THE 50,000th combi oven goes to food recovery
A Retigo anniversary steam combi oven was ceremonially bestowed on the Food Bank in Prague. It will help them save up to 2000 tons of food every year that would otherwise go to landfill. It was assembled by an employee named Libor, who was involved in making the very first combi oven when Retigo began.
The Food Bank is involved in a lot of activities. It holds cooking classes for single mothers, and teaches them to forego prepared items and cook healthier using fruit and vegetables — and especially how not to waste food. It is also involved in processing surplus food. For example, as part of its “Cook, Don’t Waste!” project, it makes a jam-like spread from vegetables that would otherwise be thrown away.
They need a combi oven especially for preparing and distributing food to the needy, to seniors, to the disabled and to shelters. The menu usually consists of soup, a main course, and a dessert or salad. Every day, about 80 meals are prepared, and that calls for truly professional equipment. All the more, because their old combi oven was in a very pitiful state. That news happened to reach Retigo, where the decision was made on the spot. The 50,000th combi oven would go to a good cause. The appliance would be transported to Prague and ceremonially handed over to the Food Bank. The serial number was the icing on the cake.
“I’m proud of results like this. It’s an amazing number, and it represents a lot of work by the whole team. I believe we’ll continue the pace and set ourselves to producing another 50,000. Moreover, we couldn’t have found a better place for this special unit. It will contribute to sustainable development and benefits a good cause,” says Mr Pavelka, managing director of Retigo s.r.o.
“For us, it’s a huge help and will fundamentally ease and speed preparation of meals for all our clients. We also appreciate that the company chose us and that the combi oven will help those in need,” added Věra Doušová, director of the Food Bank for Prague and the Central Bohemian region.
On the day the combi oven was handed over, actresses Ester Janečková and Lejla Abbasová and soprano Markéta Fassati graced the event with their presence. All three wished the project many years of successful food rescue. Everyone was excited about Jarda Ježkomat, as the combi oven came to be named. The employees especially appreciate the simple, intuitive pictogram display for easy operation. They couldn’t wait for the first run. They didn’t realize yet that they can also control the appliance remotely over the Internet through the Retigo Combionline® system.
See more in our photogallery.