UK subsidiary of Czech-based manufacturer of premium combi ovens RETIGO UK LTD have announced that they are now giving 3 years warranty to their partners as a celebration of 30 years of innovations.

The first Retigo combi oven was designed and produced in the garage in year 1993 in the east part of the Czech republic. A year after, Retigo was founded by 5 friends who have remained owners till now.

Retigo opened their own UK subsidiary in October 2020 with the UK warehouse and UK support services in place. Last year, Retigo UK Director Aneta Juroskova announced the company was to build their own team in the UK in order to increase the level of support services and achieve organic growth. She commented, “Retigo as a manufacturer focuses on designing and producing premium combi ovens. Reliabilty of our ovens is absolutely key and has been proven by our customers over the years.

“We are pretty confident about our quality and so to celebrate 30 years of innovations, we are now providing 3 years warranty as a standard to all our UK partners.“

Retigo UK launched the news at HRC 2023 in London last week. More details were provided to their partners at a private event at their stand on the second day of the show.

Retigo UK are a ceda Silver Partner. Contact them or learn more by using the button below.

Foster and Gamko are inviting visitors to explore the new websites for both brands. The websites have been designed to be a source of information for our dealer network and to educate operators in our products and services.

It’s now easier to learn more about Foster and Gamko product ranges and their spec data is driven directly from their central system, meaning it is continuously being synchronised to the latest information.

“It’s wonderful to now have a pair of websites that represent the quality and reputation of our brands,” said Kirsty MacLeod, Commercial Marketing Manager at Foster and Gamko.

“We’ve really focused in on user experience during the build, for example, we’ve embedded our immersive showroom into product pages to make it even easier to picture the product in a real-life kitchen or bar environment. We can’t wait to hear what you think!”

New features include:

• – Product filters meaning finding the right product has never been easier.
• – Dedicated knowledge hub has been created to act as a resource for the latest information on food safety, staff training and expert advice.
• – Customer care area to support dealers and operators.
• – Easy access to resources such as our price list, energy labels and product data, with dynamic spec sheets.

For more information, or to check out the news websites, visit www.fosterrefrigerator.com and www.gamko.com.

Foster and Gamko are a ceda Platinum Partner. Contact them or learn more by using the button below.

Blue Seal supply an electric rapid heat up rise & fall grill QSET60 & QSE60, which is used mainly in conjunction with island suites for flash heating and cheese melting etc. or for accelerated cooking in cafés & small restaurants.

This unit comes in handy when there is no room under a gas canopy for a traditional gas salamander due to other equipment prioritising the menu requirement, but a fast performance salamander is needed for specific minimal purpose.

These highly fuel and time efficient, compact 600mm wide, rapid heat units are extremely versatile lending themselves perfectly for “au gratin” cooking as well as keeping food warm. They can be positioned conveniently on the end of an island run or on a wall bracket above a work top.  All Blue Seal Grills & salamanders, can be wall mounted or bench mounted for ease of application.

Considerations when buying these units would be menu requirements dictating the food volumes going through the relevant appliances. Whether they are looking for power savings/efficiency/heat on demand or continuous heat through the service.

Kitchen space, power requirements on site may determine what type of unit is required or where it needs to be positioned in the kitchen to appease chef’s requirements and flow of kitchen.

Blue Seal has also recently relaunched the Cobra product range with a new look CS9 gas salamander grill. The grill uses high efficiency infra-red burners and is fully modular in its aesthetic, within the New Cobra Range.

Salamander requirements are obviously concept determined, with less dependence on them with the rise in use of chargrills, griddles & solid fuel grill’s, over the last 10 years. Steak specific restaurants dropped in popularity a number of years back and are now coming back in trend, such as Gaucho’s / Miller & Carter etc. However the development of rapid heat up rise and fall grills in conjunction with other protein cooking appliances continues to limit the sale on traditional gas / electric salamander grills in larger concepts and chain restaurants. There will probably always be a requirement for the traditional salamander units, especially in smaller independent restaurants / pubs and cafés, and Blue Seal will always accommodate this within its product range.

