Karakuri Signs Jestic as Exclusive UK Sales and Service Partner for /FRYR Automated Fry Lines

London UK: Karakuri, the company revolutionising quick service (QSR) and fast casual restaurants with intelligent robotic kitchen automation, today announced that Jestic Foodservice Solutions will become the exclusive Sales and Service partner for Karakuri’s /FRYR automated fry lines in the UK. Jestic, a leading distributor of foodservice equipment, represents some of the world’s finest and most innovative foodservice equipment manufacturers.

Under this new partnership, Jestic will have exclusive distribution rights for Karakuri’s range of /FRYR automated fry lines in the UK. In addition, Jestic’s Technical Services team will provide nationwide support 364 days a year, ensuring maximum uptime and reliability of Karakuri’s smart kitchen robotics, regardless of the restaurant location.

Barney Wragg, founder and CEO of Karakuri, said; “The team at Jestic provide the gold standard for sales and service for the foodservice industry – they have a strong market presence and a stellar reputation for being a trusted partner who understands the needs of the restaurant and QSR industry. Having them on board as Karakuri’s first Sales & Service partner is a major step forward for our business and we look forward to introducing /FRYR to Jestic’s extensive portfolio of leading restaurant brands.”

Michael Eyre, Product Director, Jestic Foodservice Solutions added; “We pride ourselves on having the solutions to take foodservice operation to the next level. Karakuri has embodied that with their development of the

A new fish n’ chip shop food hut opened at a popular Isle of Wight pub this Easter

/FRYR fry lines. The cutting-edge automation addresses one of the biggest issues we know many of our customers face - how to maintain perfect fried food quality and consistency in the fast-paced environment of QSR kitchens and with high levels of staff turnover.”

Karakuri /FRYR

The /FRYR family of automated fry lines combines Karakuri’s innovative hardware and software to ensure increased throughput, consistency, and quality - from freezer to scoop. These intelligent, high-precision frying solutions combine robotics and real-time data analysis to provide restaurants with optimal fried food production of up to 60kg of french fries per hour. Simultaneously, /FRYR fry lines improve food quality and consistency by ensuring every restaurant’s SOP is adhered to 100% of the time.

Nando’s is the first restaurant brand to trial the / FRYR210, which is the first model in Karakuri’s family of intelligent fry line solutions. /FRYR210 is available today from Jestic, starting at £1,800 per month.

The Folly Inn, Whippingham, which has recently undergone a six-figure refurbishment, launched the Folly Fish n’ Chip shop on Good Friday (April 7)

As well as traditional fish and chips, staff are also be dishing up battered halloumi, kids nuggets and ample sides, including mushy peas and curry sauce. The new hut is based in the outdoor garden of the Greene King pub.

Alongside the al fresco experience, a full service outdoor bar has also been added.

This offers a range of draught lagers, ciders, spirits, and craft ales including Greene King’s own ‘Icebreaker’.

Saoirse Doolan, General Manager of The Folly Inn, said: “As it’s tradition to eat a fish and chip supper on Good

Friday, what better day to have launched our new garden hut.

“This opens up even more spaces for guests to dine with us in our newly transformed garden and will give people the full seaside experience.

“The Fish and Chip Shop is something unique to our offering and we’re excited to welcome new and returning customers to give it a try.”

To celebrate the launch, the pub hosted Easter activities for the whole family, including a charity Easter egg hunt event and live music across the weekend.

“Over half of consumers expect a food-to-go outlet to provide cutlery, while over a third expect to be able to reuse reusable cutlery more than 10 times.”

A survey by Sapio Research, conducted on behalf of Celebration Packaging, has looked at consumer understanding of the bans on single-use plastic packaging, the alternative materials available and expectations around reusables.

Single-use cutlery bans

Bans on the sale of single-use packaging, including cutlery, are already in place in Scotland and Northern Ireland and will be introduced in England and Wales in October 2023.

“As a long-established packaging supplier and with bans on single-use items such as cutlery either in place or coming soon, we were keen to discover consumer views and the potential impact on food-to-go operators,” says Celebration Packaging Managing Director Nick Burton. “Here we look at the provision of cutlery in takeaways and at consumer expectations around reusables.”

Eating out – without single use cutlery

Faced with a ban on single-use plastic cutlery, the survey showed that more than half (53%) of consumers still expect a food outlet or takeaway to provide cutlery for them, while 46% said they were happy to carry their own cutlery for consuming food-on-the-go.

In place of single use plastic cutlery, more than half of consumers would prefer reusable bamboo (54%) or metal (53%) cutlery.

“The fact that more than 50% of people expect cutlery to be provided suggests that there is going to be an ongoing demand for single-use cutlery in some form. So, with the ban on single-use plastic, we need to offer the best recyclable or compostable alternatives, or be able to supply viable reusable options,” says Nick Burton. “Celebration Packaging supplies a range of alternative cutlery options, from wood and bamboo, to moulded fibre (bagasse) and paper.”

Expectations around reusables

When asked: ‘Roughly how many times would you expect to be able to reuse a reusable item, such as cutlery’, half (50%) said they expected reusable items to be able to be used up to 10 times, while over one fifth (23%) expected to be able to reuse an item more than 50 times.

“While people might expect a reuse rate of between x10 to x50, there is currently no agreed definition as to how many times cutlery – or packaging of any type – must be used to justify calling it reusable,” says Nick Burton.

“It is important to deliver on consumer expectations on reusables, and ensure they have the longest possible life. Ever since we launched our EnviroWare® brand, over 14 years ago, we have sought out the most durable and sustainable options.”

Continued demand for single-use solutions

“The survey shows that 53% of consumers expect a foodto-go outlet to provide cutlery, while 51% of consumers never, or rarely use reusable cutlery for eating on the go. It is therefore clear that takeaways are still going to have a requirement for single-use cutlery of some kind, despite the bans,” concluded Nick Burton.

“As a consultative business with many years’ experience in the sector, Celebration Packaging can help outlets choose the most appropriate solutions which best match their business. In our next review of the outcomes of this survey, we will look at material options and the levels of consumer understanding around sustainability and end of life options.” www.celebration.co.uk/enviroware/products/