A to Z of the Year 2017, Part 1

With 2017 drawing to a close, we’ve put together a few highlights from the last 12 months in our review of the year. Read part one here!

A is for Archway…

This November we installed a large temporary kitchen in a prestigious location in Cambridge – but had to get our 6m units through a small archway to do so. Using careful planning, a specially built ramp, two cranes, two forklift trucks and a team of expert installers, the PKL team made it look easy. Watch our 45 second video showing the way we did it here.

B is for Bakery on the Water…

Our sister company Rental+ helped the wonderful Bakery on the Water, in Bourton-on-the-Water, to get their hands on the amazing Merrychef eikon E2s. Through specifying what they needed, to arranging a demonstration before they purchased and the provision of full staff training once they had, U-Select were there with them every step of the way. The innovative accelerated oven has helped Bakery on the Water to improve their speed of service and offer more options for their customers. Watch this video about the business and how they came to choose the e2s.

C is for #CookforSyria…

In October we supported a special supper club hosted by Petersham Nurseries at their new Covent Garden interiors store, in aid of #CookforSyria, a charity campaign that helps children affected by the war in Syria through Syrian inspired food. Petersham were hosting the event, but they had no kitchen! We offered to supply the equipment they need to put on the event for free. The night, which was a launch for the campaign’s international supper clubs initiative, went without a hitch. Watch our video of the event here.

D is for Design Series Food Cubes…

We launched a new edition of our range of Food Cube catering concessions in 2017. The Design Series offers caterers and venues the opportunity to have a more flexible options when it comes to the aesthetics of the building and additional features such as decking areas, awnings and integrated lighting. These attractive modular units have generated a lot of interest since they were launched in late October. Read more about them here.

E is for Emergency Hires…

Every year we receive calls from businesses, schools, hospitals and other public services who need a temporary kitchen or items of catering equipment, NOW! Fires, floods, electrical problems, we’ve seen them all over the years. This January we published a special case study illustrating an emergency hire at Darlington College. The college’s kitchens, including their training kitchen which feeds their on-site restaurant staffed by students, was devastated by fire. PKL were there to provide a bespoke kitchen setup that allowed them to reopen the restaurant in weeks, reducing the disruption to the students’ studies. Watch the case study here:

F is for Festival Supplier Awards

In January, we were shortlisted for the Best Supplier category at the FSA Awards and came second overall! We were so delighted and proud of our brilliant team that made it possible. We’re even more excited now, because we’ve just heard we’ve been shortlisted for the 2018 awards in Two categories: Best VIP/Backstage Area and Best Supplier again. Here’s hoping we go one better this year and win! Read more here.

G is for Garbage Guzzler

We took on the exclusive distribution of the Garbage Guzzler, and on site food waste digester.  The Garbage Guzzler can reduce food waste by up to 90% helping the environment and to reduce costs! The guzzler is simple to install at any site and very easy to use – just open the top, throw in the food waste, close it and hit the ‘on’ button and you’re done!

H is for Health and Safety

We have had ISO accreditation for many years and had our ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS 18001 renewed during 2017. This is a major undertaking, with an audit of our health and safety, environmental and quality processes and practices assessed. We were delighted to have our accreditation renewed in August this year. This is a testament to our staff doing a brilliant job, across all our of our divisions. But that is not the end of the story, we are continuing to invest in new systems, procedures and initiatives that will make us even more efficient and our projects safer. See our full range of accreditation here.

I is for Instagram

We’re now on Instagram, and love sharing pictures of our hires, staff and the charity work we do here at PKL towers in Cheltenham. We especially love #throwbackthursdays – when in recent weeks, we’ve recalled big installs at an ancient base for lawyers, our major sporting events adventures and more amazing projects…click here to see our feed….