Save time, energy and labour in the kitchen with these handy tips and tricks.

Rational the leading manufacturer of thermal cooking systems, have announced the launch of their new Cost Saving webinar. Targeting the challenges that customers are currently facing in the hospitality industry, Rational’s Corporate Chef Ross Crook and host Roxy Armstrong discuss ways in which Rational cooking systems can benefit customers by helping to cut back on energy costs, reduce food wastage and help with staff shortages.

During the webinar, Ross demonstrates the power and efficiency of the iVario Pro when preparing for a lunch service compared to traditional kitchen equipment. The results are astounding when it comes to speed and energy, with the iVario saving up to 71% on energy usage.

Handy features such as overnight roasting in the iCombi Pro is also showcased giving viewers ideas and options for reducing their energy costs, whilst increasing their product yield by up to 20%. The duo also address the more trivial daily tasks including how you can reduce the time it takes cleaning down the equipment after use. You can also hear from existing Rational customers and find out how they are putting these benefits into practice within their businesses.

As part on the Rational Watch + Win promotion, Chefs and operators will be in with a chance to win an incredible monthly prize worth up to £1,000 when they choose to attend a Rational Live Online event, including this new Cost Saving webinar. To be in with a chance of winning, simply register your interest and a member of the Rational team will be in touch to book you on at a time and date to suit you. Once you have watched the webinar, you will automatically be entered into the monthly prize draw. For more information and full terms and conditions, visit the RATIONAL website.

RATIONAL is the leading provider of hot food preparation cooking systems and, with the iCombi Pro and the iVario Pro multifunctional cooking system, 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. 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

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

On the 21st February 2023, Ryan Yeates of Advance Group, was duly ratified by the ceda Board and is now a ceda Director.

Commenting on Ryan’s appointment, ceda Chair, Kirstin Hatherley said, “I am sure that Ryan will be a great asset to ceda, the Board, its members and to the wider industry.  Welcome on-board Ryan!”

Ryan himself is delighted with his new role and is keen to get started. He said, “It’s a really proud moment for me to be asked to join the ceda Board. It was evident that the Board shared a clear passion to make the industry we operate in the very best it can be. Personally, I am looking forward to being able to contribute in any way I can to help their vision. I am extremely passionate about bringing the next generation into our industry and I am hoping to be able add some value in this specific area.”

Ryan joined the industry four years ago after leaving senior positions in corporate PLC life in a number of different sectors. He explains the reasons behind the change of sector, “For me the catering equipment industry shared a real drive for customer experience and resonated with my own views. There is so much creativity and passion that goes into everything and I LOVE that. Whether you are an engineer, designer, administrator, everyone shares that flare.”

He was appointed group Managing Director of Advance Group in November 2021, and is excited to lead the business through the uncertainty of the next few years. Ryan adds, “It is clear the industry is still being impacted by a number of factors, especially the economy. Now more than ever industry leaders should come together to share best practice and ideas of what we can do to navigate through current and emerging challenges.”

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

Back in 2018, a trailblazer group made up of ceda Members started to develop a standard for a Service Engineer apprenticeship. In 2019 the apprenticeship standard was approved and East Cheshire Training and Assessment Centre (ECTA) agreed to deliver it. In early 2020, after years in the planning, the first cohort of 16 apprentices started the Commercial Catering Equipment Technicians Apprenticeship Standard programme, just one month before the first COVID-19 lockdown was imposed!

Until now, those taking part in the programme have been required to attend the ECTA training centre in Stockport in the North West. For those at the opposite end of the country, this has proved a barrier to the course. Fast-forward three years and ceda is about to launch its fourth wave of apprentices with ECTA and also its first with training provider, North East Surrey College of Technology (NESCOT).

Peter Kay, ceda’s Technical Support Advisor explains, “ceda has been working hard for some time to find a training provider in the South East to deliver the apprenticeship standard. There are a large number of service companies in the Greater London area that we want to reach and so it was imperative that we found a partner in this part of the country. We’re delighted to be working with NESCOT and hope together we can train the catering engineers of the future.”

NESCOT Director of Faculty, David Lewin, said, “We are excited to be working with ceda on this apprenticeship standard. NESCOT has a long tradition of training apprentices for the gas and electrical sectors so we believe we have all the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver a programme that meets the needs of employers and equips their apprentices for a long career in the catering equipment sector.”

