Market Talk podcast

This episode sees Julian Shine, MD of Shine Catering Systems, discussing the opportunities in a busy commercial kitchen project marketplace, and how his company is working around supply chain challenges, while Colette Fox, programme manager at Pro Veg UK, reveals how the organisation is helping school caterers to introduce more plant-based meals.

Neat Burger co-founder and MD Zack Bishti details the plant-based restaurant chain's online and offline restaurant model for consistent success, driven by investor Lewis Hamilton's values, while Winterhalter UK's head of sales, Glenn Roberts, explores how to manage wildly escalating costs in professional kitchens.

Mike Floyd, MD of Lovat's Group, details how he and his wife Pam have taken over the Fife-based distributor with a mission to make it the best service provider in Scotland, while Gary Baker, the founder and MD of Intelligent Appliances, reveals how the Urban Cultivator 'indoor kitchen garden' is helping to minimise food miles.

This edition of Market Talk sees Colleen Costello, co-founder and CEO of Vyv, reveal how her company's antimicrobial LED lighting technology will change the face of foodservice hygiene, while Matthew Merritt-Harrison, immediate past chair of FCSI UK & Ireland, discusses how the association is supporting new consultants and the challenges of swapping to equivalent quality equipment brands when supply chain issues strike.

Ashley Woodhouse, operations director, Bird Restaurants, and Katie Prowse, senior insight manager, Lumina Intelligence, discuss whether small menus are here to stay and how the pandemic accelerated existing foodservice trends.

This episode sees David Bentley, director of Bentley Consulting, and Rob Gibson, sales director, Retigo UK, discuss the founding of the Independent Foodservice & Hospitality Consultants (IFHC) group and how preparing for Brexit was essential to stay ahead of supply chain disruption.

This week's episode is a special on mental health and wellbeing, with Adam Mason, CEDA director general, detailing the motivations behind founding the Together We Will initiative, which is focusing on various aspects of corporate social responsibility, and Matthew Kitchin, C&C Catering Equipment's commercial manager, discussing his participation in Together We Will's recent Mental Health First Aid England's mental health awareness training, and how C&C is taking those learnings throughout the company.

This week's episode sees Oliver Hall, MD at food procurement specialist allmanhall, delve into product shortages and resulting rising prices, while Toby Magness, UK sales director for cooking suite manufacturer Ambach, reports on a busy period at the firm before its Italian factory shuts down over the summer.

This week's episode of Market Talk sees Just Eat for Business' director of marketing, Shane Mansfield, discussing the firm's recent rebrand from City Pantry and the workplace dining market's constant change, while Flexeserve's customer experience director, Warwick Wakefield, outlines how his firm’s latest back of house hot holding cabinet has boosted sales as delivery services have soared.

This week’s Market Talk sees HB Catering & Refrigeration’s MD Jacquie Jenkins reveal the motivations behind the distributor’s new launches of an equipment hire service and an operator reopening hotline, while Glenn Roberts, Winterhalter UK’s national head of sales, details how industry feedback prompted the warewasher firm’s latest Workhorse series. Plus together they discuss both sides of the current supply chain challenges.

Hard Rock International’s director of operations for Europe, Tanya Hugo, discusses UK hospitality turning a corner and managing her region using technology, while Jestic Foodservice Solutions’ culinary director Michael Eyre reveals how the supplier is moving its training back to face to face from online.

NPD Group senior market research consultant Sergey Chekmarev analyses the success of foodservice delivery, while Gamble Foodservice Solutions’ MD Nathan Jones reports accelerating trends in equipment serving the delivery market, such as hot holding appliances.

In this week's episode GS Catering Equipment's business development director Anna Massey discusses working on an incredible 36 projects during the pandemic, while Ki-Tech Solutions MD Richard Fordham highlights the issue of insufficient available power for commercial kitchens, and priming sites for full connectivity.

This week’s Market Talk is a CEDA and training special, with director general Adam Mason and Archer Catering Systems’ director Nick Archer revealing the association’s ‘DNA’ training arm, and how the standards they have developed are now available to the whole industry to ensure that relevant qualifications exist for all disciplines of the catering equipment sector.

