Foodservice Equipment Journal
The UK's leading foodservice equipment industry news site.
This category aims to recognise operators that have invested in new kitchens and spent time identifying the right design and lay-out to ensure operational excellence
The Operator of the Year for Innovative Kitchen Design award, sponsored by Hobart, recognises the significance of a well-designed kitchen to achieving a fulfilled team of chefs, better service and outstanding food.
This category aims to recognise operators that have invested in new kitchens and spent time identifying the right design and lay-out to ensure operational excellence.
We are delighted to announce that the 2023 shortlist includes the following operators:
Brewhouse & Kitchen
British microbrewery and pub brand, Brewhouse & Kitchen, has invested in a complete suite of new grills across its 23-strong estate to enhance its cooking operations. The project has involved installing new Synergy E-Volution series units across the group’s portfolio, helping to deliver electricity savings of up to 25%. Integrated advanced smart controls within the range place the grill onto a rapid heat-up stage for 30 minutes to allow it to reach the cooking temperature faster, after which it automatically adjusts to the desired set temperature. Fat atomising technology means there is no fat tray to clean. Brewhouse & Kitchen, which has just opened its latest site in Chelmsford, Essex, has seen huge growth in grilled food sales since installing these new energy efficient pieces of equipment that deliver the food faster and fresher. The chain is now looking at other options to continue this trend by considering its options for frying and combi oven equipment.
Caffe Nero
Caffe Nero has invested heavily in design and equipment innovation. Each store is laid out in the same way. Customers come to the middle of the counter to pay, at which point hot food is sent one way and hot drinks the other. Not only does this drive efficiency for the barista team, but it also reduces queues and speeds up service for customers. When it comes to equipment, Caffe Nero uses the Panasonic SCV2 high-speed oven to produce all of its hot food. The unit is able to produce consistent quality food in a short timeframe and optimises space, something that is often at a premium in many of the chain’s locations. Panasonic’s culinary development team works closely with Caffe Nero colleagues, regularly holding development sessions to trial new menus, and tweaking cooking times and temperatures. Menu changes across the entire 600-store estate can be implemented using pre-loaded memory cards.
Eden Hotel Collection
An emphasis on high quality F&B is at the heart of the Eden Hotel Collection’s philosophy, prompting the company to make significant culinary investments where necessary. At the five-star Bovey Castle, it has created a new state-of-the-art ‘super kitchen’ to support the £1.2m restaurant relaunch of the Great Western Grill. The group has invested in a bespoke, custom-built kitchen to improve efficiency, capacity and quality of service. Working with catering equipment distributor Sprint Group to design an all-electric kitchen, highlights include a bespoke, full-induction cooking suite with multi-pan zones, steel planchas, ovens, fryers and chargrills, alongside a range of high performance ovens. The kitchen’s layout has been remodelled with new designated areas including a defined raw preparation area, pastry kitchen, ready-to-eat kitchen, service kitchen, and a nine-metre-long open pass with adjustable lighting, helping to create a spacious working environment for the kitchen and waiting staff.
Whitbread
Hospitality giant Whitbread has been rolling out all-electric kitchens across the UK following a successful trial that saw the company create an efficiency test kitchen at its Beefeater site on the Oxford Tech Park back in 2020. The new kitchen design is geared around ergonomic efficiency and was meticulously planned to deliver every saving possible to the company from some of the best equipment available, including Adande drawers. Using a planogram allowed Whitbread to reduce the overall space required for the kitchen and ensure it provides more space for diners, also allowing for increased revenues. Using all Adande products, at various stations in the kitchen the group is saving, on average, almost half of the energy usually used with the old design. More recently this year, Whitbread also announced plans to remove mains gas connection from its entire hotel estate by 2040 where possible, as part of a new commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Wraps & Wings
Burger and chicken restaurant concept Wraps & Wings is a small, but rapidly expanding group that currently runs around 20 sites and is looking to double its estate in the next year or two. As a small company, the growing chain is focused on traditional food with a modern twist. Made using quality ingredients and cooked fresh to order, the principle is around serving customers quickly and conveniently, so they do not have to wait. To do this, the company understands the value of quality kitchen equipment and as such, has invested in the latest technology that is right for the job. Energy optimisation and consistency is key to the W&W kitchen philosophy and therefore the brand has been working with manufacturers including Adande, Rational, Synergy Grill, Antunes and Valentine to equip its kitchens, demonstrating the value the company puts on longevity, consistency and innovation.
The 2023 FEJ Awards ceremony and gala dinner takes place on Wednesday 27 September at the Pan Pacific London.
TO SECURE TICKETS TO THE EVENT PLEASE CLICK HERE.
TO VIEW THE FINALISTS OF THE OTHER OPERATOR CATEGORIES CLICK HERE.
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