From advice on alternative
ingredients to online training, Rational offers comprehensive support
As the hospitality industry
comes out of lockdown it will have to cope with the new normal. In kitchens that could mean the need to
develop new menus that are compatible with considerations such as fewer staff,
social distancing, ingredients shortages and different opening hours. Similarly,
operators are going to be even more conscious of budgeting and will be looking
at ways to save time, energy and running costs.
Rational, the leading
manufacturer in thermal cooking solutions, has put in place a support package
to give operators some practical help as they get their businesses running
successfully again. “Customers are at
the heart of our business, and we are looking forward to further supporting
them as the new normal returns,” says Adam Knights, marketing director at Rational
UK. “With the prospect of staycations, and the easing of restrictions, the
industry is hoping for, and preparing for, a really busy summer – and beyond. We’re here to help in any way we can.”
Rational’s focus is on
training and menu development and includes:
Chef support – Rational has an extended team of over
thirty chefs nationwide who can offer a variety of different levels of support,
from answering simple questions (a recent example was, ‘what’s the best way to
dry fruit in a combi steamer?’) to helping develop and roll out new menus
across an estate. They are increasingly
asked about alternative approaches – ingredients shortages, the demand for
sustainable sourcing and rising costs are leading to operators looking for
alternative foods. This is an area where
Rational chefs have a wealth of expertise.
For example, slow cooking can allow chefs to use cheaper cuts of meat
and achieve top quality results.
Similarly, the team at Rational has advised on alternative and
sustainably sourced types of fish, and suggested ways to prepare them in the
iCombi Pro and the iVario cooking system.
New recipe programs – Rational experts are working with
customers to develop and create bespoke programs for specific recipes for the
iCombi Pro and the iVario cooking systems.
For example, one of the food trends the company expects to keep growing
post lockdown is the interest in Korean cuisine. Already Rational experts have helped various
customers to program their cooking systems with a variety of Korean
specialities.
The Rational UK Training App – the company’s UK-specific
app has recipes and ‘how to’ videos, so that chefs and their kitchen brigade
can instantly access advice and training, covering everything from recipes to
day to day maintenance, via a smartphone, right in the kitchen.
Webinars – the company has launched virtual expert
seminars where high profile speakers discuss a variety of current topics, such
as ghost kitchen and food to go, and look at the latest challenges, solutions
and opportunities that develop as lockdown is eased.
Live online – this is a series of seminars where
potential customers can get virtual experience of Rational cooking systems, and
see how the technology can enhance their kitchen operations. Many of them are sector-specific, so that
operators can be sure the content is 100% relevant. They include Live online sessions focused on
pubs, care homes, hotels, hospitals and, coming soon, food to go and convenience
foods.
On-site training – Wherever possible, Rational’s
programme of on-site training continues and the company has put in place well-resourced
and effective Covid-19 protocols to ensure that its staff, and the kitchen
brigade they are visiting, are safe and protected. The company is also offering customers the
use of its training kitchens and facilities at its Luton HQ, again under strict
Covid-19 protocols.
ConnectedCooking – Rational is continuing to develop its
kitchen management system, which allows operators to monitor and update cooking
systems remotely. It reduces the need
for extra visitors to come in, for example because data like HACCP can be downloaded,
and new programs can be uploaded, from anywhere in the world. It also reduces downtime, sinceaccredited
RATIONAL service partners can see if there’s an issue and fix it before it
becomes a problem. It’s creating a more
efficient kitchen and thus can reduce running costs.
RATIONAL is the leading
provider in hot food preparation equipment and, with the iCombi Pro and the
iVario multifunctional cooking system, the company delivers 95% of all
conventional cooking applications.
Rational’s ConnectedCooking allows operators to monitor, manage and
update their Rational appliances remotely, from a PC, tablet or smartphone. iKitchen
is the combination of the iCombi Pro, iVario Pro and ConnectedCooking –
iKitchen delivers the best kitchen management and the best cooking
solutions. For information and
brochures, or to find out about free Rational Live online demonstrations, call
+44 (0)1582 480388, freephone 0800 389 2944 or visit www.rational-online.com
Press Contact:
Vanessa
Millard, RATIONAL UK Limited
Tel: 01582
480388
Mob: 07879
552017
E-mail:
v.millard@rational-online.com
Web:
www.rational-online.com
facebook.com/RATIONAL.GBR
twitter.com/RATIONAL_AG
youtube.com/User/RATIONALAG
Editor's
notes:
About RATIONAL
The RATIONAL Group is the world market and
technology leader in the field of hot food preparation for professional
kitchens. Founded in 1973, the company employs more than 1,100 people in
Germany and a total of around 2,000 worldwide. Since the IPO in 2000, RATIONAL
has been listed on the Prime Standard of the German Stock Exchange and is
included in the SDAX.
The primary objective of the company is to
always offer its customers maximum benefits. Internally RATIONAL is committed
to the principle of sustainability, expressed in its policies on environmental
protection, leadership and social responsibility. Year after year, numerous
international awards testify to the exceptional quality of RATIONAL’s work.