It’s a pub special on this week’s Market Talk, with Lee Brookes, food development manager at McMullen & Sons, revealing how a streamlined menu and operations got his kitchens serving swiftly for the outdoor reopening, while Charvet Premier Ranges’ key account manager Ben Aird details how the cooking equipment manufacturer has ensured durability and quality in new modular appliances for the pub market.

In this week’s Market Talk, Jon Steward, European head of FER at PKL, reveals why the company’s U-Select offering was rebranded to Foodservice Equipment Rental, and Steve McGarvie, UK sales and marketing director at Victor Manufacturing, gives the inside track on the company’s relocation.

Paul Shaw, CEO of newly-formed non-profit organisation, Restaurant Collective, reveals how the member-led community is launching with a mission to save the UK’s independent restaurants, while Carpigiani UK MD Paul Ingram exclusively reveals a new product for the dealer channel and how the ice cream machine specialist has integrated the Ice-O-Matic brand into its portfolio.

This week’s Market Talk is a sustainability special, with Sodexo UK and Ireland head of waste management, Simon Mussett, detailing how the caterer has halved its food waste where it has deployed its WasteWatch programme while Loopcycle co-founder and CEO, Lugano Kapembwa, reveals how his equipment traceability platform can enable better servicing solutions and safeguard manufacturers’ reputations.

Hatherley Commercial Services MD, Kirstin Hatherley, discusses winning a CEDA Grand Prix Award and inspiring industry servicing apprentices to train during lockdown, while FEM sales director Mike Inwood reveals how his team was furloughed on his second day in his new role, but that the supplier’s diverse portfolio has seen it come back fighting.

Caterquip UK MD Dominic Ricciardi discusses how dark kitchens are driving the reconditioned equipment trade, while Interlevin’s head of retail refrigeration, Mark Stratford, reveals how Brexit stockpiling helped the manufacturer to meet rising freezer demand, particularly in retail.

Chris Moore, CEO of The Clink, details how the charity is expanding its offender culinary training programme to 70 prisons over the next 3 years, while Ross Gibson, sales director of Pro Foodservice Reps, gives the inside story of Spidocook’s addition to the rep group’s portfolio.

Ex yacht chef Tracy Kohl discusses her new 21Blox platform helping chefs to launch new culinary concepts, while Merrychef vice president and MD Colin Lacey gives the inside story on how the accelerated oven's booming year necessitated major investment and recruitment for its Sheffield factory.

CHR Food Service Equipment MD Paul Neville talks smart and efficient kitchens and carbon reduction, while Pentland Wholesale operations director Dean Simpson sheds light on the shipping crisis impact and getting back to full operation.

&serve founder Jamie Poole and Krupps export MD Riccardo Scuotto discuss establishing a dealership during a pandemic, how Compack UK is helping the warewashing manufacturer import entry level machines to the UK amid Brexit disruption, and how they are maintaining industry relationships over Zoom.

Kris Hall, founder of The Burnt Chef Project, a non-profit campaign to challenge mental health stigma within the hospitality industry, and Russell Stilwell, an ambassador for the Mates in Mind mental health charity, discuss The Burnt Chef's new text-based support service and practical steps SME owners can take to ensure their teams' mental wellbeing.

Cyrus Todiwala, chef patron of Café Spice Namaste, reveals how he's starting two new ventures in a pandemic, and Iain Phillips, deputy MD at  Regale Microwave Ovens, discusses the benefits of the new Winia brand of microwaves.

The last Market Talk of 2020 sees San Carlo Restaurant Group MD, Marcello Distefano, discussing opening a new London site in the middle of a pandemic, and Panasonic UK business development manager, Jared  Greenhalgh, musing on the benefits of being part of a strong, international manufacturer.

Gary Nunn, MD of Unox UK, and Chris Brazier, group event director at Diversified Communications, discuss the future of industry events, building a new UK facility and recruiting despite the pandemic.

