Development of a robust Health and Safety programme is essential for any Insurer to accept a business as being legally compliant.

Cronin Insurance collaborates with Direct Safety Solutions Ltd whom offer qualified professional advice to form a tripartite service with our clientele.

A good risk control programme can be the deciding factor that leads to an undecided Insurer to provide terms on a business that may not be within current market appetite.

• Contract sites and the commercial kitchen can be a hazardous place with potential for slips and trips, contact with hot surfaces, gas and electricity to name but a few. Catering equipment installers and engineers face all these hazards along with their own such as manual handling, working at height etc.
• It’s vital that health & safety is considered right from the start. Designers should be trained in design risk assessments so that any issues with install, use and ongoing maintenance of catering equipment is made as safe as practical. Surveyors must also play their part identifying any potential hazards ahead of the delivery and install.
• Then it’s the engineers, again a robust training program is vital along with tools to ensure they are empowered and responsible for carrying out on site dynamic risk assessments as each job presents different challenges.
• We have worked with a number of catering equipment Businesses and helped in key areas such as;
  • – Carrying out detailed health & safety compliance audits.
  • – Producing health & safety policies and management systems.
  • – Producing risk assessments and method statements.
  • – Training and coaching.
  • – Assisting with nationally recognised health & safety accreditations such as CHAS, SMAS, SafeContractor etc.
  • – Carrying out on site health & safety and vehicle audits with Engineers.

Contact one of the team at Cronin Insurance to better understand how our expertise as a professional partner can add value to your business and arrange a free no obligation health check on 03300 55 27 61 / info@cronin-insurance.com. Alternatively, you can complete the below form in less than 30 seconds for one of our personnel to make direct contact: click here

In a move that’s virtually become a tradition, the Cedabond Distributor Day is returning to First Choice Group for the second time in 2022. Taking place on Wednesday 14^th December, eight of the industry’s leading manufacturers will showcase their products to more than 40 dealers and distributor partners.

Following the success of the previous event held in July and the inaugural event in 2021, this latest Cedabond Distributor Day is a great opportunity for members to meet suppliers, while also hearing the very latest on OEM spare parts from First Choice Group representatives. Split into groups to maximise the networking opportunity, the day will ensure delegates gain a breadth of information and advice from the nominated suppliers and manufacturers.

For the December event, the eight manufacturers include Corsair, Hobart, Hoshizaki, Jestic, MKN, Pelsis, Smeg and Uropa. As with previous events, the suppliers are randomly chosen from Cedabond’s network of more than 80+ brands, due to the over-subscribed nature of the events. The latest lineup covers cooking equipment, ventilation, refrigeration and ice makers, warewashing, coffee machines, pest control and wholesale.

Held from 09:30 – 15:00 on Wednesday 14^th December, delegates and visitors will also witness the scope and size of the First Choice Group facilities, including the award-winning training and development setup and the Distribution Centre, stocked with hundreds of thousands of spare parts, accessories and consumables. Lunch will be provided, courtesy of MKN, while discussions on the latest innovations in stock holding and logistical solutions will be provided by First Choice Group.

On the return of the Cedabond distributor day, Head of Marketing at First Choice Group, Julian Fisher adds:

“We’re delighted to have been asked to host the second Cedabond Distributor Day in 2022 and the third in the past two years. The events are always a great success, with eight randomly selected manufacturers and more than 40 members present for a day of networking, sharing ideas and providing advice.

“It’s been great to work with Nigel, Donna and the Cedabond team, helping them to make 2022 the best year for the industry’s leading catering equipment buying consortium. Using our purpose-built facilities including our award-winning training and development setup and our dedicated, flexible kitchens, we are proud to have continued to host the distributor days throughout the year.”

The dedicated onsite training facilities at First Choice Group include fully functioning professional kitchens, flexible meeting, event and conference rooms in a range of sizes and formats, a full-service restaurant offering hot and cold food, high-speed Wi-Fi with the latest AV technology and ample onsite parking for delegates and guests.

To find out more about the conference and event facilities or to discuss the opportunities to host your own event at First Choice, please visit www.firstchoice-cs.co.uk/conference-event-facilities or contact Julian Fisher.

To find out more about becoming a Cedabond member or for future event information, please visit www.cedabond.co.uk or call +44 (0)333 344 0037.

For the latest information and stock of OEM spare parts, accessories and consumables from First Choice Group visit www.firstchoice-cs.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1543 577 778.

A prize winning combination.

Rational the leading manufacturer of thermal cooking systems, have announced the details of their exciting festive webinar, ‘Rational All Wrapped Up!’. Chefs and operators will be in with a chance to win an incredible prize bundle that is worth over £2,000 when they attend the 10-minute webinar, launching 1 December 2022.

