Hobart Service UK has recovered to pre-pandemic revenue levels and operational capability following the disruption from Covid-19 over the past 2 years.

The business restructured its Sales and Operations functions during the COVID period resulting in a 30% surge in revenue vs 2021.

Implementing and executing the global ITW “Win the Recovery” strategy to deliver differentiated service to customers achieved this. ITW has recently released Q2 results, which shows the Fortune 200 Company rebounding strongly. Full report of the results can be read here.

The Peterborough based commercial catering service provider, now has a fresh approach to the business due to learning during the pandemic, with a number of strategic plans in place for increased growth for Q3 and Q4 of 2022.

Hobart Service UK is the primary maintainer for ITW brands Hobart and Bonnet but also has a sizeable maintenance portfolio of other catering equipment brands spread across the UK and Ireland.

The strategic plans include expanding the team of Service Technicians due to customer demand, increasing Technician presence nationwide to maintain service levels and, more importantly, the market-leading 94% First Time Fix level.

Route optimisation technology has also been introduced to enhance the ability of the dedicated planning team to deliver further operational and environmental efficiencies, building upon the current service and supply chain partners, and focusing on the growth of public sector contracts.

Keith Mackie, Hobart Service MD commented:

“During the past two years, Hobart Service has worked extremely hard to maintain and often exceed Service Levels for our clients. Despite extremely challenging circumstances, we have continually demonstrated our commitment to maintaining national coverage to all customers requiring our services”

“Whilst it’s been tough, our consistent ability to meet customer requirements, in a far more fluid way, has put us in a strong position now but also for the future – the business returning to pre-pandemic levels has proven this”

“Our committed team is revitalised, eager for growth and more resilient than ever. We are constantly reviewing performance to look for new ways to enhance our customers experience”

BOILERPLATE:

Hobart Service has the UK’s largest field force specialising in catering equipment maintenance. Our specialist service technicians are trained to support a vast range of makes and models of Hobart and third party equipment.

HOBART Service directly employees technicians nationwide, offering a fast response and repair when equipment breaks down, minimising downtime with one of the highest first time fix rates in the industry.

If you require more information about this topic or how Hobart Service can keep your business open for service – please call 01733 392 244, email customer.service@hobartuk.com or visit the website https://www.hobartuk.com/service.

We’re thrilled to reveal the highly anticipated shortlist for the ceda Grand Prix Awards 2022!

The Awards, recognised across the industry, highlight the best projects carried out by our Members over the past year, as well as putting the spotlight on those companies who have provided outstanding customer service and project management. 

This year, Members could enter six categories; the full shortlist of companies and projects for each of these is set out below:

Design Projects: under £50k category

Design Projects: £50k – £200k category

Design Projects: £200k – £500k category

Design Projects: over £500k category

Outstanding Customer Service category

Project Management category

The judges of the Awards, John Savage and Ron Neville, will now visit each of the shortlisted sites in person to talk to operators and assess the quality of the work carried out. 

The winners of the Grand Prix Awards will be announced during the ceda Conference Gala Dinner, on Friday 30th September at The Belfry Hotel in Sutton Coldfield. From the six category winners, an overall victor will also be revealed. They will take home the coveted Sir Donald Thompson Cup.

For the first time this year, all those that have made the final shortlist have the opportunity to enter the Operators Choice Award. This involves delivering a 3 minute pitch to a panel of 10 operators (names to be confirmed) on Wednesday 14th September (3.45-4.45pm) at Commercial Kitchen Show, London Excel. The panel will deliberate on all of the presentations they receive and the Operators Choice Award winner will also be announced at the Gala Dinner at the ceda Conference on Friday 30th September.

Registrations for the ceda Conference are now open for both Members and non-members. Those who would like to attend are asked to submit their details here: https://ceda.co.uk/conference2022/registration/

Brendon Land is new name in the Rational UK hotseat

Rational UK’s new managing director is Brendon Land.  He aims to maximise the business growth potential by building on the great foundations Rational already has and forging even closer relationships with new colleagues, customers, and supply channel partners.

Land took up his role on July 1st, 2022. He brings a wealth of international management expertise at the highest level to Rational UK.  His last post was general manager with Honeywell UK, where he was responsible for leading the UK and Nordic teams.  Previously he held key operational and management positions at major international brands including Fluidra, Epson and Samsung.

