Jestic Foodservice Solutions is proud to announce the addition of Orved, the Italian specialist in vacuum packaging and food preservation technology, to Jestic’s growing portfolio of premium foodservice brands!

The Orved products available through Jestic deliver consistent, professional results across a range of vacuum bags and trays, vacuum packing, and sous vide cooking for both hot and chilled, as well as effective, efficient regeneration.

The range includes Orved Gourmet – Professional vacuum and cooking systems for chefs and fine-dining kitchens, focused on flavour development, sous vide, consistency, and high-performance food preservation.

Orved Pastry – Dedicated vacuum technology for pastry and bakery professionals, protecting delicate structures, stabilising preparations, extending freshness, and maintaining visual perfection.

Orved Bistro – Compact, user-friendly vacuum machines for cafés, bistros, and small kitchens, offering fast, reliable everyday preservation.

Orved Packaging – Packaging solutions including vacuum bags, containers, and materials for safe storage, transport, and presentation. Orved To Preserve – Retail and consumer-focused vacuum systems designed to extend shelf life, reduce waste, and preserve food quality.

Leading the Gourmet range supplied by Jestic is the SV-Lab and SV-Lab Pro sous vide water baths – delivering precision, reliability, and consistency for professional kitchens. Sous vide offers more than extended shelf life and reduced waste – it transforms the final dish. Gentle, controlled cooking ensures even results, superior texture, and enhanced flavour. Chefs benefit from improved efficiency, better portion control, and the ability to prepare high-quality dishes in advance without compromising taste or presentation.

Rational, the market leader in hot food preparation equipment, has released two new culinary films featuring Michelin‑starred chef Tom Barnes, offering an inside look at how the iCombi Pro and iVario support consistency and creativity at Skof, his award‑winning Manchester restaurant. Barnes, who has retained his Michelin star for 2026, guides viewers through how these technologies enhance his team’s workflow and culinary output.

Since opening in 2024, Skof has become one of the UK’s most talked‑about dining destinations, and Barnes credits Rational technology as a key part of his kitchen’s success. I’ve worked with the iCombi and iVario for years, they make our day-to-day life so much easier. I’d be lost without them.”

Roasted Duck with Celeriac & Fig Leaf Sauce

In the first video, Tom prepares his signature roasted duck dish, built around a deeply flavoured sauce cooked under pressure in the iVario Pro. “Cooking the duck stock under pressure gives us a fresher flavour and a much better yield,” says Tom. Before the iVario, we’d be watching pans all day.”

The duck is then roasted in the iCombi Pro at 300°C with 5% humidity, creating perfectly even caramelisation in only three minutes, a level of precision that supports consistency across every service.

Confit King Edward Potatoes with Isle of Mull Cheddar Sauce

The second film showcases confit King Edward potatoes, yellow split pea purée, roasted chicken skin and a light yet intense Isle of Mull cheddar sauce.

Using the iCombi Pro for gentle steaming allows the team to create a cheese infusion without risk of splitting. “If you do this in a pan, it’s so easy to catch it and ruin the sauce,” Tom explains. “With the iCombi, we can set it, leave it, and know it will be perfect every time.”

Finished with a laminated brioche and fermented onion top butter, the dish demonstrates Skof’s signature balance of comfort and technical finesse.

Both new films are now available on RATIONAL TV https://bit.ly/4an2kf4, giving chefs and operators a close‑up look at how Rational technology supports precision, efficiency and outstanding results in one of the UK’s most exciting kitchens.

For more information about the Rational iCombi Pro and iVario Pro visit www.rational-online.com

Why energy efficiency matters

With energy costs remaining volatile, energy efficiency continues to be a key consideration for commercial kitchens. Refrigeration equipment runs 24/7 and represents a significant proportion of a site’s ongoing energy consumption, making efficient performance over time just as important as the initial purchase price.

“Initial outlay might be higher, but you get that back through energy efficiency, durability and fewer maintenance issues.” 

-Dipna Anand, Brilliant Gastro.

For operators, this is increasingly shifting the conversation toward total cost of ownership. In busy kitchens where margins are tight and equipment reliability is critical, energy-efficient refrigeration can keep running costs under control while reducing pressure on day-to-day operations. Design factors such as airflow, heat removal, and condenser performance all influence how efficiently a cabinet operates throughout its working life.

What this means in practice

Advances in refrigeration engineering mean modern cabinets can deliver noticeable efficiency improvements compared with older equipment, particularly as newer systems are designed to remove heat more effectively and maintain stable temperatures. For operators managing multiple cabinets and sites, even modest efficiency gains can mean the difference between an operating profit or a loss.

Efficient refrigeration can also support operational consistency by reducing heat build-up in kitchens and helping equipment maintain reliable food safe performance during busy service periods. 

