Best of the new
The New Product Awards, organised in conjunction with and sponsored by Caterer & Hotelkeeper, sets out to find the best product or service launched in the past 12 months.
There were categories for Food and Drink; Premises and Facilities Management; Catering Equipment and Services; and Furniture, Furnishings and Tableware.
In each category, judges were looking for innovation, functionality and success in achieving the manufacturer's objectives. With this in mind, the judges were tough and decided not to award silver or bronze prizes. But the winners were an impressive quartet of products, and the judges were unanimous in their choice.
After the judging, the awards ceremony was held at a gala dinner at Birmingham's Botanical Gardens. Fresh RM managing director Christopher Newton announced the winners, and the awards were presented by exhibition director Claire Finch.
Functional bars
Winner of the Furniture, Furnishings and Tableware category was the 2-metre mobile bar from Astore Harrison which, although it didn't inspire the Jiffy Salsa's level of hedonism, was praised for its functionality.
After a close-run decision between the bar and Elia's non-dripping coffee pot, Wagamama chief executive Ian Neill summed up the thoughts of the judges by saying the bar "offered something new and different, getting over the common problem of trestle tables at functions".
James Thomson, proprietor of the Witchery hotel in Edinburgh, said the system "should be credited for its added security", referring to the lockable back bar bottle fridges and the ability to stow kegs under the bar.
Kevin Barker, sales director of Astore Harrison, put the success down to "consistent help and feedback from the industry".
Vans in a Jiffy
The big-gun equipment manufacturers were in the line-up for the Catering, Equipment and Services contest, but victory went to Jiffy Trucks for its Jiffy Salsa mobile catering van. Sales manager Charles Cooper said he was "genuinely surprised". The judges were impressed by the company dispensing with the need for a separate liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply. Instead, fuel is taken from the vehicle's own tank to drive the food-warming cabinets, the equivalent of a "diesel-run hairdryer", said Cooper. Judge Neil Stratton of the Russell Partnership praised Jiffy "for producing a vehicle that didn't rely on gas". He also liked the fact that all food and drink was secured when the truck was being driven.
However, it wasn't only these practical solutions that fired the judges' imagination. Seduced by the concept of the vehicle (or perhaps just worn out by the arduous deliberation), Wagamama boss Ian Neill was tempted to give it all up for the Jiffy Salsa: "You just want to fill it up and get out on the road. It's complete independence - it's like the Hell's Angels of the food service industry."
Creating a buzz
The prize for Facilities and Premises Management went to Call-Systems Technology (CST) for its CallService. The system enables customers to buzz waiting staff with a choice of table-top buttons such as "drinks", "bill" or "service" which, when pressed, alert staff through a network of pagers.
The system beat off two recycling systems with its all-round application potential, from restaurants and conference centres to hotels and casinos. Alan Hill praised the technology for putting an end to customer frustration as well as the fact that the menu was incorporated in the console. The system brought a bit of fun to the table too, said the judges, although Steve Munkley warned: "We don't want the client to lose personal contact."
Dumpling success
In the Food and Drink category, Jian's Dumplings took the honours for its small, crescent-shaped snacks. Judges praised the dumplings, which come in seven varieties, for their versatility and simple preparation demands. Steve Munkley, executive head chef of the Royal Garden hotel, commented: "You could sell them to just about anyone." Alan Hill, from Gleneagles, agreed, likening their potential popularity as finger food to potato skins and sour cream.
Jian's Dumplings business development manager Roy Sherman confirmed interest from pubs, hotels, the prison service and schools. One visitor to the show, Stephen Drane, general manager for contract caterer Scholarest at Millfield School, said he would certainly buy them: "You can really taste the filling. We have a lot of theme days and these would be perfect - very affordable too." The dumplings cost just 9p each, and all the judges appreciated the margin that could be made on them.
The judges
The judges were split into two groups, each group looking after two categories.
\ For the Food and Drink and the Premises and Facilities Management categories, the judges were:
Dan Bignold, food and equipment writer, Caterer & Hotelkeeper
Jane Cartwright, group projects manager, Caterer & Hotel*keeper, chair
Alan Hill, food and beverage director, Gleneagles
Jackie Mitchell, freelance journalist
Steve Munkley, executive head chef, Royal Garden hotel
* For the Catering Equipment and Services and the Furniture, Furnishings and Tableware categories, the judges were:
Kathy Bowry, editor, Catering Update, chair
Ian Neill, chief executive, Wagamama
Andrew Powis, managing partner, Sterling Foodservice Design
Neil Stratton, partner, the Russell Partnership
James Thomson, proprietor, the Witchery by the Castle hotel, Edinburgh
Bruce Whitehall, freelance journalist
