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Meet the Buyer Innovation Pitch Winners Announced at HRC 2026
HRC 2026 has announced the winners of its Meet the Buyer Innovation Pitch, recognising a selection of suppliers whose products and solutions demonstrated exceptional value for the hospitality and foodservice sector.
As part of the Meet the Buyer programme, a panel of foodservice experts chaired by Radford Chancellor of Macintosh Foodservice Consultants reviewed a range of products and solutions presented by participating companies. Each pitch was assessed against four key criteria: innovation, practicality, operational value, and market relevance. Following the presentations and panel discussions, three companies were recognised for their outstanding contributions in their respective categories.
In the Best Practical Solution category, Valentine & Cuisinequip were recognised for the VITO Oil Filter system, a solution designed to support professional kitchens in extending the life of frying oil, maintaining consistent frying quality, and reducing both operating costs and waste. The judging panel highlighted the product’s clear operational benefits and its immediate practicality for busy kitchen environments.
Cossiga received the award for Best Design with Adaptability, reflecting the strength of its product design and its suitability for modern foodservice environments. The panel noted the balance between visual presentation, functionality, and flexibility across a range of retail and hospitality settings, identifying the solution as particularly well aligned with grab-and-go and display-led food concepts.
In the category of Innovation in Food Holding Technology, Unox UK was recognised for the EVEREO® Hot Fridge and MULTI.Day Hot Vacuum system. The panel acknowledged the company’s continued innovation in hot food preservation, with technology that enables kitchens to hold food safely at service temperature for extended periods while maintaining quality and consistency. Judges also recognised the wider potential impact of the solution on workflow efficiency and food production planning.
Commenting on the standard of entries, Radford Chancellor, Chair of the Meet the Buyer Innovation Pitch panel at HRC 2026 and founder of Macintosh Foodservice
Consultants, said:
“The quality of this year’s presentations reflected the pace of innovation taking place across the hospitality and foodservice sector. What stood out to the panel was not only originality, but the extent to which these solutions addressed genuine operational needs for today’s kitchens and foodservice environments. Each of the recognised companies demonstrated a clear understanding of the market and delivered ideas with real practical value.”
The Meet the Buyer Innovation Pitch formed part of HRC 2026’s wider commitment to showcasing practical innovation and forward-thinking solutions for the hospitality and
foodservice industry. Led by Radford Chancellor and supported by the sector insight of Macintosh Foodservice Consultants, the programme brought suppliers together
with expert buyers and decision-makers to highlight products capable of delivering measurable value across kitchen operations, food presentation, and service performance.
For more information on HRC 2026 and the Meet the Buyer programme, please contact
the event organisers or visit the official HRC channels.
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