At Foster and Gamko, energy efficiency is a core consideration in new product development, with recent updates across award winning ranges focused on reducing running costs while maintaining performance and reliability. Foster’s latest generation EP700H refrigerator has been designed to deliver market-leading energy efficiency on a like-for-like basis.

Further insight into how energy efficiency impacts long-term operating costs is explored in our blog on total cost of ownership in commercial refrigeration:
Total Cost of Ownership Blog

As operators continue to balance rising costs with the demands of day-to-day service, factoring energy efficiency into equipment purchase decisions has never been more important for those desiring a resilient, future-ready kitchen.

Adande Refrigeration has outlined ambitious plans for 2026, including the launch of what Managing Director Karl Hodgson describes as a solution to a “fundamental problem that’s been overlooked in commercial refrigeration for years.”

While keeping details under wraps, Hodgson revealed the innovation addresses a specific challenge affecting food safety, energy efficiency, and workflow simultaneously; something “every chef faces multiple times during service.”

The development comes after extensive consultation with chefs across the UK hospitality sector. “We’ve spent considerable time listening to chefs, really listening, to understand the friction points in their daily service,” Hodgson explained.

“What we’re developing gives chefs precise control and access in ways they’ve never had before. It’s about solving a problem that impacts their work constantly, but I can’t say more just yet.”

Adande has built its reputation on patented refrigerated drawer technology featuring Hold-the-Cold innovation, alongside blast chill units and saladettes. The company says demand for smarter ingredient organisation and workflow efficiency has directly shaped this new development.

“We’re continuing to innovate in ways that genuinely improve how kitchens operate, not just adding features, but solving real problems,” Hodgson added. “And we’ve got something special in development that we think will change the game.”

Further details are expected to be announced later in 2026.

For over 40 years, SMS Food has been supporting the UK foodservice and catering industry with high-quality butchery and food preparation equipment. We are proud to announce that we have joined the ceda community as a Silver Partner, strengthening our collaboration with fellow catering equipment professionals.

SMS Food is the sole UK provider of Berkel slicers, offering flywheel, gravity, and vertical models trusted by butchers, chefs, and catering operators nationwide. Our wider specialist product range includes meat mincers, meat bandsaws, sausage fillers, vacuum packers, and a wide range of other butcher equipment. We also provide spare parts, servicing, and technical support, ensuring that our partners can rely on the equipment they purchase from us to perform consistently and safely.

“Joining ceda as a Silver Partner is an important milestone for SMS Food,” said Saqib Aslam. “We look forward to working with fellow members and supporting the UK catering equipment industry with our expertise, high-quality products, and responsive service.”

For more information about SMS Food’s equipment, services, and ceda partnership, visit smsfoodpro.com or contact us at contact@smsfoodpro.com

This February, Maidaid are putting their stock promise to the test!

Challenge them on their Ice & Cube Machines.

Place an order for a qualifying ice machine* and if it isn’t in stock at the time of order, they’ll give you a £50 credit towards an alternative purchase once your machine is delivered.

Maidaid Ice & Cube Machines — fast fulfilment.
£50 credit if they miss the mark.
It’s their way of backing our availability with action.

To take part in the February Ice Challenge, speak with your Maidaid account manager or contact them today:
sales@maidaid-halcyon.co.uk
0345 130 8070

*Full T&Cs are available: HERE

Hobart is launching its most efficient range of Hood-type warewashers ever created. The next generation machines build on current innovations from its existing Profi and Premax ranges and include energy-smart features that, when combined, could save operators up to a staggering 25% in energy consumption*.

New Vapostop Energy Recovery technology twinned with Hobart’s insulated, four-sided hood means internal heat is retained within the machine, reducing energy consumption by up to 10%*. An optimised Drain Heat Recovery system offers up to a further 15%* reduction in energy consumption via the transfer of heat from outgoing hot water to incoming cold water.

The machines also benefit from a combined wash and rinse arm with self-flushing nozzles which eliminate blockages to give maximum wash performance. This allows for a further 10% reduction in water consumption on short and standard cycles^{^}, which in turn results in a similar reduction in energy and chemical consumption.

As with all Hobart products, the machine has been designed for simplicity of operation. A robust new hood and handle design makes for smooth functionality, while single button operation and a new Visiotronic interface provide intuitive control and consistency across the range.

A new and improved wash chamber means fewer dirt traps which in turn reduces cleaning time, while an optimised self-cleaning cycle activates automatically on drain down to minimise labour. The combined wash and rinse arm is also colour coded and can be easily removed without the need for tools, making cleaning and maintenance easier and less labour intensive.

