Campbell’s Eurospar Boosts Production and Consistency with RATIONAL

Campbell’s Eurospar in Banbridge, Northern Ireland has strengthened its fresh food offering through investment in Rational’s iCombi Pro and iVario cooking systems, helping the family-run retailer increase production capacity, improve consistency and support continued sales growth.

Owned by Brian Campbell and led in the kitchen by Head Chef Paul Frazer, the business has built a reputation for producing fresh meals on-site, with more than 200 heat-and-eat products available to customers.

“We can hand on heart, say that anything that you’re eating in the shop is coming in raw. It’s been made here from scratch. It’s been sold here,” says Campbell.

As demand for the retailer’s prepared meal range grew, the business invested in a larger production kitchen and Rational cooking systems to support future growth. Today, the operation produces close to 10,000 products, alongside supplying its hot food counter and sandwich bar.

Frazer says the iCombi Pro has simplified production and improved consistency across the range. “The iCombi Pro, what I really like about it is the technology. It’s made life easier for my staff,” he comments. “Consistency is key. You’re not going to come back if you get a burnt croissant, you know? This makes it foolproof. Put it in, push the button. Perfect.”

The Rational iVario Pro has also delivered significant efficiency gains. Replacing traditional six-ring cookers, it has dramatically reduced cooking times for dishes such as soups, sauces and stews.

“Now we can make, 25 litres of stew in 45 minutes, whereas before it took us four hours. So, the difference between what we had and what we have now is night and day,” says Frazer. He adds: “Every single cook you do, you get the same quality and the same consistency with every dish. And that’s what we need here.”

For Campbell, the results are reflected in both productivity and sales performance. “Without a doubt. Our production has gone up, our sales have gone up, and our wage bill has basically stayed the same,” he says. “Our sales have tripled in six years.”

“We’ve now become a destination shop for these meals,” Campbell concludes.

Readers are invited to view the Campbell‘s Eurospar story on RATIONAL TV accessed at:
Campbells Eurospar – iCombi – iCombi Kitchen Stories | Our customers. Their stories – RATIONAL TV
Campbells Eurospar – iVario – iVario Kitchen Stories | Our customers. Their stories – RATIONAL TV
Experience the iCombi and iVario live at a free product demo near you: https://www.rational-online.com/en_gb/see-for-yourself/rational-live-events/