CATERING EQUIPMENT SALES LIMITED

What CATERING EQUIPMENT SALES LIMITED does

Catering Equipment Sales Limited (CES) is a UK-based commercial catering equipment service provider founded in 1974 and headquartered in Altrincham. The company supplies, installs, designs, and maintains commercial kitchen equipment for hospitality and institutional operators across the North West of England, North and Mid Wales, and the Midlands-to-Lake District corridor. Its customer base spans independent pubs and restaurants, restaurant groups, hotels, event venues, local councils, and manufacturers. The company is a private limited entity (Companies House number 06277819) operating with 1-10 employees.

CES delivers its services through field-based engineers who carry 150+ spare parts to support a stated 48-hour response target, backed by a 24/7 emergency line. The business holds authorized warranty repair status for five OEMs — Lincat, Hobart, Smeg, Classeq, and Electrolux — which provides a recurring warranty-work revenue stream. Technical staff are described as having 50+ years of combined experience spanning chef, design, and engineering roles.

Revenue is generated through five streams: recurring service contracts (Basic £150/month, Standard £315/month, Premium £550/month with parts cover up to 55% of equipment value), one-off kitchen services (from £495), emergency call-outs (£110 local, £185 extended area), equipment supply, and full kitchen design-and-installation projects. The company markets predominantly via direct phone (0345 474 4740), its website (cateringequipmentsales.co.uk), and word-of-mouth referrals, targeting SMB hospitality operators rather than large national accounts.

Name

CATERING EQUIPMENT SALES LIMITED

Legal name

Catering Equipment Sales Ltd

Website

https://cateringequipmentsales.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Catering Equipment Sales Limited is a UK-based commercial catering equipment service provider, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Altrincham, offering emergency repairs, maintenance contracts, kitchen design, installation, and equipment supply to hospitality and institutional clients across the North West, Wales, and Midlands-to-Lakes regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Catering Equipment Services

NAICS

Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423740), Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance (811310)

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro primary industry

Restaurant & Commercial Kitchen Equipment Wholesale (AFAIALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial Cooking Equipment & Parts Wholesale (AFAIALAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial catering equipment
• Kitchen equipment repair
• Commercial kitchen maintenance
• Kitchen design installation
• Catering equipment service

Headquarters

HQ city

Altrincham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Service Contracts: Annual maintenance contracts offered in three tiers (Basic £150/month, Standard £315, Premium £550) providing scheduled maintenance, gas safety certificates, and parts coverage up to 55% of equipment value.
2. Emergency Repairs: On-demand emergency call-out services with Area 1 (local) at £110 and Area 2 (extended) at £185. Revenue generated per visit with first hour included and no return fee if parts need ordering.
3. One-Off Services: Single service visits for kitchens from £495.00 including full service, deep clean, and gas safety certificate for customers without ongoing contracts.
4. Kitchen Design and Installation: Complete kitchen solutions from concept to completion including design, project management, equipment supply, and professional installation with full gas and electrical certification.
5. Equipment Supply: Supply of commercial catering equipment through supplier relationships, with new equipment fitted within 48 hours at competitive pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Commercial catering equipment supply, kitchen design, installation, repairs, and maintenance services for hospitality businesses. The company provides end-to-end solutions including emergency call-out repairs, planned maintenance contracts (Basic, Standard, Premium tiers), complete kitchen design and project management, and supply of commercial equipment from leading manufacturers such as Lincat, Hobart, Smeg, Classeq, and Electrolux.

Product overview

Catering Equipment Sales and Repairs is a service-focused company offering commercial catering equipment solutions rather than a unified software product. The core offerings comprise four interconnected service lines: Installations & Design (kitchen design and project management), Emergency Call Out (rapid repair services), Service Contracts (annual maintenance plans in Basic, Standard, and Premium tiers), and Equipment Supply. The company also offers a One-Off Service option for single-service needs. These services are delivered by engineers carrying 150+ spare parts and cover all major equipment types including gas cooking, electric, ware washing, refrigeration, beverage, and food prep equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Installations & Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment fitted within 48 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LincatcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized warranty repair agents for Lincat commercial catering equipment. Provides official status for warranty repairs ensuring quality parts and workmanship.
• HobartcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized warranty repair agents for Hobart commercial catering equipment including ware washing and cooking equipment.
• SmegcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized warranty repair agents for Smeg commercial catering equipment providing official service status.
• ClasseqcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized warranty repair agents for Classeq commercial catering equipment.
• ElectroluxcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized warranty repair agents for Electrolux commercial catering equipment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Castle Food Machinery: UK supplier and service provider of commercial catering equipment including cooking, refrigeration and warewashing. Directly comparable to Catering Equipment Sales as a similarly-positioned independent catering equipment business with supply, repair and maintenance offerings to hospitality end-customers.
• Premier Catering Equipment: UK-based commercial catering equipment supplier and service provider offering equipment sales, installation and maintenance to hospitality operators. Directly comparable to Catering Equipment Sales as a similarly-positioned independent catering equipment service business targeting restaurants, pubs and institutions.
• Alliance Foodservice Equipment Services: UK commercial catering equipment services business offering equipment supply, repair and maintenance to hospitality operators. Directly comparable to Catering Equipment Sales as a similarly-sized independent service provider serving restaurants and pubs across UK regions.

Broad incumbents

• Nisbets: The UK's largest commercial catering equipment supplier, offering an extensive catalogue of equipment, supplies and a service network across the country. Comparable to Catering Equipment Sales as a competitor in the commercial catering equipment channel, though far broader in product range and national scale.
• Lockhart Catering Equipment: National UK distributor of commercial catering equipment and supplies with a multi-brand portfolio. Comparable to CES in serving the same hospitality customer base with kitchen equipment and supply solutions, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Others

• Bidvest Foodservice: Major UK foodservice distributor serving hospitality operators. Comparable to CES only in that both serve UK commercial kitchen operators; Bidvest is a foodservice (ingredient) distributor, so the relationship is thematic — shared customer base rather than direct equipment competition.
• Brakes Group: One of the UK's largest foodservice distribution businesses serving restaurants, pubs and institutions. Comparable to CES only at the level of shared end-customers (commercial kitchens); Brakes is a foodservice distributor, not equipment-focused, so the overlap is thematic rather than direct competition.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catering-equipment-sales-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CATERING EQUIPMENT SALES LIMITED