He joins Rational at a challenging time, when unprecedented orders for the company’s market leading cooking systems are counter balanced by the supply chain issues that are affecting the whole foodservice equipment industry.  However, Land is unfazed, saying, “Global volatility and constrained supplies are going to be with us for some time to come, certainly through the remainder of 2022. As we move forward, we may enter a phase of moderation as the raw material delays, logistics and high transportation costs are factored in.  This will give us improved visibility which will allow Rational to manage demand better, which should improve certainty around lead-times.

“Right now, it’s about supporting our customers even more than before, and helping them to forecast and plan their orders further ahead.”

A key element of Land’s business strategy is to grow sales of the iVario Pro in the UK.  “Foodservice operators are crying out for cooking systems that can mitigate problems like staff shortages, rising food costs, consistent quality and the spike in energy bills,” he says.  “The iVario is a solution for these challenges.  What’s more, thanks to some inspired procurement of components by our colleagues in Germany, we have access to stock of the iVario within 10 weeks or less.  Its time has come.”

The search to replace Rational UK’s previous managing director, Simon Lohse, has been a long one.  Götz Sauer, Executive Vice President EMEA for Rational AG, says the wait has been worthwhile.  “We wanted to get the right person, and we have,” he says.  “Brendon is exactly the type of leader to navigate the UK business through the current challenges.  His proactive approach with other blue-chip corporates demonstrates his ability to ensure the Rational UK business remains successful and continues to grow”.

Land adds, “My team and I are committed to continuing to serve and support our customers tirelessly to enable them to grow their businesses. Over the coming months, I plan to spend a significant amount of time meeting with our customers and business partners to better understand what they love about Rational and how we can support them better.”

RATIONAL is the leading provider in 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.  iKitchen is the combination of the iCombi Pro, iVario Pro and ConnectedCooking – iKitchen 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

Given today’s fast-changing environments where catering service and maintenance is provided, service level agreements (SLAs) between customers and third-party service providers often can drive the wrong outcomes.

Following the challenges and changes of the pandemic, alongside the ever growing issue to supply chain and parts availability – in a number of cases metrics that have been previously used to judge whether a service provider such as the service and maintenance of catering equipment, have become completely irrelevant.

The message from our team at HOBART Service is clear – is it now time to review and rethink your SLAs?

As a market leading commercial catering equipment and service provider, we understand the importance of mitigating any downtime. We believe that when a piece of equipment breaks down, the critical factor is the time it takes to fix the equipment, not the time it takes for a technician to arrive on site.

However, other providers promise quick-reaction SLAs, and meet them, yet are not always in a position once they arrive on site to provide a fix. This can result in equipment standing dormant for days while parts are ordered or waiting for a more qualified technician, bringing operations to an abrupt halt.

We recently spoke with Armend Aljo, Procurement Manager at Oakman Inns and Restaurants who commented:

“Downtime would be a huge issue for our businesses as it immediately affects service delivery to our customers.”

“A 4-hour reaction time literally only works on paper in my opinion. Because you can have somebody jump in a van and go to site and look at a problem, agree a part is needed which will take 3 or 4 days and then they leave… you pay a premium for the 4-hour reaction time and get nothing in return.”

“When it comes to a 4-hour reaction time which some companies require, it is all blown out of proportion as to what really matters – which is the fix. Something that HOBART Service have always achieved for us due to being the service delivery team for the manufacturer.”

HOBART Service advise any businesses who are currently under a time-based call out SLA, yet experiencing issues such as first time fixes or parts availability, to revisit the contract and SLA regularly, whilst discussing and exploring what is business critical.

Response times simply state how quickly the service provider must respond to your report of a problem (even if just to confirm receipt of your request).

Repair times (deadline for the problem to be fully solved) also tend to be stated as non-binding targets, or sometimes, are left out entirely.

Customers need an approximate deadline for solving problems. Vendors may explain that repair times are purposely omitted because they cannot estimate repair time until they know the root cause, however, no matter the cause, you are paying for a service you are not getting; therefore, it is entirely reasonable for you to ask for a repair deadline, with a remedy if missed.

For further information about HOBART Service plans, which include three levels of service and maintenance support to suit your requirements and budget please visit https://www.hobartuk.com/service/overview or call 0844 888 7777.

Staff at Rational UK, the leading provider in hot food preparation cooking systems are celebrating their Gold accreditation recently awarded by Investors in People. Only 17% of Investors in People accredited organisations achieve Gold.

A Gold accreditation means that Rational UK have all the required policies in place but more than that, it means everyone within the business take ownership for making them come to life.

