Theo Paphitis, Entrepreneur and former Dragons’ Den star believes the pandemic has fast-forwarded business by five years according to an interview with the BBC back in May 2020.

Change that previously may have taken 2-3 years minimum to implement was achieved in weeks. Cloud based services have enabled sectors such as education to rapidly switch from physical to virtual learning. Other businesses have adapted by switching their focus from car manufacturers making ventilators to fashion houses making PPE.

Online shopping has increased the fortunes of e-commerce businesses and been increased by those who would have never attempted it previously. Zoom (or Teams, whichever your preferred flavour) has enabled business meetings to be conducted quickly and efficiently without the hassle of travel or take the time it used to involve.

This obviously all has an impact on businesses that relied on these traditional ways of life as we knew them. Retail will never be the same, also echoed by Theo Paphitis, travel, whether by car, rail or air have all been affected and unlikely to ever revert to exactly the way things were. Offices aren’t quite as critical as they once seemed, that evening out at a restaurant now being thought about as not quite as appealing maybe?

The world evolves and unfortunately, there will be those who suffer as a result, but there is nothing that can be done to revert to the way things were.

At Machinery World, like most businesses, the last six months have been challenging, but we continue to operate as normally as possible. We’re still taking plenty of orders and although we’re not an e-commerce business, we’re fully utilising our website and social media channels, ensuring we take even more videos and post these on-line to showcase our machinery.

We continue to ship orders worldwide with a recent factory installation in Barbados, along with further business conducted face to face in Turkey and Ireland recently.

If you would like any advice on purchasing machinery, have machinery to sell or need machinery servicing or repairing, please get in touch through the normal channels and we’ll be more than happy to assist.

Founded in the 1930’s by the Hartley family, the traditional Cumbrian ice cream parlour was a second home to Les Richardson who, as a schoolboy, would give Mr Hartley a hand odd-jobbing, before taking a full-time position in the iron ore mine.  In the 1980’s, he returned to his early years’ passion, buying first a half share and then the whole Hartley’s Ice Cream business.  

Son Mark followed in his father’s footsteps, helping out in his youth before pursuing a career at the local nuclear plant.  He returned to the business in 1990 and, in 1995, he met and traded with Paul Crowter, to buy his first ever homogeniser – and Paul’s first ever sale.

Paul had followed a similar career pattern to me, having returned to work with his dad in the ice cream business after many years in the fire service, Mark remembers, and we hit it off straight away.  He had such a passion for the ice cream industry and convinced me that the APV Gaulin K3 homogeniser would change my life – and he was right!  It was a complete eye-opener from our point of view – it did its job so well and, thanks to the excellent servicing, it never went wrong.

Mark and Paul have continued to meet and talk machines over the past 25 years at trade exhibitions, so when the time came for Mark to upgrade, he went straight to Paul and the ROKK range.

I had absolutely no hesitation in going to Paul and the Machinery World team,” continues Mark.  “I can’t think of anyone who knows more about the ice cream business.  They understand their customers’ equipment needs so well – possibly better than we do – and will recommend the perfect machine for each operator.  Combine this with the fantastic workmanship of the ROKK machinery and the brilliant aftercare service from the backroom staff: I just wouldn’t contemplate going elsewhere.

Mark invested in a brand new ROKK Series 3 Homogeniser and is absolutely delighted with the quality, durability and ease of use of his new purchase.

The ROKK is really quick to learn once you’ve had the initial training from the MW engineers – and so much more efficient,” says Mark.  “We have reduced production time by a third and significantly increased the smoothness and texture of our ice cream.  I couldn’t be more delighted with my new addition, and hope to add a ROKK pasteuriser and ROKK RFE continuous freezer to the stable in due course.

And what of the old K3? It’s still in perfect working order and carefully stored at MW HQ in Wolvey, after Paul bought it back from Mark as a nostalgic reminder that you should always fully understand your customers’ business so that you can recommend the perfect machine for their needs every time!

In today’s brave new world of buying local and staycationing, it’s good to know you can make the finest gelato in a continuous gelato / ice cream freezer by ROKK, a 100% British company, without having to compromise on quality or value – and as the customers of North Wales based Red Boat Gelato will testify, you simply close your eyes, open your taste buds – and you’re in an Italian piazza.