Blue Seal are a ceda Silver Partner. Contact them or learn more by using the button below.

Michelin-quality food efficiently created with modern cooking systems.

Creating food of the highest quality takes dedication and skill. Creating it sustainably requires embracing the latest technology to create the most efficient and coherent kitchen possible.

Eight months after it opened, Unalome by Graeme Cheevers, in Glasgow, was awarded a Michelin star. With a menu that draws inspiration from Japanese cuisine and French cooking techniques, Unalome showcases Graeme’s ingenious approach to food. “I like to take my influences and combine them in new ways, in my style,” he says. “The menu is always changing as new ingredients become available as the seasons change.” Ingredients are sourced from local suppliers, with Graeme’s farm to fork philosophy being taken to the next level with herbs and vegetables being grown in-house in an advanced hydroponic cabinet.

Rational cooking systems play a key role in improving Unalome’s sustainability. “Throughout my career, I’ve used Rational cooking systems,” he says. “I knew that they would help me to create a modern, sustainable kitchen that would maximise our cooking capacity while reducing energy consumption.”

Unalome’s kitchen features an iVario Pro 2-S, an iCombi 10-1E and an iCombi XS. The iVario Pro has two pans that can be used independently. “We mainly use the iVario Pro for making stocks and sauces,” says Graeme. “During service, we use it for cooking Sous Vide, so it’s in use pretty much the whole day.” The model at Unalome also features pressure cooking. “It lets us use tougher cuts of meat, we can set it up to cook overnight and it gives us tenderness, flavourful results.”

The iVario Pro’s multifunctionality has had a huge effect on working life at Unalome. “As well as the main open plan kitchen we have a small prep kitchen,” says Graeme. “Having something that can replace five traditional appliances makes it much more streamlined and efficient.” Features like AutoLift, which reduces manual handling and eases cleaning have made it a hit with staff. “They love how easy it is to clean, plus at the end of the shift they use it to make a communal dinner for everyone, which always goes down well!”

The iCombi Pro plays an equally important role at Unalome. “We use it for everything,” says Graeme. “We bake our own bread, and it’s great for that. We can also set it going to prepare batches of canapes throughout the day, knowing that they’ll come out exactly as we want them thanks to the programmable recipes.” The iCombi’s self-cleaning function has also become popular with staff. “Not having to hang around at the end of the day cleaning it has been a big hit,” said Graeme. “Just put on the self-clean cycle and go home!”

The ability to program recipes is a key feature in both the iVario and iCombi Pro. “It’s very easy to set up new recipes,” says Graeme. “As our menu changes so often, this is hugely beneficial.”

Recipes on both systems can be uploaded and edited through Rational’s ConnectedCooking platform, which also allows Graeme complete access to full operational information anywhere thanks to the simple to use the app. “Being able to check on what they’re cooking when I’m not in the kitchen is very useful,” says Graeme. “I can also check to ensure our standards of cleanliness and hygiene are being met, and it also logs full HACCP data which saves a lot of time.”

Issues like sustainability and reducing energy consumption have become increasingly important in the past year, but modern cooking systems like Rational can also help with the shortages of staff many restaurants are struggling with. “Not only can fewer people produce more food with them, but modern cooking systems are something new staff are looking for.”

“Rational systems would always be my recommendation for anyone looking to modernise their kitchen,” says Graeme. “If we didn’t have them there would be more maintenance issues, tighter time constraints and a more crowded kitchen with the extra appliances we would need. Our Rational cooking systems reduce waste and energy use while creating a more pleasant working environment.”