The Commercial Catering Equipment Technicians Apprenticeship Standard trains technicians to install, maintain and repair catering equipment. It covers training in:

• Gas – including ACS CCCN1, ComCats 1, 3, 5 and change over to LPG
• Electrical competence to work safely
• Basic plumbing
• Regulations and H&S issues
• Fault-finding procedures

The preference is to deliver the course on a day release basis at the NESCOT training centre in Epsom, however a block release basis of 1 week in college every 8 weeks will be considered if preferred by employers..

The Apprenticeship is open to all. You do not need to be a ceda Member company employee to take part.

NESCOT is keen to start a cohort in April 2023, subject to demand*.

*(A minimum of 16 apprenticeship places need to be taken up for the course to be viable).

If you are interested in taking part or want to learn more please email dlewin@nescot.ac.uk at NESCOT or peterkay@ceda.co.uk at ceda. Alternatively, you can visit the NESCOT website for full course information and register your interest.

Mexican inspiration with British ingredients at KOL.

Based in London, KOL is the UK’s first Michelin star Mexican restaurant, championing British ingredients, nothing is imported that means no avocados or limes. With a string of accolades including being named Best New Restaurant in Europe by La Liste, hitting No. 20 in the UK’s National Restaurant Awards. Santiago was also named Best Chef at the GQ Food & Drink Awards.

“KOL means cabbage, we want to show that things that are undervalued can be special if you put them in the right context. Running a Michelin star restaurant is directly related to quality, and quality means consistency,” says Santiago Lastra, Chef Patron at KOL. “We opted for an iCombi Pro combi steamer 6 1/1 and the iVario Pro L with pressure. The Rational cooking systems help us to get that consistency by using their pre-set programs so that our staff have actual recipes and processes all the time.”

“Saving energy is a big topic, one way we do this is to streamline processes and use multifunctional equipment instead of 5 or 6 different appliances. That is why we wanted to find pieces of equipment that can do everything in one, like the iCombi Pro and iVario Pro, I have always been a big fan of using the Rational brand.”

The Rational iCombi Pro offers up to 50% higher productivity, 10% shorter cooking time and 10% lower energy consumption compared to its predecessor. Santiago says “The key features of the iCombi Pro are that you know it is clean, the results are consistent, that it doesn’t break down, that it is heavy duty for the kitchen and it is super precise.”

“In terms of the iVario the moment that I saw the kit I was so blown away, you can not only use it as a conventional bratt pan, also use it for deep frying and you also have the ability to pressure cook. The main dishes that we use it for is to pressure cook our stocks, chicken, veal and bone marrow. We also use it to make all sorts of salsas in bulk. The iVario Pro’s advanced heating system delivers outstanding results and low energy usage, compared to conventional cooking methods:

“One of the things that we do in the iVario are tortillas, by separating the two zones and making one that is slightly higher in temperature, we put them first in the lower temperature zone then flip them so they puff, and that’s a pretty cool feature.” iZoneControl provides more flexibility, as the iVario Pro pan base can be divided up into four zones, which can be of any shape or size. Each of the zones can be used with different cooking paths and temperatures. It is possible to cook foods with very different requirements at the same time.

“The training and support from Rational have been great, there is much more to learn which is really exciting.” says Santiago. “The advice I would give to people considering buying Rational equipment would be don’t be afraid of technology, because the more that you spend the time understanding the features that this incredible equipment has, the better your life in the long run is going to be.”

Santiago has teamed up with Rational to showcase how their cooking systems can support with Mexican cooking. Operators can view our Mexican expert chef webinar by registering here https://www.rational-online.com/en_gb/lp/gb-awareness-4/

RATIONAL is the leading provider of hot food preparation cooking systems and, with the iCombi Pro and the iVario Pro multifunctional cooking system, 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.

ceda has issued the results of its December 2022 Catering Equipment Engineer Salary Survey – the seventh annual survey that the Association has conducted.

The results cover eight categories of engineer ranging from Trainee/Apprentice to Service Engineer (Gas, Electrical and Refrigeration) and displays Lowest, Average and Highest salaries across all categories, with a further differentiator for inside or outside the M25.

Nearly 30 Members took part in the survey, collectively employing over 300 engineers, which makes it the largest independent salary survey in the industry.

ceda’s Technical Support Advisor, Peter Kay, commented; “In addition to the current state of play, the fact that we now have seven years’ worth of data and information means that Members are able to see trends over that timeframe and so the survey results become more valuable every year.”

This year, ceda will conduct its first Project Manager salary survey to provide Members with even more knowledge, information and data which they can use to benchmark their position and stay ahead of the curve.

Adam Mason, ceda Director General, confirmed; “This type of management information, along with our call-out rates survey, is critical for better understanding the market and to aid business planning.

