Jempson’s Superstore. Peasmarsh, Rye, East Sussex, UK

There’s more in store for long-standing business with RATIONAL.

“I’ve used RATIONAL cooking systems for seventeen years, but these latest models are out of this world. They have already changed the way we work here, and we’re planning on getting even more for the rest of our sites. I’m excited to see what else they can do for us!”

Minerva Jensen, Head chef, Jempson’s.

Embracing change.

Jempson’s is a family-owned business based in East Sussex that has evolved considerably since it was founded in 1935. From its roots as a baker and grocer, the chain now includes supermarkets, convenience stores, a restaurant, and cafes, as well as a petrol station, a pharmacy and post offices. The total business currently has a turnover in excess of £32 million.

The Covid-19 pandemic affected Jempson’s in different ways. “Our supermarkets were able to remain open and were very successful, while the cafes had to change to a takeaway model,” explains Andrew Maylam, Jempson’s financial controller. “We found there weren’t many options for chilled ready meals, and they became very popular.”

“We produce between 90–150 ready meals a day, and between 60–90 meals in the restaurant,” she says. “The iCombi Pro and iVario Pro make producing this amount of food incredibly easy.

Many businesses learned the importance of embracing change in recent years and Jempson’s at Peasmarsh was no exception. The latest technology, like RATIONAL’s advanced cooking systems, is a powerful and flexible way of increasing productivity and maintaining high standards during uncertain times.

Industry: Convenience Store.

Core business: Food to go.

Location: Peasmarsh, Rye, East Sussex

Future proofing with RATIONAL.

As lockdown came to an end, Jempson’s decided to upgrade the production kitchen “We already had experience of using the previous generation of RATIONAL systems,” says Andrew. “We worked with South Coast Catering on this project, and after they showed us what the latest RATIONAL cooking systems were capable of so, it made sense to update to them.”

Jempson’s took delivery of an iCombi Pro and iVario Pro, which together, through the ConnectedCooking networking system, forms the iKitchen and can replace the functions of 90% of traditional appliances while increasing overall productivity.

“The flexibility they give me, as a chef, is very good,” she says. “They can produce more dishes at the same time, and everything takes less time to cook, so we have more time to prepare everything.

”For example, the iVario Pro’s two pans can be used separately. “We can use one pan to prepare a batch of pasta while frying in the other one,” says Minerva. “The pressure cooking on the iVario Pro is incredible,” she says.

“ConnectedCooking is one of the most fantastic features. It’s so easy to add new dishes to the menu with it, and being able to remotely monitor the kitchen’s operation from my mobile lets me keep an eye on everything even when I’m not here.”
Minerva Jensen, Head chef, Jempson’s

“Once I develop a dish, I can program it into the cooking systems, and I know that whoever uses it will get the result I created every time.”
Minerva Jensen, Head chef, Jempson’s

The challenge:

  • Limited output
  • Inconsistency of results
  • Offering a more varied menu
  • Limited kitchen space
  • Unpleasant working environment due to gas burners
  • Energy efficiency

The Solution:

  • Recipes, along with every aspect of both iCombi Pro and iVario Pro, can be monitored and controlled remotely with ConnectedCooking. This remote monitoring is a key part of RATIONAL’s maintenance strategy, helping to identify and solve issues before they become too serious.
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