A reception and formal ceremony were attended by Michael Kapur Esq OBE, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, at Flexeserve’s global headquarters in Hinckley, Leicestershire.
Flexeserve was one of seven East Midlands recipients of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation. In the words of Mr Kapur, this highlighted Flexeserve’s, ‘success as an exceptional achievement within the local business community’. Significantly, this ceremony marked the very last of the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, as they move forward under the new name of the King’s Awards.
Guests were invited to Flexeserve’s Foodservice Innovation Centre for a toast by technical director, Mick Steele, who first identified convection as the optimum method for maintaining food temperature and quality. A Great British menu created by Billy Eatenton, head of culinary, was served from Flexeserve Zone units. Hot dishes ranged from traditional Fish & Chips to Vegan Shepherd’s Pie ,with root vegetable topping and Yorkshire Pudding Wraps!
The Flexeserve Zone is the only heated display that uses hot air convection to accurately deliver different temperatures on each shelf. This technology enables foodservice operators to hot-hold a wide variety of food-to-go products.
This unlocks new opportunities to expand product range, achieve extended hold times and reduce food waste, while maintaining food quality. The company’s combination of equipment and expertise is delivered through the industry’s only hot-holding service, Flexeserve Solution. It comprises six key elements: Technology, Food, Culinary, Packaging, Implement and Connect.
The team guides customers through this journey to refine and transform their hot food operations, delivering for the likes of Pret, Greggs, M&S and Circle K.
In the spirit of innovation, the presentation of the Queen’s Award also coincided with the official opening of Flexeserve’s new, state-of-the-art production lines.
The business is also set to launch its advanced cloud-based service. Connect will enable operators to maximise the benefits of true hot-holding at every location, with visibility and remote control of their entire estate.