Value, simplicity and the importance of quality: Reflections on 2025 and the road ahead for 2026

Welcome to a new year.
A chance to reflect, recalibrate, and set our direction with purpose.

As for 2025, it was a year defined by pressure, unpredictability, and shifting behaviours, across many industries, not just hospitality.

It was another year when resilience mattered as much as strategy, and when the ground beneath operators, distributors, and manufacturers felt as though it were constantly shifting.

Yet, beneath the turbulence, there were bright moments of clarity. And as always, signs that our industry remains adaptive, resilient and committed to moving forward.

And that is the lens through which Classeq approached last year… steady, considered, and relentlessly focused on value and simplicity.

When we sat down with Managing Director Andy Salter, and National Sales Manager Nick Burridge, it’s clear that Classeq continues to demonstrate the belief in what truly matters - not just in product development, but in relationships, service, and staying responsive to the realities of the market.

This isn’t a technical product recap. Nor is it a self-congratulatory summary. It’s an honest look at what 2025 taught Classeq… and what that could mean for the year ahead.

“A challenging start, a strong finish” – What 2025 really looked like.

If the first half of 2025 felt heavy, it’s because it was. The budget changes that came into effect in April sent a jolt through the hospitality sector almost immediately. It was one of those moments where everyone, from national chains to small independents, paused, recalibrated, and held their breath.

“People weren’t spending,” Nick recalls. “Operators were cautious, distributors were cautious, and that naturally flows straight to us.”

This is a familiar pattern in hospitality: the sector feels economic changes earlier and more complex than many other industries. Costs rise. Consumer confidence wobbles. Operators delay upgrades or hold off on commitments, and manufacturers like Classeq absorb those ripple effects.

But in hospitality, tides constantly shift, and last year, they did exactly that.

“The last quarter of 2025 was a good one,” Nick says. “We ended the year strong. Hospitality may be sensitive to downturns, but it’s also incredibly resilient. It bounces back, sometimes quicker than you’d expect.”

That rebound didn’t happen by chance. It was shaped by something Classeq committed to long before 2025 began.


A brave decision that paid off: stepping away from the entry-level market.
One of the clearest narratives from last year was the decisive move Classeq took in 2024 when it made the strategic decision to discontinue its entry-level undercounter machine and simplify its product line.

It could have gone very differently.

The team didn’t know how customers who historically opted for the lowest-cost model would react. They didn’t know whether the market would accept a streamlined, higher-quality range, especially in an environment where budgets were tightening, not expanding.

But customers trusted the direction.

“We didn’t know how far we’d fall in terms of volume,” Andy admits. “But we felt it was the right move. And the reaction from the market has proved it was.”

Instead of losing ground, Classeq recovered the volume it expected to sacrifice, and then some.

The decision signalled that operators are looking for value, not simply the lowest entry price. And that distributors want equipment that is easy to specify, easy to sell, and dependable on-site.

The market was shifting, and the product strategy aligned with it.

The first fully unified Classeq range and the impact it had.
2025 marked the first time Classeq has been able to offer a fully cohesive warewashing portfolio:

• Undercounter machines (launched 2024)
• The new CP500 Pass Through (launched 2025)
• The CP500SR Pass Through with Steam Recovery (launched 2025)
• C500 Utensil Washer (launched 2025, a first for Classeq UK)

For the first time, a distributor or engineer sees a range that looks, feels, and operates as a unified family, with consistent components, simplified parts, and a lower cognitive load on both sellers and end users.

Nick describes the reaction:

“It opened up more conversations, more opportunities. Distributors keep telling us how easy it is to sell. They’re not juggling dozens of variants anymore.”

And then there was the Steam Recovery unit with technology that, for the first time, took Classeq into a section of the market it previously had little presence in.

“The SR model got us into conversations we simply didn’t have before,” Nick says. “It’s not an incremental tweak, it expanded our footprint.”

This is where Classeq’s philosophy becomes clear: innovation not for the sake of complexity, but for the sake of solving real day-to-day problems.


Simplicity as a differentiator, not a compromise.
At every turn of the conversation, one theme resurfaced: ease of use.

From deep-clean cycles that require nothing more than a single button, to intuitive interfaces, to standardised components across the range, Classeq’s approach to design isn’t as glamorous as some, and that’s intentional.

“In hospitality it gets very busy and can be stressful, so looking after equipment can often be put off unless you make it easy,” Nick says plainly. “Simplicity makes it easier for people to use, maintain, and become trained on a machine.”

Engineers have praised the machines for being straightforward to work on. Distributors appreciate the reduced training time, and operators value the reliability. All this builds confidence, and confidence is what keeps a brand in the running when everyone else is fighting for attention.

Classeq’s machines are trustworthy, practical and consistent – designed for the real world, not the perfect one.

So, in a year where operators have cut opening hours, reduced staff, and streamlined menus just to stay profitable, simplicity hasn’t been a differentiator; it’s been a lifeline.

Connectivity: meeting operators where they’re heading.
The growth of Classeq’s Bluetooth-enabled features and the rollout of Wi-Fi connectivity planned for 2026 was never about chasing trends. It’s about meeting a need that operators are increasingly vocal about including centralised visibility.

Everyone wants to monitor equipment performance, but currently, every appliance has its own system, dashboard, or app. It’s overwhelming.

“One platform where operators can see all their kit; that’s the direction everything is moving in,” Nick explains. “And our connectivity is designed to support that shift.”

Remote diagnostics, real-time machine status, historical logs, preventative alerts, and even over-the-air software updates all contribute to reduced downtime and smoother operations.

It’s not “bells and whistles” technology - it’s practical, grounded innovation that saves time, reduces cost, and removes friction. Which, again, comes back to Classeq’s core philosophy: The power of simple!

The wider market: pressure, consolidation, and opportunities in unexpected places.
When asked where the sector is heading, Andy gave a realistic assessment.

“We’re not seeing signs of huge expansion yet. Costs are still rising, VAT relief didn’t materialise, and energy and food prices remain high. You’ll notice more and more sites reducing days or hours to protect profitability. Recent developments do, however, offer a little hope of more favourable news on business rates.”

But he also points to a meaningful shift in buying behaviour.

Customers who traditionally wouldn’t have bought a mid-range machine are now considering Classeq. They want equipment that hits the sweet spot of quality and value, not just the cheapest unit on the market.

“People may go out to eat less now, but when they do, they spend more. They want higher quality and this is reflected across the market.”

“We’re landing with accounts we didn’t expect,” Andy says. “And that’s because the mid-range is where operators are consolidating their choices.”

Growth is stable, strategic, and built on a proposition that has become even more relevant in tougher economic conditions.

Looking ahead: what 2026 will ask of Classeq.
If 2025 was about bedding in a new range and navigating an unpredictable market, this year is all about refinement, responsiveness, and continuing to remove obstacles for partners.

Classeq’s focus moving into 2026 is centred on bringing Wi-Fi-enabled machines to market, expanding visibility and insight through more advanced connectivity, and giving distributors the practical tools they need to specify and sell with confidence. Alongside this, the business will continue simplifying processes, components and the overall user experience, while using AI behind the scenes to spot trends and opportunities earlier.

Classeq is committed to strengthening relationships across its distributor and operator network, ensuring growth comes not just from product innovation but from the partnerships that support it.

“There won’t be a wave of new business handed to anyone,” Andy says. “We all need to go out and win it. But we’ve built a range and a support system that gives us the best chance.”

And in a sector where complexity and cost are rising at every turn, that clarity and simplicity is exactly what the market is hungry for.