Market-leader, Merrychef®, was delighted to welcome channel partners from across the world to the UK last week, to celebrate its continued growth journey, in a unique three-day event filled with learning and networking opportunities.
The Festival of Merrychef saw 150 guests, representing over 46 nations gather for a busy schedule, beginning with VIP networking at some of London’s top destinations, including a private dinner at the prestigious OXO tower. This was followed by an informative visit to Sheffield, the ‘stainless steel city’ where a Merrychef oven comes off the production line every 2.8 minutes.
Colin Lacey, Managing Director, Merrychef, said: “We’re lucky enough to work with the best channel partners in the world, representing the United States, Canada, Latin America, Australia, Middle East, Europe as well as the UK & Ireland. So, it was our great pleasure to welcome our extended family to the home of Merrychef, to collaborate, recognise contributions and share insights and learnings.”
At the Festival conference at Sheffield Hallam University on day two, which also included a line-up of industry-leading external speakers, Colin spoke of investment and innovation: “We’ve invested £3m in the last four years to keep improving efficiency. We’re committed to delivering for our customers and end users, not only with the latest technology and high-quality results, but with great, reliable service. Delivering what the customer wants sits at the heart of everything we do. Connectivity and ease-of-use is at the top of our agenda.”
The focus on delivering what customers want was echoed by Nicola Knight, Insight Manager at IGD, who delivered an informative session on ‘Trends shaping the hospitality sector’. She highlighted that with consumers making an average of 221 food-related choices* a day, competition for ‘share of stomach’ is fierce. As a result, new day parts are becoming a key focus for food-to-go operators.
Following the conference, partners’ achievements were recognized and celebrated with a red carpet awards ceremony and dinner at the Mercure Hotel in the center of Sheffield.
The three-day event culminated with a factory tour, culinary demonstration, competitor reviews and a series of workshops on aftermarket care, connectivity, product development and marketing, before the group headed back to London for their onward journeys to their regions.
