Commercial Kitchen has gained more big industry backing ahead of its move to London this 3-4 June, with the Craft Guild of Chefs now on board as a new association supporter.
Andrew Green, chief executive of the guild, which boast over 1,200 members, says they are delighted to be involved and see Commercial Kitchen “as a must-attend event for senior chefs”.
It’s a sentiment echoed across the industry. Adam Mason, director general of ceda, whose members’ collective turnover now exceeds £700m – calls it “our industry show”. While Matthew Merritt-Harrison, chair of Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI UK & Ireland), says that their members see it as a vital part of their “continuing professional development”.
The show’s key partnerships with both ceda and FCSI, and its nine association supporters – including UKHospitality, The Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association (PAPA), The British Sandwich & Food to Go Association, Café Life Association, Hospital Catering Association (HCA), National Association of Care Catering (NACC), Soil Association Green Kitchen Standard, and Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) – which together represent tens of thousands of professionals – reflects its unique and important role. As the UK’s only dedicated kitchen equipment, services and design show it serves the entire hospitality and foodservice industry.
Many of these organisations take an active role at the show and, as in previous years, are set to host dedicated Keynote sessions sharing their specific vantage points of the market – discussing kitchens of all shapes, sizes and uses – and focusing on the hot topics and opportunities that matter most to their members.
Ask the experts
Lead partner ceda’s exciting initiatives at the show this year, include an ‘Ask the Expert’ feature on their stand, along with specialised design sessions featuring influential kitchen project experts. Visitors will also be able to view (and be inspired by) all the shortlisted entries from the 2020 ceda Grand Prix Awards in the ceda Awards Gallery.
“As with any proactive business these days, time is always of the essence,” explained Mason on Commercial Kitchen’s importance to ceda and its members. “My Members love to see as many of their key suppliers under one roof in as short a time as possible. They are looking for innovation and to affirm relationships.”
“It’s just so worthwhile,” he added, “It’s our industry show.”
Mark Kendall, commercial director at buying consortium Cedabond, agreed, “As Cedabond continues to support its members and suppliers, collective forums to collaborate and promote success and growth are vital.
'Commercial Kitchen is all about bringing distributors, suppliers and end users together and helping them to grow their businesses. We are delighted to be exhibiting at a show with a shared common objective.”
Similarly, for the FCSI, Commercial Kitchen presents the opportunity to network with other members (professional and allied) and have the space to have those one-to-one conversations that time so rarely affords.
FCSI chair, Mr Merritt-Harrison, says: “On our Commercial Kitchen stand this year, we will be hosting bite size training sessions from the many exhibiting allied partners. The FCSI Training Theatre is going to be an outstanding opportunity for visitors to hear some thought-leading back of house product presentations.
They will also be on hand to talk more about their recently approved (earlier this month) professional conduct and business ethics committee. “This committee will have real teeth and its role will be to uphold standards of professionalism and ethics in design and management consultancy,” he adds.
Michael Jones, editorial director of FCSI’s Foodservice Consultant Magazine, will also be back hosting a Keynote panel of leading FCSI consultants.
Fit for the future
The Soil Association’s Green Kitchen Standard (new research shows it can help meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in terms of food production) and The Sustainable Restaurant Association are also returning to share their latest insights on efficiency and greener kitchen solutions.
The SRA will host a Sustainable kitchen panel, bringing together business leaders that ‘serve up food that does good as well as tastes good’. Plus, they’ll also showcase a new, free online assessment tool to help any and every operator understand and track their sustainability.
Emily Shankar from the SRA, said, “As foodservice looks to respond to the climate emergency, it needs to employ every tool on offer. Innovative new equipment will play a key part in the armoury of every operator as they shift to a model that has a much lower impact on the environment. Commercial Kitchen is a perfect showcase.
“Having so many innovators under one roof creates both a fantastic creative energy and an opportunity to meet dozens of like-minded people working towards the same goal – a foodservice industry fit for the future in every way.”
“The hospitality sector is incredibly large and diverse and Commercial Kitchen show is correspondingly so,” added Charna Walfall, marketing manager at UKHospitality (which will also be hosting a Keynote at the show). “If you run a thriving, modern hospitality business, with any sort of food focus, there will be something here for you.”
Commercial Kitchen will take place at the new venue of ExCeL London on 3-4 June. Over two thousand decision makers and attendees are expected, including CEOs, MDs, executive chefs, culinary directors, ops directors, kitchen design and project gurus from across the foodservice, catering and hospitality industry.