Showcasing the highlights of 2022, the webinar includes the very best of the Rational iVario Pro advanced bratt pan and the iCombi Pro combi-steamer cooking systems, how they can reduce energy bills, limit food wastage and increase productivity in professional kitchens. There is also an array of tips and tricks, ensuring that the participants have a full arsenal of skills ready to take on the festive period.

One lucky webinar participant will receive a bundle of prizes consisting of, a special Rational merchandise pack, a custom-fit embroidered Bragard Chef Jacket, an engraved Japanese knife, a luxury Selfridges Christmas hamper, all topped off with a Michelin-starred meal for 2.

To be in with a chance of winning, the simple steps to follow include; pre-registering for the webinar and by 19 December, sharing a Rational festive webinar post on social media, and to watch the webinar at a time and date that is most suited to them.

Eligible participants will be entered into prize draw, with the lucky winner announced on 20 December.

Pre-registrations for the All Wrapped Up webinar can be made at: https://www.rational-online.com/en_gb/lp/festive-giveaway/

Hello and a warm welcome to this month’s edition of connected.

In the final segment of our 50th anniversary review, we look back at our most recent past and explore ceda through the 2010s up to the present day.

The recipient of this year’s Rising Star award, CDG’s Ellis Gadsby, takes up this issue’s Women in ceda feature.

At the ceda Conference in September Kris Hall, founder of The Burnt Chef Project, gave an honest and frank talk about the reality of mental health issues in the industry and how we can all support one another and our employees to avoid burn-out.

We then round up the key points and take-aways from the Net Zero Forum panel discussion at the conference.

As Nick Archer takes over the reins as Chair of ceda’s Technical Steering Group, we speak to him about his plans for the group.

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

Fire can pose a significant risk to commercial kitchens, particularly in restaurant and hotel environments. It’s important that clear safeguards are put in place to ensure both your people and the building remain safe, and your business operations experience minimal disruption.

In fact many insurers already require certain precautions are taken. Here are the top three requirements that your insurer may ask you for:

1. Fire extinguishing system

One of the common causes of commercial kitchen fires is sudden combustion of grease laden air in the extraction system. For more than moderate grease extraction a fire suppression system needs to be built into the extraction system.

The cooking appliances, hoods, filters and extraction system must be fitted with a fixed automatic fire extinguishing system, approved by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) under Loss Prevention Standard 1223: Requirements and Testing Procedures for Approval of Fixed Fire Extinguishing Systems for Catering Equipment.

2. Accredited installation

The system must be designed, installed and maintained by a BAFE SP206 Kitchen Fire Protection Systems accredited installer.

3. System specification

Your insurer may ask you to send them a specification for any installed or proposed kitchen equipment extinguishing system for approval and, unless otherwise agreed it may need to comply with the following requirements;-

• – Make up/ Supply Air Fans – Make up or supply air fans, internal to the exhaust hood(s) being protected, shall be shut down upon system activation.
• – Sources of fuel and electrical power – Upon activation of any fire extinguishing system for a cooking operation, all sources of fuel and electrical power that produce heat to all equipment requiring protection by that system shall automatically shut off. This will ensure that the fire is suppressed and secured as the system was designed. Failure to disconnect the electrical power or gas supply to the protected equipment could lead to re-flash of the fire due to continued heating instead of cooling of the overheated grease.
• – Exhaust Fans – Exhaust fans in the ventilating system should be left on. The forced draft of these fans assist the movement of the liquid agent through the ventilating system, thus aiding in the fire suppression process. These fans provide a cooling effect in the plenum and duct after the fire suppression has been discharged.

Here to help

If you are looking for external support, Marsh Commercial’s Risk Management experts have competent fire risk assessors on hand who can complete a fire risk assessment for you. They can provide you with a report identifying and rating the potential risks in priority order to support you to carry out your responsibilities required under UK fire safety legislation. Get in touch with Leah Gregory on 07385 482545 or email leah.gregory@marshcommercial.co.uk.

Modern day businesses face many challenges, some new, some old and some that are ever-constantly developing. The majority of businesses today would not be able to trade effectively without the use of electronic devices and online capability. With the guidance of the National Cyber Security Centre and The Cronin Insurance Consultancy as your professional partner, we help our clients circumnavigate the risks associated with Cyber threats.