Chiller Box MD Marios Poumpouris and Grande Cuisine director and new FEA chair Steve Hobbs on the twin challenges of Covid and Brexit, three  equipment cycles to net zero carbon and the Nina Simone philosophy.

RDA director Alex Bradley and Westminster Kingsway College deputy executive principal Gary Hunter on moving learning online 5 years early,  supply chain solidarity and the restaurant of the future.

Phil Shelley, soft FM operational management, NHS Improvement, and Steve Buckmaster, director of sales UK, Brita Professional, discuss the  implications of the Hospital Food Review and getting the best out of catering equipment.

Andrew Green, Craft Guild of Chefs chief executive, and Ewen Cairns, Foster/Gamko UK sales manager on lockdown 2, mentoring and the rise of  freezers.

Andrew Fordyce, IFSE group MD, and Brian Lavelle, Culimat UK and Ireland sales manager, discuss full orderbooks, devising Covid designs and  social media stardom.

John Ponsford, director of Bartlett, and Tim Bender, sales director of Hobart Equipment Division, discuss project positives, innovative financing packages, and stockpiling again for Brexit.

Ryan Yeates, director of operations at Advance Group and David Demres, vice president of marketing and strategic development for AutoQuotes, on the swift digital shift, investments in the millions and trial by fire introductions to the industry.

Roadchef's director of supply chain management and head of charity, Mike Jackson, and Quintex Systems' general manager, Emma Brooks, discuss the changing priorities for sustainability and energy management within the foodservice industry.

Gratte Brothers Catering Equipment sales director, Paul Gilhooly, and Valentine Equipment and Cuisinequip sales director, Steve Elliott, discuss major client renewal, preparing for an influx of repairs and the efficiencies of remote working.

Dishoom's chief operations wallah, Brian Trollip, and Filta Group's commercial director, Edward Palin, on heartbreaking closures, the herculean effort of launching during a pandemic, and how innovation has enabled businesses to come out stronger from lockdown.

Jon Davies, MD of event caterer Levy UK and Paula Sherlock, MD of light equipment supplier, Signature FSE, discuss the rollercoaster of pilot  events, equipment flexibility for outdoor dining and the tension between Covid-safe and sustainability requirements.

Leigh Howard, MD of Lakes Catering Maintenance, and Peter Galliford, commercial director of Mechline Developments, discuss workforce  efficiencies, the increasing importance of kitchen hygiene and how cooler weather could present more challenges for the foodservice sector going into winter.

Seamus O'Donnell, culinary director of The Alchemist bars and restaurants, and Scott Jones, UK and Ireland sales and key account director at True Refrigeration discuss green keepers, cleaning champions and reinstating credit.

Catering Design Group MD, Phil Howard, and First Choice Group MD, John Whitehouse, discuss how their businesses coped during the crisis, when  trade will return to pre-Covid levels, and the vital role of industry trade associations.

This special episode of Market Talk sees Gaea Educational Systems MD, Peter Jarrett, detail his recommendations for Covid-safe operation in  kitchens, with David McKown, the University of Sheffield's head of training and quality, accommodation and commercial services, revealing how he is implementing the measures on campus.

Rob Bywell, CEO of the Airedale Group, and Simon Lohse, MD of Rational UK, discuss adapting to the lockdown, a more digital kitchen, and an  increased focus on servicing.

Peter Kitchin, MD of C&C Catering Equipment and Simon Frost, director UK and Ireland at Hoshizaki, talk bucking the project wins trend, trade tracking in the right direction and avoiding making redundancies

Rob Wager, sales director at Maidaid Halcyon, and Louise Palmer-Masterton, the founder of Stem + Glory restaurants, chat about pricing, efficiency and what the coronavirus crisis means for the trend towards plant-based menus.

Keith Warren, chief executive of the Foodservice Equipment Association and Paul Fieldhouse, head of business development at surplus catering  equipment company Ramco join Catering Insight and Foodservice Equipment Journal in a special discussion focusing on the benefits and challenges  of second hand catering equipment.