CNG Foodservice Equipment scooped top prize at the Catering Equipment Distributor’s Association (CEDA) Grand Prix Awards held at the 2008 CEDA Conference at Whittlebury Hall, Towcester last week (Friday 18 April).

After winning the award for the ‘Profit sector - larger project’ category with its Deseo project at the Gleneagles Hotel, the Gateshead-based distributor was picked from the six category winners to be crowned Overall Winner.

The Grand Prix Awards provide recognition to distributors who have provided the very best in customer service and performed to the highest standards of professionalism.

Kitchen projects can vary from the straightforward supply and installation of equipment, to design, building work including providing a hygienic finish to walls and floors, ventilation, interior design, staff training and follow-up service and maintenance.

Key to the judging criteria is how the distributor ‘went the extra mile’. Good looks, ergonomics and aesthetics are important to the judges, but what they are really looking for in a winning entry is the degree of difficulty involved in the project and how the distributor has used their expertise to overcome logistical hurdles and achieve customer satisfaction.

The award winners are:

Profit Sector Larger Project  
Category winner (and Overall Winner): CNG Foodservice Equipment for Deseo, at the Gleneagles Hotel
Brief: To design a new restaurant with a ‘Mediterranean market’ theme for use by residents and members of the health and leisure centre from breakfast through to dinner. The restaurant had to be capable of offering a varied service for in excess of 600 covers per day.

The design maximised different aspects of the food offer – meat, fish, deli, bakery, wine, bar, coffee lounge and Chefs table. The three main areas of meat, fish and deli allow guests to select their own produce to be cooked by the chefs; or to purchase the raw ingredients to take back and cook in their seasonal occupancy home at Glenmore.

Shortlisted:

• Airedale Catering Equipment: Real Food Company, Terminal 1, Manchester Airport
• C&C Catering Equipment: The Westminster Suite refurbishment at the Chester Grosvenor & Spa
• Court Catering Equipment: Macdonald Manchester Hotel, London Road, Manchester

Profit sector small project
Category winner: C&C Kitchen Equipment for Twelve restaurant, Blackpool
Brief: To specify, design and completely fit out the kitchen including the dismantling, removal and re-installation of existing walk in chiller, a new wash up area and a new bar and dispense area.

To ensure the maximum equipment levels within a confined space, C&C carried out a complete kitchen fit out including a new wash-up area, bar and dispense, plus the dismantling, removal and re-installation of existing walk-in chiller. Last minute alterations meant some fabrication had to be measured, manufactured and installed in a two day period at the end of the project without creating any delays.

Shortlisted:

• Airedale Catering Equipment: Norton House Hotel, Ingliston, Edinburgh Airport
• CNG Foodservice Equipment: the Pipe and Glass, South Dalton

Cost sector small project
Category winner: Airedale Catering Equipment for Makro Glasgow Coffee Shop ‘M Cafe’
Brief: To develop a new style coffee shop concept with a view to quality food in a ‘grab 'n go’ style backed with a comfortable environment.

Key to the design at ‘M Café’ is a quick turnaround servery counter offering hot and cold food alongside an extensive beverage selection. Granite tops, down lighting and recessed stainless steel tray slides give the counter a high quality finish. Airedale, working with specialist ovens manufacturer Merrychef, designed a menu around the EC402 oven – the result has been ‘fantastic’ comments from Makro customers.

A curved wall area hides the back of house dishwash and storage area and creates an interesting feature to form the boundary of the coffee shop.

Shortlisted:

• Carford Group: Jascon 27, Portland Docks, Dorset
• Hopkins Catering Equipment: Danbury Gardens Nursing Home, Leicester

Cost sector larger project
Category winner: Catershop for Wadham College, Oxford
Brief: To design and produce a modern catering facility that combined traditional cooking with modern techniques and methods, all within the constraints of a 17th century grade 1 listed building.

“The new kitchen is a wonderful environment to inspire our chefs to produce excellent food for our students, fellows, staff and conference guests,” was the reaction from Pauline Linières-Hartley, Domestic Bursar & Fellow of Wadham College.
She notes that they made light of the difficulties encountered when installing a 21st-century kitchen in a Grade 1 listed 17th-century building, preserving the existing cooking area’s Jacobean blueprint and ceiling. “Nothing was too much trouble, Catershop were very accommodating.”

Shortlisted:

• Gs Group: Highbury College, Portsmouth
• Scobie & Mcintosh (Catering Equipment): Bp - Dyce
• Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment: Colchester 6th Form College, Roman Bath Refectory

Sustainability projects
Category Winner: Vision Commercial Kitchens for Cameron House Hotel, Loch Lomond
Brief: To refurbish the existing hotel kitchen in an 18th century building, including the design of an energy-efficient kitchen to last 15 years and the reduction of the carbon footprint and equipment servicing/maintenance requirements.

Cameron House was looking for a kitchen that would last fifteen years but critically they wanted to reduce future maintenance issues and man hours in cleaning and repairs.

To reduce the carbon footprint, special self-cleaning extractor fan units were installed which reduce smoke and vapour emissions while to cut down on energy consumption and further lower the carbon footprint, induction cooking equipment ensures energy is only used when a pan is on the hob.

Shortlisted:

• Carford Group: Le Poussin @ Parkhill, Brockenhurst, New Forest

Outstanding customer service
Category winner: Scobie & Mcintosh (Catering Equipment) for Morrison’s Supermarket, Dundee
Try to picture a supermarket with no shelving on the shop floor, just one open space as large as a football pitch. No check outs, no butcher’s counters, no bakery equipment or counters, just the bread plant and ovens.

Scobie & McIntosh completed the delivery and setting up of all departments (Sinks, Café Servery, Staff Canteen Servery) at a new supermarket by 10.00 pm on the same day, starting at 10.30 am – this included being up and running for lunch service.

The first job was to get the staff canteen fully operational, so the Morrison’s staff and other suppliers on site could be fed.

Shortlisted:

• Aspen Design: Blundells School, Tiverton, Devon
• Court Catering: Chelsea FC

• CEDA members are professional catering equipment distributors, with a broad experience across all sectors of the catering industry. Members are located throughout the UK, offering independent advice on individual items such as ovens, serveries or ventilation, or the complete package of equipment and services that is required for a whole new kitchen. To find your nearest CEDA distributor visit www.ceda.co.uk.