Ex-Pret expert joins Flexeserve team

Flexeserve has welcomed Dirk Wissmann, former foodservice equipment specialist for Pret A Manger, as its Operational Support & Development Manager.

The Home of Hot-holding is delighted to add another unique dimension of experience and expertise to its team of food-to-go hot-holding specialists, with Dirk Wissmann – who was previously the highly accomplished Senior Equipment Manager for Pret A Manger.

Warwick Wakefield, Customer Experience Director of Flexeserve, said: “Here at Flexeserve, we don’t just design and manufacture game-changing equipment, we provide an unrivalled service too. This enables our customers to be the only operators in the world achieving true hot-holding.

“To us, Dirk is a game changer in his own right, with his extensive operational expertise in both food-to-go and hot-holding. He brings a new and invaluable perspective, enhancing that unique service we offer our customers.

“Dirk’s contribution to food-to-go, both in the UK and internationally, cannot be overstated – he was instrumental in advancing the quality and variety of hot food by utilising our unique technology in his previous role. With Flexeserve, he will continue to have a significant and innovative impact as part of our highly experienced team – into which he has already integrated seamlessly. Exciting times ahead!”

The Ex-Pret expert

Prior to his new role at Flexeserve, Dirk had worked at the pioneers of grab and go, Pret A Manger for 23 years. In that time, Dirk progressed from his role within the New Shop Openings team to Senior Equipment Manager and was fundamental in the evolution of Pret’s hot food operation.

Flexeserve has known Dirk for a long time, as he played a major role in Pret adopting Flexeserve Zone for its hot food offer. Pret challenged the industry to hot-hold, and Dirk’s belief in our technology directly led to a more diverse and greater quality food-to-go on the high street and elsewhere. With Flexeserve, they could embrace the next generation of hot-holding.

Dirk said: “I’m really excited to now be a Partner at Flexeserve, having worked in collaboration with them as a customer for many years. I absolutely love the ethos here – not just in their approach to the customers, but their approach to each other too. It’s a dream job with a dream team.”

Enhancing the Solution

To support its world-leading heated displays, Flexeserve offers its customers an all-encompassing service unique within its industry, Flexeserve Solution. This service covers five key elements – product, cook method, packaging, technology and in-store service.

Technology

The first and still the best

We developed our patented, award-winning technology in response to operator needs. It’s the only system in the world capable of true hot-holding.

With Flexeserve hot air recirculation, true convection heat maintains food at optimum quality and temperature. Far more effective and efficient than other methods, it delivers unrivalled hold times that transform your operation.

Food

Putting your products and customers first.

From our Foodservice Innovation Centre and Development Kitchen, we create new products and entire menus that exceed consumer expectations.

Our in-house chefs will evolve your existing range or help you build one from the ground up. We’ll enable you to serve a wider range of incredible food your customers will love – and with us, you can hot-hold for hours, not minutes.

Culinary

Optimising your hot food operation.

We’ll remove the headaches by helping you design, refine and validate your cook programmes, as well as streamline your processes. Our culinary team will also help you cook and hold in larger batches to maximise kitchen efficiency.

Our Development Kitchen is equipped with a wide range of ovens and cooking equipment, so that you can replicate your current operation for absolute accuracy.

Packaging

Creating the right microclimate and more.

Only Flexeserve truly understands packaging microclimates. We’ll help you utilise our hot air to your advantage and serve more amazing food.

With our expertise, and working with a range of manufacturers, we’ll identify the most appropriate packaging for each of your products to improve food quality and appeal, sustainability and shelf life.

Implement

Now it’s time to make it a reality.

We’ll help you optimise both front and back-of-house, improving hot food in the kitchen, at the store and on the doorstep.

Our operational experts’ real-world experience will help you integrate true hot-holding with ease, and advise on accessories to enhance visibility and efficiency. Then, they’ll train your team and help scale up for rollout.

Connect

Maximise the benefits.

Make the most of true hot-holding at every location.

With cloud connectivity, you can control and automate your entire hot-holding estate, see your whole operation like never before and deploy changes that take your hot food to the next level.

Flexeserve found Dirk to be the perfect team member to enhance the in-store element of Flexeserve Solution.

Warwick continued: “His extensive ‘on-the-ground’ experience in hot-holding makes him invaluable and unmatched in his ability to advise our customers on how to advance their hot food operation with our true hot-holding. With Dirk, we’re taking forward our already unparalleled expertise with which we support our customers, as we strive constantly to provide them with the ultimate hot-holding experience.”

Already hard at work

Dirk has been part of the Flexeserve team for a short while, helping customers improve their operational processes. With Flexeserve Zone and Flexeserve Hub, Dirk and the rest of the Flexeserve team are enabling customers to achieve greater quality food-to-go, new levels of efficiency, and a more optimal and profitable hot food operation.

Dirk said: “I’ve been involved already with some incredibly exciting projects, helping customers with a richly diverse range of cuisines to establish how they can incorporate hot-holding into their operation.

“We recently worked with one customer in particular – a large international chain of high-end restaurants, with a focus on expanding its grab-and-go across London and then the UK. They’ve integrated Flexeserve Zone and are now experiencing how the hot-holding operation works – perfecting it, with us alongside them assisting with each element.

“This is such a great example of how we help – and this customer sees Flexeserve, and its innovative technology, as an integral part of their operation.”