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Supplier Spotlight: Unox
Unox’s Steve McGarvie on how the oven manufacturer is streamlining kitchens with AI-powered appliances
Continuing our Supplier Spotlight series, which gives a snapshot of key hospitality suppliers, we speak to Steven McGarvie, UK managing director at Unox.
Unox was founded in 1990 with a product designed to bake frozen bread and frozen croissants without proofing, and now distributes gas and electric ovens in more than 130 countries worldwide.
Managing director Steven McGarvie joined the company in January this year. He talks about how the cooking equipment manufacturer’s products use artificial intelligence to help improve menu consistency and reduce a chef’s workload while maintaining food quality.
Describe your product portfolio in five words
Advanced data-driven cooking equipment.
What types of hospitality operator are your products aimed at?
Our ovens are aimed at all chefs, operators and bakers.
What challenges do your products help chefs to meet?
Our products use artificial intelligence to optimise performance and advise the best methods for each recipe. For example, OpticCooking uses built-in optical sensors to recognise individual foods and select the right cooking programme, or HeyUnox is a voice-controlled feature that allows chefs to start cooking programmes hands-free.
ChefUnox can ‘learn’ from chef feedback and adjust cooking times and methods – all these features reduce a chef’s workload, while maintaining quality. The systems are capable of being operated remotely and are intuitive to use, making them ideal for operators with less-experienced staff.
How do your products provide value for money?
Our products are essentially another member of the team. AI and data-driven efficiencies mean we can support kitchen productivity and performance regardless of venue or team size.
How do your products assist operators with sustainability efforts?
At company level we aiming for net-zero operations by 2030, operating with 100% renewable electricity through such methods as low-impact buildings and the installation of photovoltaic panels. When it comes to our appliances, we look at vertical integration: the manufacturing chain is kept in-house, and we handle the production of all components and the assembly of the ovens within an area that does not exceed 4km, which minimises logistics and emissions.
What are your top three brand values?
Innovation, sustainability and consistency.
What trends are you noticing in your product sector?
Operators are downsizing to smaller kitchens and reducing the number of staff, but keeping the requirement for service and quality. This trend has led to a spike in technological advancements in modern kitchens, meaning that now all cooking equipment is efficient as standard.
How do you ensure customer service quality?
One of our most important duties at Unox is ensuring that we help our customers overcome their challenges. We have invested in a large team of experts who can train our customers, maintain the reliability of our equipment and deliver product demonstrations.
What are your brand’s unique selling points?
Our range of products meet the needs of any operators within the hospitality sector. Our innovation, efficiency and quality make us the best possible manufacturer for modern day kitchens.
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