a limited number of spaces still available – to register for Electrolux Professional’s Future of Leisure event CLICK HERE.

For more information, please contact electrolux@wpragency.co.uk

Hobart’s chef brigade is extending an invitation to the manufacturer’s reprised Cook Live sessions, where guests will be able to explore the benefits of cooking with Hobart whilst also sampling the delicious food produced.   

Taking place on the 23^rd May from 11am-2pm at Hobart’s Peterborough HQ, guests can sign up for free via this link: www.hobartuk.com/live. Once there, they will be treated to a highly inspirational and interactive session where they can:

• – Get up close and personal with Hobart’s range of cooking innovations including:
  • – The ground-breaking High Speed Steamer which uses ‘dry’ steam under pressure to cook fish, meat, eggs and rice in minutes and shellfish and vegetables in seconds.
  • – The multifunctional Bonnet Precipan and a range of incredible value combi ovens.
• – Grill the Hobart chef brigade, who share two centuries of combined cooking expertise, and discuss current kitchen challenges or work through live briefs/tenders in a creative and collaborative environment.
• – Enjoy a delicious lunch courtesy of the chefs.
• – Leave inspired with a clear idea on how the features and benefits of Hobart’s cooking range can benefit their business.

John Stewart, Product Manager Cooking and Food Prep, Hobart UK, comments:

“Innovation is at the heart of our existence at Hobart, enabling us to produce market-leading equipment that simply must be seen to be believed. We love nothing more than to invite operators and chef teams to our kitchen HQ to work one-on-one and learn more about our cooking solutions which can help with so many modern kitchen challenges. I urge people to visit: www.hobartuk.com/live and sign up today!”