Having trained in Bologna under some of the finest gelato chefs, Tony Green brought his expertise and passion for reinventing the world’s favourite puddings as gelato creations to Anglesey in 2010.  The opening of his first outlet in Beaumaris was soon followed by an additional four outlets and a rising growth in B2B orders. Last year he took an industrial unit and has now bought a ROKK RFE400 continuous freezer so that he could produce the same quality gelato in small pot and tub format to satisfy growing customer demand.

“The taste and texture of gelato is of paramount importance to me”, says Tony “and I never compromise on quality, using the finest ingredients, our unique recipes and, of course, the best possible equipment. With the growth of my B2B trade, I needed to source a machine which had the versatility to fill both individual and larger pots with perfect gelato, matching, or even bettering, the texture and consistency of our existing Artisan made product.”

“Having known Phil Darvell from ROKK Processing for over a decade, I asked him for suggestions – and ultimately selected the ROKK RFE continuous freezer.  One of the reasons for my choice is the ability to fill the small pots direct from the machine – so no more spatulas and up to your elbows in mix!”

The ROKK RFE continuous freezer series has a unique Veloce-freeze barrel technology system, boasting market-leading energy transfer which enables super-efficient cooling and freezing of the mix.  The ‘Veloce’ – or ‘Fast’ in English – system has been developed in-house by the engineering team, who have extensive experience in freezer technology.  Launched in 2012, the technology has been tried and tested in the UK marketplace with 87 machines built to date and many more all over the world.

“Our ROKK freezer is easy to use and extremely versatile,” continues Tony. “The design is simple, yet highly practical, which means it does everything we need it to do, but there are fewer things that can go wrong.  We use the manual set-up, but the machine has the capacity to go fully automated if we choose.  Most importantly, the freeze barrel technology ensures that the quality of the product is excellent, producing the highest quality and consistency of gelato mix each and every time we use it.”

Red Boat have received very positive feedback from both B2B and retail customers, and anticipate a further expansion of the pot range over the coming months to meet the demand for higher quality treats that can be shared at home.  

So, as we cautiously emerge into the summer months, customers will be guaranteed a delicious taste of Italy in the comfort of their own homes:

Merf: “My Red Boat Party Box arrived! Yum! 🍧
Ordered online and delivered. Great service and delicious Ice Cream. 😋”

Carol: “Delicious ice cream, some of the best I’d ever tasted – rivalled that sold in Italy!”

We are pleased to announce we are now authorised distributors of HST Krones homiogenizers.

Leaders in homogenizer technology

HST Krones are leaders in homogenisation technology. Backed up by many years of experience, the HST team has an exceptional level of professional knowledge and expertise in the engineering, production, service and sales of high-pressure homogenizers.

HST Krones have a long history in homogenization technology.

• In 1898, Wilhelm G. Schröder built his first high-pressure homogenizer for Eismix in the north German city of Lübeck.
• In 1900, the technology was exhibited at the World’s Fair in Paris.
• In 1965, the world’s leading manufacturer of homogenizers Manton Gaulin USA acquired the Lübeck-based company.
• The company relocated to Denmark at the end of the 1990’s. Former employees of APV-Gaulin subsequently founded HST (HST = Homogenizer Service Technology) on the outskirts of Lübeck.

Engineering development and enhancement of the homogenizers has been ongoing for nearly 17 years. Production takes place in Dassow. In response to increased demand, the company has constructed a new office building and new production facilities.

See all of our UK Agency brands here

Turnkey stainless steel tanks for dairy, food and chemical process solutions

Specially designed plant in various diameters for customers requiring bespoke solutions.

We are pleased to announce we are now authorised distributors of Endülüs Krom stainless steel tanks.

Famous throughout the world for the manufacturing of high-quality food and dairy tanks.

