National Account Manager appointment to support public sector growth for Hobart UK Service

After only last month announcing they had strengthened their leadership team, ceda Platinum Partner company, Hobart UK Service, has further grown their team this week with the appointment of Richard Greasley. – a positive piece of news for the industry during challenging times.

Richard Greasley has joined Hobart UK Service as National Account Manager. In his new role he will be responsible for managing a portfolio of public sector clients and developing new business opportunities across this sector.

Richard has over 12 years’ experience in the catering and hospitality sector working with well-known brands such as Electrolux Professional, Airedale Catering and the Space Group. He arrives with a track record of winning new business as well as managing large national clients across FM, Healthcare, Education and Retail selling capital equipment and service contracts.

Richard Greasley, National Account Manager said, “I am very excited to have joined Hobart UK Service to help manage and grow public sector clients. Throughout Covid 19 the public sector is one area that has remained opened having done an amazing job, and this is clearly an area of growth for the business. I am also proud to be part of a Globally recognised product and brand. “

Keith Mackie, Managing Director said, “It’s great to welcome Richard to the team at this challenging time. His experience in the industry will see him fit into the team well”

Hobart Service is a manufacturer owned commercial catering service company offering local delivery with UK wide capabilities. They have a deep understanding of the importance of operating a sustainable and ethical organisation. They have 160 directly employed nationwide field technicians delivering specialist food equipment service and support to the catering industry.

Hotel & Marine Expert Summit by Rational: The digital industry highlight

On 26 August 2020, opinion leaders from the F&B industry will meet for the first digital Expert Summit, initiated by ceda Platinum Partner, Rational. Titled ‘The New Hospitality’, key discussion topics will include innovation, digitalization and sustainability. There will be a wide range of international specialists sharing their knowledge and giving insights into future opportunities; followed by discussions and questions in a virtual forum. In addition, participants will be able to conduct peer-to-peer dialogues and make appointments.

“Unusual times require unusual activities.” is how Nicolas Makowski, Senior Director International Key Account Management at Rational, explains the event concept. The conference will be conducted on a digital platform and similar to that of a traditional trade fair will accommodate presentations, product demonstrations, exchange and networking. “We are holding the event at two different times, giving customers from all regions of the world the opportunity to participate. The advantage of the digital summit is that we have no restrictions and worldwide participation is possible.” says Makowski.

To avoid conflicts due to the time difference, the Expert Summit will take place in two different time windows, each lasting approximately three hours. The separate events will, however, consist of the same content and have the same speakers. Interested parties are invited to register free of charge at: expert-summit.com.

Sprint support local ‘Hub for Grub’ initiative

Ross and Luke Ryan, owners of ceda Member company, Sprint Group in Pershore, are supporting ‘Hub for Grub’ CIC to help provide a safe space for marginalised communities.

Based on an idea by Tim Southan, aged 54 from Wednesfield, and his family, the team at Sprint Group have donated commercial catering equipment for use at the West Midlands community hub.

Tim, his wife Karen, son Michael and daughters Chloe and Molly, recently established the Hub for Grub cafe, a place where people could get hospitality training and accredited qualifications to help provide stability and income.

Using produce which would otherwise be headed to landfill and short dated stock from local supermarkets, their aim was to turn the produce into meals for sale on a ‘pay what you can’ donation basis for people affected by Covid-19 pandemic.

Tim says: “The aim of the venture was to help our vulnerable community members. Employment chances and stability are our priority for people affected by mental health, homelessness and addiction.”

“The team at Sprint Group have donated so much equipment it’s overwhelming. They have a clear social conscience and demonstrated it today. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Ross, Luke and Simon. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.”

Ross reiterated that: “Doing good is one of Sprint’s guiding principles – if we can, we will always help social causes such as Hub for Grub. What Tim and his family are doing here is truly inspiring. We were glad to do our little bit and we wish them all the best for the future”

To learn more about the initiative go to: www.facebook.com/hubforgrub/ or call the Sprint team on 01386 555922 or go to www.sprint-group.co.uk for more information.

iKitchen by Rational: The system solution for business and industry catering

Shortage of skilled staff, cost pressure and digitalisation, these are the challenges operators within business and industry catering have to face. Added to this are the increased demands of their guests with regard to quality, dietary and special food requirements such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten or lactose-free as well as a varied range of products. In addition to good ideas and clever concepts, the kitchens needs a partner who knows the challenges, supports them technically and enables them to produce large quantities. ceda Platinum Partner, Rational, has created such support with iKitchen.

“Under the name iKitchen, we have combined the iCombi Pro, iVario Pro and ConnectedCooking to form a system solution,” says Simon Lohse, Managing Director, RATIONAL UK, explaining the features. The aim is to make work easier, especially in large kitchens with a volume of 500 meals per day or more, to streamline processes and save space, money, energy and raw materials. If you take a kitchen originally equipped with a boiler, deep fat fryer, pressure cooker, hot-air oven and cooker, you can replace all the appliances except the cooker with an iCombi Pro and iVario Pro while achieving space savings of up to 40%. At the same time, the cooking systems together cover 95% of all conventional cooking applications. For some applications such as cooking pasta or
preparing food using the sous-vide method, they can even take over tasks from each other, thus considerably increasing the flexibility of a commercial kitchen. As a rule, cooking is also healthier. As Lohse says: “With the iCombi Pro, for example, you can deep-fry without fat. This means that the fries are crispy but have considerably less fat. In addition, steaming in the iCombi Pro
preserves the vitamins and nutrients.”

