Foodservice Footprint Award

PKL eKitchen Wins Sustainable Installation Award

PKL Group won a major national award, recognising its continued commitment to the environment. The Foodservice Footprint Awards recognise those businesses that are dedicated to sustainability and environmental excellence in the foodservice industry.

PKL won the Best Sustainable Foodservice Installation Award in 2012 for its eKitchens fleet of energy efficient temporary kitchen units.

The winning entry was described by judges as "amazing, innovative work" and saw off competition from Space Catering Equipment and Biffa.

Chris Irving, Managing Director at PKL said: "We're delighted to have been recognised at a national level for the work we've been carrying out to reduce the impact on the planet of our own business and that of our customers. The innovation and hard work of our staff was a key factor in securing this highly prestigious and nationally recognised award. We are proud of what we have achieved and of all our staff, without whom it wouldn't have happened."

PKL is acutely conscious of the need to reduce energy consumption and increase efficiency across the performance of its fleet in order to keep customer running costs down. This led in 2011 to the decision to improve the energy efficiency of its existing portable kitchen fleet. The project was taken up by PKL's highly skilled team of engineers who worked together to devise ways to improve the energy footprint of the PKL fleet.

As a result, PKL launched the new eKitchen in March 2012. All new units are now built to this specification and there are also plans to upgrade a number of existing units in the fleet as they come back for refurbishment over the next 12 months.

Lee Vines, Sales and Marketing Director at PKL says: "We're aware that these days it is important for us to enable our customers to reduce their energy usage and costs. With all the upgrades made to our eKitchens as well as the renewal of our IS014001 accreditation in December last year, we are hoping to show just how seriously we take our environmental responsibilities. The eKitchen can save over £350 per year in electricity alone when compared with our standard facilities."