Applications for stainlees steel tanks include:

• Storage
• Mixer
• Insulated
• Heating/cooling
• Filtrations
• On vehicle
• Turnkey food
• Chemical
• Automotive

See all of our UK Agency brands here

Who says you can’t make the best quality ice cream in the country using a continuous freezer? Certainly not David Equi, of Equi’s Ice Cream, who has claimed both the company’s 3rd National Ice Cream Champion of Champions award and the Best of Vanilla award at the 2020 ICA National Ice Cream Competition – for product made on his ROKK RFE600 continuous freezer.

David, who bought his ROKK five years ago, is also the current reigning champion of the Scottish awards, and puts the success of their family-run business down to passion and a refusal to compromise – on anything:

“The first thing I was taught to do was to make ice cream and my ambition was always to win awards,” says David.  

“Equi’s was started by my great grandfather, Pietro, in 1914, through home-sickness for the great ice cream of Italy and we have carried his legacy through the generations.  We treasure all of the awards we have received over the years, but these are the ultimate accolade, as they are judged by experts and our peers.

“At Equi’s, we are always trying to make things better. We source only the best ingredients for our ice cream, made using the best equipment, that’s supported by a really strong service and maintenance programme.  

“Whilst we do use batch machines as well, I find I get the highest possible quality product with my ROKK continuous freezer because it freezes instantly and produces consistently smooth ice cream throughout the run.

“Setting the machine up right is the most critical first step and the ROKK is both sophisticated enough to allow me to adjust it to my specific needs, but also not overly complicated.  When you combine this with the high level of expertise and customer service provided by Machinery World, it leaves me free to concentrate on the all-important sourcing and combining of the finest ingredients.”

David is joined on the winner’s rostrum by Luciano Di Meo of Di Meo’s Ice Cream, Whitley Bay, also a family-run business, and now in their fifth generation of supplying locals with the best Gelato and Pizzas in the area.  Luciano won the Best Flavour Award for his delicious Pistachio Crunch, which was made using his Cattabriga Multifreeze Pro 18, bought from Machinery World just last year.

Following a fact finding trip to the Cattabriga factory in Bologna in 2017, and an introduction to the Cattabriga Multifreeze Pro 18 at the Longarone ice cream show in Italy the following year, Luciano and his father were later introduced to the UK agents for Cattabriga, Machinery World, at the Harrogate Expo in 2019 – and bought their new machine on the spot. 

“When in Italy we were impressed with the passion and expertise of the senior technicians at the factory – and all this know-how and enthusiasm has been poured into the machine design,” says Luciano.  “It is built by – and for – ice cream perfectionists: it is so flexible, producing batches from 3 litres to 18 litres, is belt driven, which is essential in my view, and has a metal blade option, for superior mixing.  I can also design my own programmes, which means I have full control of how each and every batch feels and tastes.”

It is this hands-on and passionate approach which has not only won the Di Meo family their latest in a long list of awards, but also given them confidence in the after sales support offered by Machinery World’s technicians:

“The Machinery World team know I like getting my hands dirty,” says Luciano, “so it’s reassuring to know that if I should ever need to fix the machine, they can offer advice over the phone and source most parts immediately, which will reduce both costs and downtime.”  

The service, sales and support teams at Machinery World, another family-run business, are delighted with the competition results:

“We would like to offer our sincere congratulations to not only David and Luciano for their tremendous accolades, but also to the many other Machinery World customers who made it onto this year’s honours list,” says Paul Crowter, Managing Director of Machinery World. 

“We are immensely proud to have supplied both the machines and on-going servicing support to the country’s official top ice cream producers.  We look forward to continuing to support them and our many other customers – and who knows, maybe next year will be another clean sweep for Machinery World clients!”

READ THE FULL ICA ARTICLE HERE

ROKK alongside Machinery World will be exhibiting at The Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show,11^th -13^th February 2020 at the Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate – and we would love to see you there.

In addition to seeing all our latest products you could win £250!

Visitor registration is now open – and the show organiser, the Ice Cream Alliance, is offering one lucky visitor the chance to win a £250 cash prize. To enter, register your details at www.ice-cream.org (follow the links), correctly answer the question AND attend the Show on one of the three days it is open – it is free to all the trade.  The lucky winner will be announced by 29^th February 2020.

There will be plenty to interest all sectors of the ice cream industry – food retailers, ice cream parlours, cafés, restaurants, hotels and pubs, manufacturers, and mobilers.