The new features complement existing innovations including SENSO-ACTIVE functionality which constantly monitors wash water to maintain the optimum water quality, GENIUS-X² filtration technology which removes debris from wash water and an Automatic Soil Removal (ASR) system that negates the need for pre-rinsing of heavily soiled ware. In combination, these features work to deliver Hobart’s best wash results every time, meaning kitchens can rely on clean, shiny dishes, with minimal operational effort required.

The next generation machine is yet another product of Hobart’s unique Customer Back Innovation programme, where the manufacturer’s expert teams work with operators to understand pain points and develop appropriate solutions. Hobart Warewash Product Manager, Jeff Priest comments: “Through working with operators we know that staff turnover is a huge issue for kitchens, meaning that equipment needs to be intuitive and simple to operate yet still perform. We believe our next generation of Hood machines exceed their predecessors, surpassing them in terms of simplicity of operation, performance, cleaning, maintenance and savings. These machines were built to save, and we’re delighted they do just that!”

Hobart’s Premium Hood-Type collection is provided in two distinctive and competitively priced tiers; customers can select from a host of optional extras to ensure maximum performance and efficiency, helping them make long term savings.

Allied to this, Hobart offers advantageous interest-free and contract rental payment plans, through parent company ITW’s Leasing and Finance Division, helping preserve cash flow and allowing operators to focus on immediate business requirements while specifying the right kitchen equipment for the job. Interest-free plans also provide tax advantages, including full VAT reclaim in the month of purchase and eligibility for first-year capital allowances on the asset.

The division can also support applicants with refurbishment costs and can finance non-ITW equipment up to 25% of the total order value, where ITW does not supply a comparable machine or accessory (for example, coffee machines)

Crucially, because ITW is a lender, not a broker – the division is able to approve 99% of deals straight away.

Find out more at www.hobartuk.com/hoods

Hobart, redefining innovation to make kitchen life easier.

The MultiTemp range offers caterers a complete solution for storing different food types at their ideal temperature.

Operating from +8°C to -22°C, Jade MultiTemp can be easily adjusted as menus change, helping chefs keep food at its best without the need for multiple dedicated units.

• One unit, multiple temperatures – temperature can be set to suit specific food types, including cheese, meat and ice cream

• Total flexibility – ideal for menu changes, seasonal specials and backup storage should a fridge or freezer break down

• Precise temperature control – intuitive controller with accuracy to within 0.1°C

• WiFi enabled – allows remote monitoring, temperature adjustment and HACCP logging

• Built to Jade standards – easy to clean, durable, with self-closing doors, natural refrigerant and reliable refrigeration performance

There are five Jade MultiTemp models, designed to suit a wide range of kitchen layouts and storage needs. These include a two and a three door counter; a one and two door cabinet; and a one door cabinet featuring two independently controlled half door sections.

Full details on our MultiTemp Jade range can be found at www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk/news/product-launch/williams-jade-multitemp/

Together with The Burnt Chef Project, we recently conducted an industry-wide survey to understand the current state of mental health and wellbeing within the catering equipment industry.

This was with a view to put in place resources, strategies and initiatives that will directly help support colleagues and to break down the stigma of mental health within the sector.

There was an open-minded attitude to the survey which received over 250 submissions. Whilst the survey was anonymous, over 50 participants left details to be contacted with follow up information and to help with further development.

All job roles, across businesses that supply, install, service, maintain and manufacture catering equipment, were invited to take part in the survey through direct emails, social media coverage and collaborating with organisations and industry influencers.

There were 35 questions covering areas including;

• Current Mental Health Status
• Work’s Impact on Mental Health
• Burnout Experience
• Recognition and Openness
• Manager Relationships & Organisational Climate
• Work-Life Balance
• Out-of-Hours Communication & Digital Boundaries
• Awareness of Wellbeing Support
• Leadership Density & Readiness
• Early Career Cohort & Pipeline

The results have been analysed, and some initial findings have been shared to give a snapshot as to the state of the mental health of the industry…

The graphs opposite contain the responses from each of the survey questions. Five of the questions required some personal details to be submitted so we have not shared those results here. Please click on any of the graphs to expand to full view.

Over half of those individuals who completed the survey said that in the month before they completed the survey their mental health was neutral to poor instead of thriving (Q1) and again over half of all respondents said that they agreed that work had a negative impact on their overall mental health (Q3).

There was some positivity in that many more people were happy to raise mental health issues with their manager than weren’t and 70% of respondents gave a positive reflection on how mental health and well-being is approached in their workplace through encouraging open conversations. Individuals did feel though that mental health and well-being was not properly addressed in one-to-one meetings suggesting that stigma about mental health within the workplace still exists and raising mental health concerns would have a negative impact on how their professionalism would be perceived (Q9).

