The Caterer Supplier Awards - Finalist.

With a week to go before The Caterer Supplier Awards, we’re pleased to share more about the past year and the progress that’s put us in the running.

Whatever the outcome, it’s been a year we’re proud of.

For a brand built on simple reliability rather than noise or novelty, the shortlist is an important moment for us. It recognises not just product performance, but the way we support hospitality operators, distributors and service engineers throughout the entire life of one of our warewashers… from specification and installation through to daily use and long-term maintenance.

A brand built around the realities of hospitality

We know warewashers may not be glamorous, but they are vitally important pieces of kit. Every service, every shift, every venue relies on them. A glasswasher or dishwasher doesn’t just clean… it keeps service flowing and teams working efficiently under pressure. A decent warewasher that can be relied on can make the world of difference to any hospitality team with no Plan B required.

For more than 40 years, we’ve focused on this. Designed and built in Britain, every Classeq machine is developed with one clear purpose: to get the job done, day in and day out, without fuss.

Today, Classeq machines are used across the UK and internationally – from independent cafés and pubs to multi-site hospitality estates, schools to hotels, to care homes – and can be found behind bars and in kitchens around the world. All machines are still manufactured at our Staffordshire factory, with every unit thoroughly tested before it leaves our site.

Since becoming part of the Winterhalter Group in 2004, we’ve benefited from the strength of a global specialist warewashing organisation, while retaining our own clear identity. That balance of global expertise combined with local manufacturing and support underpins our approach today.

The Power of Simple, taken further

Over the past 12-18 months, our long-standing philosophy, The Power of Simple, has been further translated into tangible product and range development.

So rather than adding more options, we did the opposite. We removed complexity.

Feedback from distributors, engineers and operators highlighted a familiar challenge. We kept hearing the same thing… choosing the right warewasher had become unnecessarily complicated. Too many variants. Too many options. Too many opportunities to get it wrong.

In response, we streamlined our Undercounter range from 16 machines down to just four. Each machine with significantly more equipment fitted as standard. Drain pumps, rinse booster pumps and chemical dosing are now included across the range, helping to eliminate common specification mistakes and reducing friction at the point of sale.

The same principle was applied to the Pass Through range with more standardisation, and a clearer decision-making process. The result is a range that is simple to choose, simple to use and simple to service, without compromising on performance.

A major development within our Pass Through range is the addition of a steam recovery unit on our new machines. Designed for venues with limited ceiling height, it reduces the need for additional extraction while improving working conditions around the machine. It’s a practical solution to a real hospitality challenge faced by many operators.

Designed for real people, not ideal scenarios

Our development process is always driven by observation rather than assumption.

Blind testing is used to understand how engineers install machines and how operators interact with them during service. If something causes confusion or slows a process down, it is redesigned. Simplicity isn’t a marketing line – If it doesn’t work on a busy Friday night, it isn’t simple enough.

Crucially, we design with every stakeholder in mind: procurement teams, general managers, kitchen porters and service engineers alike. This thinking has also shaped recent additions to the range, including new deep clean, refresh and descaling programmes, helping operators always maintain performance and hygiene standards with minimal effort.

Supporting partners, not just selling machines

Our approach to marketing and brand development mirrors our product philosophy… practical, human and relationship led.

Over the past year, we’ve delivered approximately 1,000 operator training sessions, trained over 100 technicians, and carried out hundreds of site surveys. This is real evidence of how we show up for our partners.

The launch of the new Pass Through range exemplified this approach. Distributors were invited to our Staffordshire facility to see machines in action, tour the production line and experience the brand from the inside out. For partners unable to travel, our team took the machines on the road, ensuring the same level of access and understanding.

Rather than focusing on technical jargon, we concentrate on demonstrating real-world benefits: why simpler cleaning matters, why easier servicing saves time, and why choosing the right machine reduces long-term cost and risk.

Growing through simplicity

The impact of this approach is reflected in the business’s performance.

Over the past year, we’ve welcomed lots of new distribution partners, strengthening our national reach while maintaining a collaborative, partnership-first model. Investment in regional support, including expanded coverage in Scotland, has delivered measurable growth and deeper relationships.

The simplified range has also gained traction with multi-site hospitality groups, where consistency, ease of specification and dependable supply chains are critical. UK manufacturing enables next-working-day delivery, fast access to spare parts and direct engagement with our engineering and R&D teams. All advantages that have become increasingly valuable.

Year-on-year growth across 2023–2025 reflects steady progress.

Proud to be shortlisted

Being shortlisted for Warewasher Brand of the Year is recognition of a philosophy consistently applied: listening carefully, removing unnecessary complexity and supporting hospitality professionals in the moments that matter.

For Classeq, it’s not about innovation for innovation’s sake. It’s about building machines, and relationships, that stand up to real service, real pressure and real life in hospitality.