The !dea Works Press Release
XX July 2015
Carlow company is a winner at 2015 Idea Works
Ireland’s leading food and support services company, Compass Group Ireland, has announced the winners of this year’s Idea Works. Carlow town based company CBL Equipment is among the three winners selected who will now work closely with Compass Group Ireland to develop their Castle Chafer product further with a view to trialling it within select Compass Group Ireland units.
The aim of Idea Works is to find SMEs with cutting-edge products, solutions and applications that could be used in the foodservice, hospitality and facilities management industry and encourage them to come forward with their ideas.
From the huge range of applicants, five companies were shortlisted and invited to pitch their big idea to a panel of expert judges at the Aviva Stadium last week. CBL Equipment had just 15 minutes to sell their idea. The judges were looking for clear and concise pitches that stood out form the crowd and for products and innovations that could be rolled out across Compass Group Ireland’s 250 units around Ireland.
Castle Chafer is a product of CBL Equipment and has been designed by James Kearney, a Carlow based entrepreneur. Jim has spent the last number of years designing, developing and perfecting the Castle Chafer, an energy efficient chafing dish which will help companies reduce their energy bill and environmental impact. It is fully insulated and therefore its running cost is 25% of a traditional chafing dish. It holds 50% more food than traditional chafers meaning it doesn’t need to be refilled as often during busy food service periods.
Speaking about the win James said, “We are thrilled that the judges selected our product as a winner and looking forward to working with Compass Group Ireland to develop the aesthetic of Castle Chafer to meet market requirements. Trialling the dish within select units will be crucial to success.”
This year’s judging panel comprised award winning TV chef, Neven Maguire; Mark Lee, Commercial Director, Compass Group Ireland; Maureen Gahan, Foodservice Specialist, Bord Bia and Chris Allen, Executive Chef, Compass Group Ireland.
Commenting on the announcement of the winners, Mark Lee said; “The aim of The Idea Works is to give SMEs an opportunity to bring their exciting new products to market and also ensure that as a company we are continuously keeping up with the latest trends and innovations. We were extremely impressed with the quality of the three winning entries and are very much looking forward to working with each company to develop their products and trial them in our units. It really is an incredible opportunity for each of the winners to take their business to the next level.”
The other winners include Airam Foods for their Connemara Pies and Secret Recipe for their range of gluten free and halal meal solutions.
Compass Group Ireland, Ireland’s leading food and support services company, employs over 4,500 people on the Island of Ireland, operates over 250 units and serves over 100,000 meals a day.
ENDS
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Angie Grant / Ailish Smith / Tabitha Bourke-Cooney
01 661 4055