The fact that both cooking systems are made for cooperation is also shown by the identically designed user interfaces, which guide the user through the menus according to the same principle. Both also have intelligent functions that make handling even easier and thus significantly reduce the error rate. Even semi-skilled workers have easy access to various cooking applications. The
fact that iKitchen makes optimum use of all resources is demonstrated, for example, by overnight cooking. The iCombi Pro and iVario Pro both feature this application which will save a great deal of production time and take a lot of pressure off the kitchen operations.

The third component, ConnectedCooking, also serves to increase productivity, as the cloud-based networking solution can be used to centrally manage and transfer cooking programs, HACCP data can be saved and retrieved by both cooking systems, and they can even be controlled remotely. ConnectedCooking reduces the error rate and ensures a constant standard in food production. Only the loading and unloading has to be done manually. Lohse concludes, “With iKitchen, business and industry kitchens can work even more successfully than before and respond flexibly to their challenges.”

New mobile hands-free wash basins from Mechline have the X factor

ceda Platinum Partner, Mechline Developments, has extended its line-up of BaSix hand wash stations with an all new range of space-saving, mobile, hands-free basins. The range facilitates hygienic handwashing in any location—even where water, waste and electric utilities are not available—and the completely portable ‘X’ model provides double the washes per litre of any comparable product on the market.

As Nick Falco, Product and Technical Director at Mechline, explains: “As Coronavirus lockdown measures are eased and many businesses reopen their sites, hand washing remains key to mitigating against the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Every business needs to encourage customers and visitors to wash their hands, especially when first entering venues, and the new BaSix mobile hands-free basin range makes this very easy to do.

Models in the range are slimline, easy to manoeuvre thanks to removable castors and a splashback grab handle, and the ‘X’ model can be used in locations without any utilities at all — as it all comes integrated. This means it can be wheeled out daily if necessary, to sit
outside an establishment, and with a compact footprint of just 384 x 360mm it is an ideal and reassuring addition to entrances and other small spaces.

We have also used our experience to incorporate water-saving technology into the range, adding value to the basins by providing unique water saving benefits for the end-user.

Using the ultra water-saving diffuser supplied, the ‘X’ model can provide up to an impressive 304 hand washes per water container, so users can rest assured it will last a long time between refills!

Furthermore, with its hands-free design, the new mobile basin maximises user hygiene. Unlike traditional taps, where the lever or handle must be touched with dirty hands, and then revisited with clean hands to turn it off, our mobile BaSix range removes the need for manual contact—reducing the risk of cross-contamination.”

BaSix mobile hands-free basins are operated via a foot pump or time flow foot valve, depending on which model is required. All models can be fitted with an optional hanging bin, soap/sanitiser dispenser, and towel dispenser, to provide a complete hygiene station in any location. The ‘X’ range stores water and waste containers within the unit, which can be easily accessed via a hinged door with a ¼ turn thumb latch.

For further information please contact Mechline at info@mechline.com or call +44 (0)1908 261511

Electrolux Professional expands soft serve ice cream range

To help businesses diversify their dessert menu, Electrolux Professional has launched a high capacity range of commercial soft serve ice cream dispensers.

Available in both countertop and floor standing models, the range provides the hospitality sector with the ability to diversify their offering and take advantage of the increasing popularity of soft serve ice cream among casual and fine dining restaurants alike. Complete with an intuitive touchscreen control panel as standard, Electrolux Professional’s range of high capacity soft serve machines has been designed to maximise efficiency, and ultimately increase the profitability of a business.

Alex Reed, Sales Manager – Foodservice UK & Ireland at Electrolux Professional, comments: ‘By introducing the high capacity machines to our range, we’re looking to provide significant flexibility for those looking to enhance their menu. All four models: Capri, Firenze, Portofino, and Roma, can be purchased as either gravity or pressure fed, which means customers can tailor their choice to their exact requirement.

“We’re finding that consumers expect choice, whether that’s different types of coffee or new flavours of ice cream. The high capacity range of soft serve ice cream dispensers is part of Electrolux Professional’s OnE complete solution across foodservice, laundry, and beverage, providing businesses in the hospitality sector with the tools to meet their customers’ demands.”

The high capacity range further benefits from a high cooling performance, ready to start serving within 10 minutes of being switched on. With output capabilities ranging from 240 cones per hour (Capri), to 650 cones in a one-hour period (Roma), Electrolux Professional’s high capacity range has a solution for operations of all
sizes.

To view Electrolux Professional’s range of soft serve solutions, please visit: www.electroluxprofessional.com/gb/soft-serve/

Electrolux Professional Launches Classic Series Espresso Machine

Electrolux Professional has expanded its range of commercial hot beverage machines with the introduction of its new Classic Series Espresso machine.

The machine is available in single-group, two-group, and three-group versions, and has been designed to allow businesses to add profitable espresso and espresso- based beverages to their menu. Features include zero recovery time (for continuous steam production) and a direct boiler mounted group head, which ensures thermal stability.

Alex Reed, Sales Manager – Foodservice UK & Ireland at Electrolux Professional, comments: “Consumer demand for high-quality hot drinks is ever-growing, and being able to offer espresso-based beverages can help to set businesses apart in a competitive field. The low total cost of ownership, combined with the high-performance and build quality of the Classic Series Espresso machine, make it an appealing option for caterers looking to expand their hot drinks offering.”

The Classic Series Espresso machine further benefits from a large copper boiler and heat exchanger technology with a 330ml internal boiler, as well as an integrated cup warmer on top. Stainless steel panels and steam wands provide high-build quality, and the direct to boiler mounted group heads ensure shot temperature stability.

To view Electrolux Professional’s range of espresso coffee machines, please visit: www.electroluxprofessional.com/gb/espresso-coffee-machines/