We have been organising The Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show for 70 years, comments the Ice Cream Alliance CEO Zelica Carr.

This year we really do have a range of new and exciting exhibitors from both the UK and abroad. It promises to be a feast of new and creative ideas which should give our industry a fantastic start to 2020.

The UK ice cream sector is booming. It is now worth over £1.4 billion per year and is still growing. The number of Ice Cream Parlours alone are increasing by 20% per year – and are one of the few growth sectors on the UK High Street.

We may think that people don’t like eating ice cream in the winter months or at Christmas, however we all love to have ice cream as an accompaniment to our Christmas Pudding or Mince Pies and now there are some amazing ice creams flavours that can be eaten on their own or with another dessert.

So if you thought ice cream was strictly for summer, think again, our creative ice cream makers from across the UK are creating delicious and indulgent ice cream with seasonal twists, giving your normal Christmas desserts a run for their money.

Without a doubt, rich, creamy, smooth ice cream is a wonderful thing to have as a dessert in even the coldest weather and is a must at Christmas time and if you want some inspiration or to try something new then this Christmas Cake Ice Cream recipe is for you.

Christmas Cake Ice Cream Recipe

If you make a Christmas cake every year then you will have started your mixture and the soaking of your fruits about now. It takes forever, however, a lot of people still love the process of making a Christmas Cake each year. Once you’ve made your Christmas Cake you then have the job of icing it and making it look pretty. Did you know there is a Christmas Cake Ice cream that takes away all the preparation time and hours of hard work of making an actual Christmas Cake and you can whip it together in just over an hour? The Christmas Cake Ice Cream gives you the delicious taste of a Christmas Cake in a cool, smooth, sweet creamy texture. Try it on its own or as an accompaniment to another dessert, you never know it may become your favourite flavour and not just at Christmas.

Ingredients

375ml whole milk
100g soft brown light sugar
3 egg yolks
185ml heavy whipping cream (36% fat)
1tbsp brandy
175g Christmas cake, diced

Method

1. Combine the milk and half the sugar in a (not aluminium) pan and bring to just below boiling point. Remove from the heat, cover and leave aside. In a heatproof bowl, combine the yolks with the remaining sugar and beat until pale and thick. Bring the milk back to boiling point, then pour it slowly in a thin stream on to the egg yolks and sugar, whisking steadily as you go.
2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir frequently using a non-metallic spoon. As it heats over the water, the custard will thicken. This can take anything from 5-30 minutes. On no account let it overheat or boil as it will curdle.
3. As soon as the custard has thickened sufficiently, remove the pan from the heat and plunge the base into a few inches of cold water. Leave to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge. When it is cold, stir the chilled cream into the custard and add the brandy.
4. To still-freeze, pour into a strong polypropylene container and cover and put in the freezer. Check after about an hour that the mixture has a firm ring of ice around the sides and base and a soft slush in the centre. Then either beat for a few seconds with a hand beater or quickly process in a food processor until it has formed a uniform slush, and return back to the freezer. Repeat this process at least twice at intervals of 60-90 minutes. After the third beating, the ice will need freezing for a further 30-60 minutes.
5. When it’s ready, sprinkle on the diced cake and stir or churn briefly to ensure even distribution. Serve within 1 hour if frozen solid; allow 30 minutes in the fridge to soften sufficiently before serving.

(Ingredients and Recipe sourced from the Independent)

Machinery World are now the exclusive UK distributors for Uzermak dairy processing machinery.

Uzermak was founded 20 years ago in Izmir, Turkey and is one of the leading machine manufacturers for processing machinery and production lines.

Main products include; Process cheese machinery, kashkaval & mozzarella processing lines, pasta filata processing lines, cream cheese processing machines, mayonnaise & ketchup processing machines, cheese vats, filter drums, cooker & cooler & mixer machines, feta cut mechanical homogenisers, moulding machines, stretching machines, trolleys, centrifugal pumps, lobe pumps, curd feeding conveyors & filters, falling film evaporators, storage tanks, cip tank & units, cooking vats and perforated vats.

See all of our new Uzermak dairy processing machinery here