Catering teams: what, who and why

What is the Catering Team?

‘Catering crew’ is a rather imprecise term these days. Obviously, the definition of catering equipment would be something like “equipment used in the food catering industry”. However, what is classified as ‘restaurant industry’ these days is not so clear now.

The types of equipment under the umbrella of ‘catering equipment’ range from refrigeration equipment, ovens and cookers to crockery, cutlery and utensils. Many catering equipment suppliers tend to specialize in a certain area, such as refrigeration or tableware, while others try to cover all requirements with a wide variety of equipment in stock.

Who needs catering equipment?

Users of catering equipment are as varied as the equipment itself. Buyers can range from local authorities, hospitals and chain restaurants across the country, to home cooks catering to families and diners.

Some of the main sectors that require catering equipment could be grouped as; restaurants, pubs, bars, takeaways, caterers, local authorities, hospitals and schools. However, this is not a definitive list; Most businesses need catering equipment of some description, even if it’s just a tea and cup trolley for an office.

Who makes catering equipment?

Catering equipment is produced all over the world. Some niche gear is built to order in small shops, while other gear is mass-produced in factories and distributed throughout the world.

As in any industry, manufacturers produce equipment in varying degrees of quality and price. Much of the type of manufacturing equipment now comes from countries like China, which has brought the price of equipment down considerably. Be sure to buy from reputable dealers, as although there are bargains to be had, quality can sometimes be reflected in price.

Some of the big names in the UK catering equipment industry include Parry, Imperial, Sunnex, Robot Coupe, Dualit, Blue Seal, Mondeal, Newscan and CRC.

Who sell this?

Traditionally, catering equipment has been sold by local dealers with warehouses and showrooms in commercial and industrial estates. The sellers are always available to show the products and give advice. However, this type of setup tends to have high overhead, vendors, warehouses, and showrooms all cost money.

The solution that many found to these costly overheads was an auction sale. This method was often used for new and second hand catering equipment. With these types of purchase guarantees were often a problem. Second hand and B grade catering equipment was sold as seen, often good prices could be had but the shelf life of a product could not be guaranteed.

Now the massively expanding store for catering equipment is online. This type of sale greatly reduces costs, eliminating the need for showrooms and moving equipment to and from auctions. This saving is reflected in online prices, new hotel equipment can now be purchased online at almost second-hand prices, with the security of guarantees and endorsements.

The constant improvement of transport networks means that location almost becomes irrelevant. Overnight deliveries can be made throughout the country and foreign buyers can even take advantage of attractive exchange rates.