Rational the leading provider in hot food preparation equipment, would not be what it is today without its employees. Every employee is encouraged to act as an independent entrepreneur in the company – working with dedication, responsibility and in the interest of the entire company. This approach seems to be on point, as 97% of their UK employees said that they are proud to be working for Rational.

Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate Rational UK. Gold accreditation on We invest in people is a fantastic effort for any organisation, and places Rational UK in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.

Commenting on the award, Helen Varley, People Manager at RATIONAL UK, said: “Here at Rational, we are delighted to receive this prestigious award. The UK team consists of 60 experienced and professional individuals, all of whom contributed to the assessment process. From participating in surveys to attending leadership context meetings that presented an overview of the business and its performance indicators, each team member played a vital role. Many even took part in one-to-one assessor interviews to share their insights.”

During the team celebration, one discussion centered on the growing trend of online betting UK, with several team members sharing observations on how digital platforms are reshaping industries by leveraging user engagement and adaptability. Varley noted that understanding these shifts in consumer behavior mirrors Rational’s own focus on innovation and performance, qualities that helped secure the award. This alignment between emerging trends and the company’s strategic approach highlights the commitment of the team to staying ahead in their field.

The Rational guiding principles and values permeate every aspect of its culture and ways of working. Providing maximum customer benefit has always been the company’s main mission. This is not limited to their external customers but also to colleagues and friends that they work alongside daily. Rational continue to focus on providing maximum customer benefits, keep making changes, keep improving and keep moving forward to improve the lives of both their internal and external customers.

Investors in People believe that the success of organisations begins and ends with people, “If we make work better for everyone, we make work better for every organisation. And if we do that… we make society stronger, healthier and happier.”  Readers can find out more about Investors in people at: www.investorsinpeople.com

Welcome to the July issue of ceda’s connected

As part of our look back over the last 50 years of ceda, we explore the 1990s and the key moments in the association’s history.

As part of ceda’s role to encourage members and partners to ensure that their engineers are knowledgeable and competent in all aspects of their jobs, we have worked with Water Regs UK to develop a new industry specific training course.

Continuing our spotlight on the women in our industry, this month we spoke to Olivia Brunskill, Junior Designer at CHR Foodservice Equipment Ltd about how she arrived in the sector and her experience so far.

Keeping up our commitment to shine a light on sustainability in our industry, we caught up with the panellists from the sustainability discussion at last year’s ceda Conference, to delve a little deeper into the area of sustainable kitchen design.

We’re delighted to announce the brand new award, The Operator’s Choice Award, exclusive to those shortlisted in the design projects categories of the ceda Grand Prix Awards 2022.

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

As part of ceda’s role to encourage members and partners to ensure that their engineers are knowledgeable and competent in all aspects of their jobs, we have worked with Water Regs UK to develop a new industry specific training course. When satisfactorily completed, it will not only provide installation and service engineers with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 and how they apply to their jobs but also qualifies them and their company to apply to join one of the Water Companies’ Approved Contractors Schemes. They can also be listed on the WaterSafe website (https://www.watersafe.org.uk/) which promotes Approved Contractors.

Membership of an Approved Contractor Scheme not only provides close links to their local Water Company but also enables engineers to self-certify that their work is in accordance with the regulations. This eliminates the need to give notification and seek approval from Water Companies prior to being able to commence work.

The course is one of the essential training modules for the Catering Equipment Installers Industry Training Standard which is the only route for non-gas accredited installation engineers to qualify for a CSCS card.

ceda’s Adam Mason comments, “The development of this new training course is another great initiative for the Industry and significant value to ceda Members. It has been a pleasure to work with Water Regs UK on its development, and now delivery. Everything we do is about the ongoing creation of industry-specific training and education tools and as a part of ceda’s wider focus on Learning, Education and Development, it is fundamental in increasing professionalism, expertise and business opportunities for ceda Members.”

The course involves studying learning material for at least three weeks prior to a one-day course involving a review of the learning material in the morning prior to taking a multiple choice question assessment in the afternoon.  Initially the course will only be delivered live, however, in due course it is planned to deliver it online.

The course is delivered at cost to members and their subcontractors.

Further information of the course including dates, costs and how to book are contained in a detailed leaflet which is available from Peter Kay peterkay@ceda.co.uk or Adam Mason adam@ceda.co.uk.

Have you been introduced to the new MKN DigitalKitchen configurator yet?

This new, interactive kitchen configurator tool can cut up to three weeks from the typical design process for dealers and consultants.