The Statistics and Numbers – UK Government New Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022 (as of 31st March 2022)

• 39% – UK businesses detected at least one cyberattack on their operations in the last 12 months;
• 31% – of those organisations face breaches or attacks at least once a week;
• 83% – Of the businesses that identified attacks in the last 12 months, “phishing” was the most prevalent attack vector;
• 21% – of those firms also reported more advanced attack types such as denial of service, malware or ransomware;
• 20% – of businesses acknowledged suffering a negative outcome as a direct consequence of a cyberattack;
• £4,200 – The average cost of a cyber attack in the past 12 months;
• £19,400 – The average cost of a cyber attack in the past 12 months – excluding small business enterprises.

The 10 Steps To Cyber Security Guidance

• Risk Management – Take a risk-based approach to securing your data and systems;
• Engagement and Training – Collaboratively build security that works for people in your organisation;
• Asset Management – Know what Data and systems you have and what business need they support;
• Architecture and configuration – Design, build, maintain and manage system securely;
• Vulnerability Management – Keep your systems protected throughout their lifecycle;
• Identity and Access Management – Control who and what can access your systems and data;
• Data Security – Protect data where it is vulnerable;
• Logging and Monitoring – Design your systems to be able to detect and investigate incidents;
• Incident Management – Plan you response to cyber incidents in advance;
• Supply chain security – Collaborate with your partners and suppliers.

Sources:
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/10-steps

https://www.computing.co.uk/news/4047588/average-uk-cyberattack-cost-gbp-200-last

The full article can be read here at https://www.cronininsurance.co.uk/10-steps-to-cyber-security-guidance/ expanding on the above.

Get in touch with The Cronin Insurance Consultancy’s in-house Cyber guru Daniel Wilson on 07484 634619 / daniel@cronin-insurance.com to find out what we can do to assist with protecting ceda members from modern day risks plaguing UK businesses.

Operators want their kitchens to perform well, meet compliance and drive efficiencies, but nobody wants to pay again if their investment becomes outdated too soon.

How can you deliver kitchens fit for the future? With the help of MKN, that’s how.

We believe manufacturers have a role to play in minimising energy use and extending the lifetime of appliances.

That’s why we’re committed to continuously developing products that consume as little energy and water as possible, operating reliably and efficiently for many years.

Our innovations include:

• – A wide range of modular electric appliances for horizontal cooking – tap into more efficient cooking to keep running costs down
• – Induction excellence – induction cooking in MKN’s modular ranges such as Counter SL and Hotline can reduce boiling time by 55% compared to hot plates
• – Ready for energy optimisation – MKN is one of few manufacturers with the technology that enables our appliances to connect with and optimise in line with an energy optimisation interface for enhanced kitchen efficiency
• – FOG management solutions – a Grease Collection system available as an option on MKN FlexiCombi MagicPilot combi steamer models, helping to meet ever-stringent requirements for fats, oils and grease management
• – Energy-saving technology built into appliances – including MKN’s heat exchanger technology on FlexiCombi models, which saves 1.1kW per hour (10-grid model) for significant savings

Speak to our team to see how we can help you build kitchens for the future.

Visit www.mkn.com or call 01329 757890.

Following a successful ceda Conference 2022, The Cronin Insurance Consultancy received the opportunity to present their services to ceda member Whitco Catering and Bakery Equipment following the event. Here’s what they had to say:

“Thank you, Cronin. We were introduced five years ago and for various reasons, we never managed to engage your services. We have now. Thank you for your speed to react, professional advice and being very helpful – and saving us some money.” – Vita Whitaker MSc FIIHM, CEO & Commercial Director, Whitco C&BE Ltd

Get in touch with the Cronin Insurance team on 03300 552761 / info@cronin-insurance.com to see how Cronin can add value to your current insurance programme. Alternatively, you can complete a form, in less than 30 seconds, and one of our personnel will make direct contact.

Cater-Bake UK have updated their advance into prime cooking equipment by transitioning their trademarked Kebab King brand name to KK Cooking, to include a wider range of equipment.

Cater-Bake, already well known for their pizza and bakery equipment, created the Kebab King brand when they launched their range of rotating kebab grills. Following that success, they started to add more cooking equipment to compliment the range, including gas and electric fryers, griddles, rotisserie and a compact gas pizza deck oven.

Sales Director Steven Lilley explained the change in presentation.

“The success of the new equipment’s has been a real positive for us. As they’ve reached the wider catering market, however, we realised that the Kebab King name didn’t appeal to many users outside of the takeaway sector. Therefore, we’ve made the slight change in branding to accommodate these new machines as core products, rather than a supporting range.

“Each new machine in the range is selected and rigorously tested in the marketplace before becoming part of our catalogue to ensure performance and reliability. We are currently testing the next hopeful additions to the range – watch this space.”

All new ranges are stocked in the Cater-Bake warehouse in the North West, ready for distribution. For details, please email info@cater-bake.co.uk or call 0151 548 5818.