RATIONAL is the leading provider of hot food preparation cooking systems and, with the iVario Pro and the iCombi Pro multifunctional cooking systems, the company delivers 95% of all conventional cooking applications. Rational’s ConnectedCooking allows operators to monitor, manage and update their Rational appliances remotely, from a PC, tablet or smartphone.  The combination of the iCombi Pro, iVario Pro and ConnectedCooking delivers the best kitchen management and the best cooking solutions. For information and brochures, or to find out about free Rational Live online demonstrations, call +44 (0)1582 480388, freephone 0800 389 2944 or visit www.rational-online.com.

Rational are a ceda Platinum Partner. Contact them or learn more by using the button below.

If you hold a senior leadership position in a company that specialises in design, projects and equipment for the food service, catering and hospitality industry, your responsibilities will likely expose you to various risks.

These risks include claims made against you from anyone you come into contact with during your employment; employees, clients, creditors, regulators and competitors.

You may be personally liable for defending these claims, which can be extremely costly. Directors and officers liability insurance will protect you from personal liabilities in the face of legal action.

What are the risks?

Despite following the appropriate company procedures, things can go wrong, and claims can arise for various reasons. Some examples include:

• – A wrong decision relating to financial aspects of the business, such as future investments or employee pension schemes.
• – Issues with health and safety practices that result in an accident in the workplace.
• – Employee rights, including those relating to unfair dismissal.
• – Intellectual property issues or claims of poaching competitor’s clients.

Even if the claim is false, you’ll still have to pay the legal fees to defend yourself.

Why do claims happen?

Claims can happen for a variety of reasons, such as:

• – regulatory investigation
• – mismanagement or negligence
• – libel or slander
• – breach of duty of trust
• – unfair dismissal or discrimination
• – anti-competitive behaviour.

What does director and officers insurance cover?

Also known as management liability insurance, directors and officers liability insurance typically covers activities that can be described as a “wrongful act”. This could be any of the following actually or allegedly committed or attempted by a director:

• – error
• – falsification
• – misleading statement
• – action or omission
• – negligence or breach of duty.

Investigations relating to a claim could severely damage your professional reputation, even if your name is cleared. This insurance will cover the cost of public relations to manage adverse publicity.

Here to help

From employee or public health and safety concerns to criminal proceedings, there are many risks directors need to manage and protect against.

If you want to understand if directors and officers insurance is right for you, contact Marsh Commercial’s Insurance experts.

Depending on your role and responsibilities, they can advise you on the level of cover you need. Contact Leah Gregory on 07385 482545 or email leah.gregory@marshcommercial.co.uk.

Marsh Commercial are a ceda Associate Member. Contact them or learn more by using the button below.

Food Waste Action Week is an important reminder for the catering and hospitality sector to be more conscious about the impact food waste has on the environment.

But it’s also a great opportunity to think about the sustainability of the wider supply chain, and in particular how to make more of old or surplus catering equipment.

While reducing food waste is undeniably important, the immediate neighbour – the equipment food is mixed, cooked, or packed in – is often overshadowed. This has a clear impact on the environment, but also leads businesses to miss out on a financial return because surplus assets are being unnecessarily scrapped.

Reuse expert Ramco is urging ceda members to contribute to the circular economy by finding new homes for unwanted second-hand items. Why? Because end of lease doesn’t mean end of life.

With a proven track record of success, Ramco has helped businesses such as Mitchells & Butlers, Grattes, Parts Town UK and BaxterStorey to find value in surplus assets sitting idle and give them a new lease of life.

To see what value your unwanted catering equipment might hold, take a look at Ramco’s ‘Value Finder’ tool for inspiration, or contact the team who can help assess your assets: https://www.ramco.co.uk/value-finder.

Ramco are a ceda Associate Member. Contact them or learn more by using the button below.

As April’s cut in the energy support bill for hospitality operators looms large, Hobart is launching a product support campaign to help uncover real world savings in the professional kitchen, focusing not only on energy and water, but also food waste, resource, time, space and detergent use.

