“Being in ENSE opens up doors which you could have been knocking on for years and getting nowhere.”
This quote from Andy Ward, Area Sales Manager at Williams Refrigeration, sums up what makes ENSE so special and why now is the time to join if you’re in the foodservice equipment industry.
When you become part of ENSE, the UK’s premier foodservice equipment buying consortium, a few things happen.
Barriers to growth are lowered. You work with people you couldn’t have before joining, you notice an uplift in pipeline and revenue, and you get to know people on both a professional and personal level, solidifying relationships for years to come.
Here are the key takeaways from the 2026 ENSE Partnership Summit & Awards:
- Hundreds of leading suppliers and distributors from the foodservice equipment industry gathered under one roof.
- Suppliers and distributors had more high-quality conversations in three days than they could feasibly fit into their calendar in an entire year.
- People formed relationships with other people they didn’t know — and opened up commercial opportunities they didn’t know existed — prior to our event.
- People consolidated existing relationships, paving the way for further business opportunities.
- One member revealed that they’d seen 4.5x revenue growth since their company joined ENSE.
- Members were celebrated for the incredible work they are doing to shape the future of the industry, with 13 winners in total.
- There was an exciting atmosphere before, during, and after the awards, with members getting to know each other on both a personal and professional level.
- Everyone is moving together in the same direction and embracing the ever-changing landscape through AI, technological advancements, and the emergence of new talent.
Below is a full recap.
What happened at the 2026 ENSE Partnership Summit & Awards?
We used this year’s event as an opportunity to welcome several new companies to our group, and over 300 people were in attendance.
This huge number is a testament to the ongoing commitment of our members and the community we’ve cultivated over the years.
Our sponsors were as follows:
Blue Seal
Convotherm
EAIS (East Anglian Installation Systems)
Mechline
Panasonic
Sammic
UNOX
Here’s a day-by-day breakdown of the event.
Day One
The event opened with an afternoon meeting for ENSE’s distributors. This meeting focused on many different topics, including:
- The growth within the group.
- The new additions to ENSE and what they bring to the table.
- The brilliant work being done by ENSE’s distributors and suppliers.
- The commercial opportunities which exist in the future.
- The value of our webinars and social media content in enabling members to bring their products and services to market.
There was then a welcome dinner for all ENSE members in the evening, allowing people to let their hair down and get familiar with each other ahead of Day Two.
Day Two
This kicked off with a series of ten-minute table rotations.
These rotations allow distributors to get in front of suppliers they wouldn’t normally get a chance to speak with and enable suppliers to review existing commercial relationships and explore further growth opportunities.
We also spoke to members about the bottom-line benefits they’d seen since joining ENSE.
Jeremy Crown, National Account Manager UK at Cambro Manufacturing, revealed that, since the company had joined ENSE, its turnover has grown by 350% in five years from working with our distributors.
This figure alone shows the doors that our members have opened and the long-term commercial relationships they’ve formed from being in ENSE.
By 7:30pm, it was time for the gala dinner and awards.
Our compere for the evening was Pierre Novellie, an acclaimed stand-up comedian, writer, radio host, and podcaster.
Attendees were treated to a three-course meal and wine, and once the dinner was over, it was time to announce our esteemed award winners.
These awards are given on a factual basis and voted on by our community, demonstrating the meritocracy within our group.
There was a real sense of togetherness and camaraderie in the room, which epitomises the family feel that runs throughout ENSE.
Day Three
The third and final day saw the last of the table rotations.
There was laughter, handshakes, and engaging conversations aplenty as the 2026 ENSE Partnership Summit & Awards drew to a close.
Attendees gathered for one final lunch and within a couple of hours, the tables were packed up and everyone had begun to make their way home.
By the time everyone got home and reflected on those three days, in which the industry’s best and brightest were temporarily all together under the same roof, they knew what being in ENSE is all about. Collaboration, commitment, and community.
A word from ENSE’s directors
Bob Adams, Managing Director
“What a busy three days. Everybody had a great time. I’ve heard so much about the business that our different members are either doing with each other or will be doing with each other. It’s so gratifying whenever I hear this.
We’re so proud of our community, which continues to amaze us every single year. It was a fantastic event, and I can’t wait to see everyone again in 2027.”
Ben Sherriff, Business Development Director
“Bob and I are eternally grateful to everyone in our community for the dedication they continue to show ENSE day in and day out. I’ve been in ENSE for five years now, and each year our members continue to find ways to collaborate and create commercial opportunities for each other.
“Our members are good businesspeople, but most importantly, they’re good people. We do business with the people we know, like, trust, and respect, and that’s what we’ve seen in ENSE. The harmony in the group is the key to our success and everyone is pulling in the same direction, which is amazing to see.”
What are you waiting for?
By now, you know about the diverse, innovative nature of ENSE and how it’ll help you form new relationships, grow your pipeline, and increase your revenue.
You know the cost of not being part of this unique community.
The next step is to grab this opportunity with both hands by reaching out to us today. Email [email protected] to get the ball rolling.
The best time to join ENSE was yesterday; the second-best time is today.