“Developing these types of data surveys is a key area for ceda in the coming months and will allow Members even greater opportunity to be beyond the best of the industry.

“Only those who submit their data receive the results and so the privileged nature of it is a significant commercial, competitive advantage.”

We’re delighted to announce details of the ceda Conference 2023!

The 2-day event will take place at the Hilton, St George’s in Burton on Trent on Wednesday 7th & Thursday 8th June 2023.

Mark the date in your diaries now.

Registration and booking is now open. Please use the button below to register.

The Burnt Chef Project has announced a joint project with Performance Learning Group to create a brand-new level four apprenticeship in Hospitality and Workplace Mental Health Management. The apprenticeships, a Level 4 Management and Level 3 Mental Health programmes have also been approved and endorsed by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) – demonstrating a high level of quality and credibility.

The apprenticeship, which is aimed at managers and senior leaders within the hospitality sector, has been specifically designed to offer support and guidance when it comes to taking care of the mental health of a team. Developed in conjunction with Performance Learning Group, a company that has been delivering quality work-based learning since 2015, the apprenticeship aims to create strong hospitality leaders who are trained in mental health.

From an overview of mental health awareness to more detailed business and change management, the course covers modules including Effective Appraisals, People Management, Coaching and Feedback and even gives advice on Driving Cultural Change. Each module is tailored specifically to the needs of those in the hospitality sector and provides access to mentors, who are also experienced in our industry.

As one of the UK’s leading providers of specialist hospitality training, Performance Learning Group has been working in conjunction with The Burnt Chef Project for several years. The two organisations have been aligning their efforts, with The Burnt Chef Project, a not-for-profit social enterprise tackling the stigma around mental health, offering support to all students affiliated with Performance Learning Group.

As a long-term supporter and a Burnt Chef Project ambassador, Andrea Dodd, Managing Director of Performance Learning Group comments:

“We are very proud to finally launch this new Level 4 Hospitality & Mental Health Workplace Management apprenticeship, which has been approved by the CMI. We have worked closely with Kris and The Burnt Chef Project Team to ensure that we cover all aspects of supporting managers and giving them the knowledge and tools to run an effective business whilst taking care of their staff’s mental health. The course has been designed to support a senior role in the workplace and give learners knowledge in understanding mental health, how mental health may affect employees and how managers can support employees”.

On the launch of the dedicated level four apprenticeship in conjunction with Performance Learning Group, Kris Hall, Founder of The Burnt Chef Project adds:

“We’re proud to be working with one of the country’s leading providers of speciality hospitality training. The new level four apprenticeship is designed for managers and senior leaders, giving them the understanding, knowledge and tools required to support the ongoing mental wellbeing of those in their team. The 18-24 month course, which can be funded by the Pay Apprenticeship Levy, focuses on creating strong leaders who can effectively manage mental health in the workplace.”

To find out more about the apprenticeship or Performance Learning Group, please visit www.plgrp.co.uk. To understand more about The Burnt Chef Project, or to access support, tools and advice around mental health, please visit www.theburntchefproject.com.

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. We hope you’ll agree the projects showcased
over these pages show the expertise, passion, skill and
attention to detail ceda members put into their work.

We hope that you enjoy ignite.

If you like what you see, please contact the relevant ceda member (there is a live link on their logo to their website) to discuss how they can bring your next foodservice project to life.

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

As an industry, the foodservice sector is currently facing many pressures, from supply chain issues and labour shortages, to rising operational costs. So now’s a great time for ceda members to unlock value in assets sitting idle and generate a financial return. This will also bring savings on storage costs and extend the life cycle of your unwanted items, helping to protect the environment.

Ramco offers a complete reuse solution, handling everything from decommissioning, collection, and refurbishment, right through to storage marketing and sales.

Here’s how our simple service works:

1. Assessment

Get in touch and let us know what equipment you’re looking to find new homes for. Send us a description of the assets along with any photos or videos. If you’d prefer, we can arrange a site visit to assess your items.

2. Collection

We have a range of options depending on your preference. We can either collect the items from you, run an on-site auction or direct sale.

3. Process

Next, we catalogue your items by lot number and if we’re taking these off-site, we’ll store in our warehouse ready for sale. We sometimes carry out refurbishment works to ensure the best sale price for your items. We use a range of marketing channels to generate interest across our huge database of buyers. Once sold, you receive your share of the revenue.

Get in touch if you have any unwanted equipment in mind and we’ll be happy to help you with the next steps.

www.ramco.co.uk