Launching today, the manufacturer’s Smart Savings campaign is aiming to support and educate dealers and end users on the money saving elements of Hobart’s range of cooking and warewash equipment. Those with existing Hobart machines can learn new and innovative ways in which they can find incremental savings, while the benefits of upgrading to the fastest, most cost-effective energy smart warewashers on the market, and multifunctional cooking solutions that save on time, energy, water and costly food waste, are laid bare at: www.hobartuk.com/smartsavings.

Also included are details of how operators can benefit from Hobart’s suite of financial support packages, including interest-free finance and leasing options, helping them keep cash flowing through the business while achieving the best performing, high specification machine for the job.

No matter the budget, there is a machine purpose-built for the requirements of every operation, and operators can be assured that Hobart equipment has already been designed with customer needs and efficiency in mind.

Hobart Managing Director, Tracy Southwell comments: “With professional kitchens under increasing pressure to find operational economies, and a spring surge in energy prices on the horizon, we have a range of innovative solutions – machines designed and built on the core principles of simplicity and performance – to help provide tangible, real world savings, and that’s what’s at the heart of this campaign.

“A 125-year dedication to innovation has enabled us to produce the most cost-effective machines on the market with features specifically designed to maximise efficiency and capacity, reduce energy, and save on labour, water, and detergent costs. Our Smart Savings campaign has been designed to bring all of these features and benefits together for the very first time across multiple ranges, in one place, providing a comprehensive snapshot of just how much operators can save with Hobart.

Dealers and end users should visit www.hobartuk.com/smartsavings today to find out more about Hobart’s Smart Savings campaign.

Hobart are a ceda Platinum Partner. Contact them or learn more by using the button below.

Learning, Education and Development (LED) are at the heart of what ceda does. After tireless work by our Technical Support Advisor, Peter Kay, the industry training standards were launched back in May 2021. In October of the same year, Rod Wood, Contracts Manager of ceda member company Keemlaw Group became the first approved Catering Equipment Project Coordinator. And now we are delighted to announce we have had our first engineer qualify for the Catering Equipment Installer Training Standard; Fianzo Baker of ceda member company Tailor Made.

He said, “I found the course on the whole very useful and interesting. The videos gave some good knowledge and were a helpful training aid. The company knowledge and assessment parts were very useful in gaining an understanding of the company structure, history and the processes that we need to follow. They also helped me to ask the right questions as they acted as a prompt when installing a new piece of equipment and to make sure I knew what to do in each stage.

“The course has helped give me the confidence to know what I’m doing and what processes to follow, especially when it came to the sit down/assessment stage of the course as that’s when I needed to make sure I knew how to do things and be able to explain it all.

“Since finishing the course I have been out completing more tasks on my own. I feel that it would have taken longer to get to this stage if I didn’t have the guidance of the course to find the information.”

Fianzo joined Tailor Made in January 2022 with an apprenticeship at a domestic kitchen company. He had some very basic knowledge of plumbing and domestic electrics but mainly carpentry experience. Tailor Made Installs Manager, Andy Howe remarked, “The ceda installers course offered an easy route to both help with training and to obtain the relevant CSCS card for Fianzo, as he came to us with no industry relevant experience.

“To take someone with no commercial catering experience at all and within 12 months be a fully qualified Commercial Catering Installation Engineer with all the necessary experience, is great!

“The course covers a lot of different areas. Having participants complete electrical competency, water regs, food hygiene regulations, as well as needing to learn about the company; what we do and what we install, makes the training so much more structured and gives us as a business the confidence that everything has been covered with nothing missed out.

“We would definitely recommend the course for all trainees, and we currently have another employee about to complete the course and two others about to start!”.

Background on the Training Standards

The industry training standards were developed by ceda as a means to enable engineers and project managers/coordinators to get CSCS cards which enable them to work on construction sites.

Historically CSCS cards were only an indication of a person’s Health and Safety training, however, in 2016 the Construction Leadership Council decided that CSCS cards should also be proof of a person’s qualification to enable them to do the job that they were on site to perform.

