Macintosh Foodservice Solution Chooses Mareno iChef for London Corporate Client

MARENO’s iChef equipment has contributed to some stunning energy savings as part of two new projects that Macintosh Foodservice Solutions designed, specified, and installed for a large corporate client with sites at the Embankment and London Bridge.

With the existing equipment at both sites starting to show its age, and the client wanting to significantly reduce energy costs, Macintosh Foodservice Solutions were approached by the on-site contract caterer to carry out a feasibility study on upgrading the existing equipment and improving the overall layout of both kitchens. With that study complete, and the case for refurbishment duly made and accepted by the client, Macintosh Foodservice Solutions set about designing and specifying layouts for the two kitchens.

‘The key driver for the project was energy efficiency’, says Macintosh Foodservice Solutions managing director, Radford Chancellor. ‘As well as reducing energy consumption the client wanted to move towards net-zero emissions and so the equipment chosen needed to demonstrate superior energy-saving capabilities, as well as excellent build quality and reliability to reduce the risk of downtime and costly repairs.’

Both projects presented several challenges, perhaps the biggest of these being the fact that both sites were ‘live’, with over a thousand staff working at each one. As a result, strict protocols needed to be implemented to ensure safety, and any noisy activity had to be done outside of normal working hours, typically between 10pm and 5am. The other main challenge was that it simply wasn’t practical to change the position of the existing ventilation and ductwork, so although the new layout of the kitchen needed to improve the workflow and efficiency it had to sit under the existing extract canopy.

‘We chose MARENO iChef equipment for both projects because the level of control that it offers was perfectly in keeping with the client’s demand for energy saving,’ says Radford. ‘With the ability to control the temperature to +/- 0.1°C, simply by placing a finger on the touchscreen panel, the two iChef four zone induction units and three iChef twin well fryers installed in each kitchen allow the chefs to be incredibly precise and use no more power than is absolutely necessary. The iChef units have played a key role in enabling us to achieve a 45% reduction in energy consumption across both sites, significantly exceeding expectations. And, as the chefs at each kitchen get more familiar with the iChef equipment we fully expect those savings to reach closer to 50%. Furthermore, the refurbished kitchens have improved workflow, increased storage capacity, and produced a modern, efficient working environment.’

‘The equipment itself is only one aspect of the project though,’ says Radford. ‘You also need to be able to rely on the supplier to provide exceptional support, from initial design through to after sales, and that is what we get from the Grande Cuisine team. The availability of responsive service and support is crucial and having worked with Grande Cuisine previously I know that their track record is outstanding when it comes to providing end user training, installation support, and the prompt resolution of any issues. This dedication to customer support adds significant value to any project and Grande Cuisine’s superior performance in this area is another reason why they were our chosen supplier on the two projects.

Macintosh Foodservice Solutions was responsible for the design, equipment selection, project management, installation, and compliance with CDM (Construction Design and Management regulations) for both projects which were delivered and installed on time, and to budget, during the periods December 2022 – February 2023 at the Embankment and July 2023 – September 2023 at London Bridge.