High-tech Catering Ovens provide Rational answer to recession
27 May 2009
What do Blumenthals, Le Blancs, Ramsays and HM Prison Wandsworths' kitchens have in common? They all use Rationals' high tech combi steamers.
The foodservice sector has been hard hit by the recession. Rational produces one of the premium commercial cooking appliances on the market. Yet it is more than holding its own with the value of sales at the end of the first quarter for 2009 up 3%. So, what is the Rational secret?
"In the recession, I guess our biggest issue is that the Rationals are at the top-end of the market in terms of cost, compared to other commercial cooking equipment," admits Vic Brown, managing director of Rational UK. "However, the technology in them reduces running costs by up to 40% compared to traditional equipment, and they reduce staff costs as no supervision is required. Plus, the cooking results are the best in class. So buyers may have a greater initial outlay, but the real cost over its lifetime is lower and they get the best possible food on the plate."
Rational combi steamers use a combination of dry heat and steam to cook – by adjusting the balance of dry and wet heat, chefs can cook just about anything in its ideal cooking climate.
In late 2008 Rational launched a brand new technology that slashes its combi ovens' running costs even more. "In the UK, the biggest single problem with combi steamers is that, because they use water, they are subject to limescale build-up. Limescale is the major cause of servicing issues," says Vic Brown. "The new technology, called CareControl, does away with the problem completely."
CareControl uses biodegradable tablets to flush the limescale out of the oven – all staff have to do is load the tablets when the oven tells them to, at which point the unit cleans itself automatically. Until CareControl came along, chefs had to fit water softeners to combi steamers, to protect them from limescale. "The new technology means there is no need for the water filter. That alone can save hundreds of pounds a year in servicing and running costs," explains Vic Brown.
So the Rational way to survive the recession is to stick by your convictions. "We continue to invest in technology to give chefs the very best way to cook food – not only by helping them produce the finest results, but also by ensuring the machines have simple controls and consume the minimum of resources," says Vic Brown. "CareControl, launched in the recession, has helped us maintain sales and increase market share."
Other Press Releases By This Company
- 09/10/2014 - Rational is Officially a Lean and Green cooking machine
- 19/08/2014 - Rational releases Energy Star figures for the SelfCookingCenter
- 11/08/2014 - World Cup chef picks Rational
- 09/09/2010 - Cooking has never been simpler - See the Rational SelfCooking Center at The Restaurant Show
- 06/07/2010 - Marcus Wareing used Rational SelfCooking Centers to cook for Royalty at the Audi Polo Challenge
- 09/06/2010 - Felixstowe Care Home Wins £9,000 Rational SelfCooking Center
- 25/05/2010 - The Better Way To Cook Fried Foods In Schools
- 05/05/2010 - Got a combi steamer question? Ask Rational
- 11/01/2010 - Long live the Combi Steamer
- 05/11/2009 - The birth of the Limescale-Free Combi
- 12/10/2009 - Chipping away at energy use
- 11/09/2009 - Legendary Waterside Inn takes Rational approach in new kitchen
- 24/08/2009 - Rational environmental combi - a truly green machine
- 15/06/2009 - Rational SelfCooking Centre gives Care Home catering better control
- 08/06/2009 - And the winner of the "Heavy Equipment Supplier of the Year" award for 2009 goes to, Rational
- 07/04/2009 - Barbequed food without the hassle
- 04/03/2009 - The Ivy saves big with Rational CareControl technology
- 19/02/2009 - Rational awarded Ultimate Equipment prize at CATEX Ireland