ACS gas accreditations were acceptable as a suitable qualification, however, the problem that ceda had was that there were no suitable NVQs for either installation engineers who did not have gas accreditations or for project managers/coordinators. Initially ceda worked with CITB to develop NVQs, however, having developed these, we could not get an awarding body to develop the necessary qualification and training framework. The reason for this was simply that due to the limited numbers it was not financially viable to develop them.

We took this up with CSCS to try to get the supply and installation of catering equipment to be classified as a non-construction related occupation which would mean that CSCS cards were not necessary and contractors would have to do on site H&S inductions for the catering equipment teams, however, they would not entertain this but were sympathetic to our dilemma. They agreed that they would accept industry Training Standards as  suitable qualifications for the purpose of CSCS cards. ceda therefore developed three Standards; Installation Engineers, Project Coordinators and Project Managers.

To date we have had 12 Project Managers/Coordinators complete the training standards and obtain CSCS cards and Fianzo is the first Installation Engineer to complete the training standard.

ceda’s Technical Support Advisor, Peter Kay, explains the numbers, “Whilst the numbers may seem low, this is simply because ceda heavily publicised the deadlines that marked the end of the issuing of CSCS cards without a qualification. Therefore the majority of engineers and project managers/coordinators either already had cards or obtained cards which are valid for five years before the deadline.”

Scotland based manufacturer Moffat Catering Equipment will be celebrating 60 years in business this year.

Founded in 1963 by Eddie Moffat, joined shortly after by his two brothers Reid and Robert, the company has gone from strength to strength, today employing around 100 people with a manufacturing facility that has grown to over 100,000 square feet.

Always looking ahead, Moffat are busy planning for the future with over £1.2 million invested on the latest automation, handling and laser cutting technology in the last 12 months.

Along with improvements in efficiency and increased capacity this new machinery has had a positive effect on the environment. Material waste has been reduced as the new system maximises components produced from each sheet of stainless steel and changing from a CO₂ gas laser cutter to fibre technology has reduced energy consumption by 30%.

Managing Director William Moffat had this to say about the company’s 60 year history ‘As a second generation family business, rooted in the town of Bonnybridge, we are proud of our heritage and our solid reputation within the market.

Our core values of quality, honesty and a thirst for continuous improvement have formed the cornerstone of our success. The journey has not always been easy. It takes courage, passion, boldness and perseverance.

As Moffat celebrates its 60^th anniversary, let’s toast our employees, our customers and partners who have supported us through the years.’

As part of their 60^th celebrations, Moffat will be exhibiting at ScotHot this year.

Their stand will feature established products including the ‘Versicarte Pro’ modular food servery system and ‘Vgen’ meal delivery trolleys. Moffat will also use the show to launch their new ‘Counter-Tek’ food servery counters and updated ‘Premier’ hot cupboard range.

Visit Moffat on stand 310.

E&R Moffat are a ceda Silver Partner. Contact them or learn more by using the button below.

Welcome to the March 2023 issue of ceda’s connected

In this issue we meet some of the ceda Academy members and discover how they will be tasked with helping to attract the industry’s future workforce.

We get an update from Nick Archer as to the goings on in ceda’s Technical Support Group.

We caught up with the first Catering Equipment Installation Engineer; Fianzo Baker and his manager at ceda Member company Tailor Made to hear about their experience of the ceda Training Standard.

The latest news from the ceda Apprenticeship Standard is a partnership with training provider, NESCOT. Read all about the plans to deliver the programme in the South East.

We sat down for a chat with Leah Gregory from ceda Associate company Marsh Commercial to learn more about the insurance, risk management and employee health & benefits specialists.

Finally, meet our latest Board Director, Ryan Yeates and hear his ambitions for his time on the Board.

We hope you enjoy this issue of connected and we welcome your feedback and contributions for future editions.