For the first time, we can work collaboratively with dealers and end users in real-time to develop kitchen designs using MKN’s modular and bespoke professional cooking solutions. It means:

• Live drawing of 3D designs using MKN products using simple ‘drag and drop’ functionality
• The ability to change configuration in seconds to suit requirements
• We can produce budgets, visuals, CAD drawings, electrical information and specification lists all at the touch of a button
• Dealers can download drawings via PDF or CAD drawing
• End users can share a 3D plan of the kitchen design via QR code, so everybody in the business can have easy access to initial designs

“This is a unique tool in the market that fast tracks the design process and takes out a huge chunk of work for our distributor partners and their end user customers. We can sit down together either in a room or online and design an MKN kitchen in real time, before providing all the resources needed to share and approve that design.”

With MKN DigitalKitchen, we can:

• Give customers the ability to interact with their own design process
• Create 3D visuals, offering a far better representation than a traditional 2D drawing
• Make it easier for customers to share designs with stakeholders
• Cut the need to go back and forth with changes – saving up to three weeks on the typical design process

To speak to the MKN team about their professional cooking technology, visit www.mkn.com or call 01329 757890

The five-star Landmark Hotel opened its doors in 1899 and for the last 123 years has provided an oasis of luxury in central London – welcoming guests into their iconic Winter Garden, an eight-story courtyard covered by a glass roof. The Winter Garden Restaurant is just one of many dining areas in the Landmark which includes The Mirror Bar, Great Central Bar, Garden Terrace, plus private dining in the Empire Room, Grand Ballroom and Tower Suite – all of which are served by the main kitchen and its 62 strong brigade. Following a six-month refurbishment programme, the Landmark recently reopened its kitchen after a complete transformation of the layout, operations, facilities and equipment.

The refurbishment was led by Executive Chef, Gary Klaner who worked closely with project managers Berkeley Projects. Gary’s objective was simple – a new kitchen with quality equipment to optimise efficiency, so his brigade could continue to achieve the exemplary culinary standards The Landmark is renowned for. A key consideration for Gary was the installation of a complete system to manage the Fats, Oils, Grease and Starches (FOGS) – a natural by-product of the foodservice industry which is strictly regulated. Gary shared what his priorities were when reviewing various FOGS management options:

“Obviously the most important thing for us is that any FOGS system is compliant with regulations, meets industry standards and ensures we maintain the highest possible hygiene levels. We were also looking for something with a proven track record, that is efficient, cost-effective, long lasting and odour free! We were clear that any FOGS solution must also be easy to maintain and require minimal input from staff. After the design team reviewed available options, they agreed to proceed with Mechline’s proposed FOGS system which consisted of BioCeptor, GreasePak and Food Waste Strainers.”

Mechline’s BioCeptor system combines the power of GreasePak’s BBA approved, biological treatment solution and its naturally occurring, non-pathogenic bacteria, with the FOG Intercept and Treatment unit (F.I.T). The result is that drains are kept clear and free-flowing as FOGS are permanently degraded into smaller compounds so they cannot reform or solidify – providing the level of FOGS management performance Gary required.

In addition, Mechline’s easy-to-use Food Waste Strainer, with its innovative basket design, helps to prevent food waste sediment getting into drains in the first place – and when used with the BioCeptor system can prolong intervals between servicing in comparison to a standalone grease trap.

Oliver Tuff, Project Director at Berkeley Projects, commented: “After the complexity of striping out the existing facilities and the installation of a completely new kitchen Mechline’s products were very easy to fit and the products themselves are very flexible. For example, the BioCeptors have universal fittings, which makes plumbing incredibly simple. There are no electrics to consider, which makes connection and placement much easier. After the products were installed the Mechline’s service team were a great help with the commissioning and helping with staff training programmes. In terms of costs, the systems represented great value to the client.”

Six months on, Gary Klaner has been delighted with the decision to use Mechline’s products in their new kitchen as he explains: “The greatest compliment is that we don’t really have to be involved in any day-to-day process. The Mechline FOGS systems are in, working, and being well maintained. Our involvement is absolutely minimal. They’re discreet and just work efficiently in the background. I can’t praise Mechline’s service team enough; they were very attentive and had great engagement with the on-site team. It’s great to just have an odour free kitchen and clear drains!”

Oliver concluded, “We’ve had great feedback from the team around Mechline’s whole end-to-end service. We already recommend Mechline FOGS solutions with every confidence and will continue to do so with future clients.”

ceda represents over 100 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. 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.

In this edition we’re shining a light on past ceda Grand Prix Awards winners and nominees. 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