In an Industry that responds to those working 24-7 then perhaps it is not a surprise to see that there is an imbalance between homelife and work as well as out of hours checking of emails and mobiles. While many feel that they don’t need to respond (65%) perhaps it would be worth looking at businesses adopting sector-fit norms instead of rigid rules including urgency labels, “send-later” defaults and team agreements on response windows.

Company Directors & Managing Directors are most likely to always check work emails outside working hours. Office-based Administration staff are the group most likely to never check emails outside hours. Field-based sales and leaders, as well as office-based leaders, show a mix but lean toward frequent checking.

When it comes to awareness of mental health support it was good to see that over 60% of respondents were aware of mental health support systems within their business (Q14) and over 75% knew where to go if they were struggling with their mental health. It is positive to see that support exists in many organisations, but visibility and onboarding reinforcement must improve to reach the unaware.

When it comes to job roles, age and mental health, over 70% of respondents reported that they worked alone sometimes through to always. As an industry that has engineers, sales representatives and other job roles that involve many hours of travelling and working alone this is an area of concern.

When it comes to age demographic, respondents aged 51 + most often rated their mental health as ‘Good’ or ‘Neutral’. In the 41–50 and 31–40 age groups, ‘Poor’ and ‘Neutral’ were most common, while the 21–30 age group was more evenly split between ‘Neutral’, ‘Poor’, and ‘Good’ ratings.

Company Directors & Managing Directors most often rated their mental health as ‘Good’ or ‘Neutral’. Office-based Administration and leaders also leaned toward ‘Good’ or ‘Neutral’. Field-based roles, especially sales and engineers, reported higher proportions of ‘Poor’ or ‘Very Poor’ mental health ratings.

For those individuals who classed themselves as management or leaders as their job role they quite often felt pressure to appear strong or always coping in front of their team (Q25).

In conclusion, the dataset shows a workforce that is functioning, but with one in four sitting in a vulnerable mental health band, more than half reporting burnout symptoms in their current role, and over half saying work negatively affects mental health.

Three dominant themes have been identified from the survey;

• Workload and culture remain the top stressors,
• Managers and leaders want tools, not theory,
• Younger and field-based roles are at higher risk of poor wellbeing.

So, what’s next and what does future support look like?

‘We would like to thank Kris Hall and The Burnt Chef Project for all their help and support in producing this survey and its findings. Also thank you to all of those that took part in the survey. Your input will help to drive meaningful solutions to address the dominant themes from the survey”, says Steve Hemsil, ceda Community Development Manager. “We want to strengthen the communication of wellbeing resources, influence culture change, introduce formal wellbeing policies, ensure colleagues have regular human contact and provide workload and stress management tools.”

“Our future actions are going to need lots of people, and their ideas, time and commitment.” Continues Hemsil. “We are now calling on anyone who is passionate about the subject or has ideas about how we can best support our colleagues to come forward and join the cedaWellbeing Working Group. We want to hear all and any ideas!

“We hope to meet early in the New Year to prioritise actions and begin our work of better supporting the mental health of the industry.”

Anyone with ideas or is interested in joining the cedaWellbeing Working Group should contact Steve Hemsil directly on 07476 719 151 or email steve@ceda.co.uk.

In the meantime, if you need help with your mental health and wellbeing then please take a look at the resources currently available on the cedaWellbeing web page: ceda.co.uk/ceda-wellbeing/

If you, or anyone you know, is in a mental health crisis, please contact the Samaritans on 116 123.

Save £60 on Panasonic Microwaves – Plus Free Microsave Liner

To support dealer partners supplying energy-efficient, high-performance microwave solutions into foodservice, Regale is running a limited-time promotion across two Panasonic commercial microwave models.

Panasonic NE-1864
£519 | Save £60 (11.5%)
PLUS FREE Papaya Microsave Liner
The latest replacement for the NE-1853, offering dealers a strong, value-led upgrade path.

For a limited time, every NE-1864 includes a FREE Papaya Microsave Cavity Liner, adding a clear, practical benefit to take to market.

Panasonic NE-1878
£539 | Save £60 (11.1%)
A high-powered, durable commercial microwave designed for demanding professional kitchens, ideal for dealers supplying high-volume operations.

Discounted Papaya Microsave Cavity Liner just £39 when purchased complete with the NE-1878 oven.
Added value: Microsave
Microsave liners help operators:

• Protect the microwave cavity
• Reduce cleaning time and downtime
• Extend equipment life

A full range of Microsave liners is available to suit Panasonic and other leading commercial microwave models at www.microsave.co.uk

Availability
Promotion available for a limited time, while stocks last.

For pricing, availability or to reserve stock, please contact Regale – microwaves@regale.co.uk or call 01329 285 518