In our latest Powerhouse Perspectives interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Natasha Baker, the Service & Operations Director at Gratte Brothers | Foodservice Solutions (also known by our company name, Gratte Brothers Catering Equipment Ltd). With nearly 29 years at the company, Natasha has progressed through various roles, bringing a wealth of experience to the position.
Can you tell us about your role as Service & Operations Director?
“My role is broad and covers everything from ensuring we have the correct resource levels in place both internally and externally, leading commercial decisions within the business, internally with the Senior Leadership Team and externally with suppliers and clients. It also involves financial reporting, mentoring the next generation, and ensuring we are continuously looking at improvement by working smarter, not harder, and implementing lessons learned.”
What is the remit of your department, and what gives Gratte Brothers a competitive edge in this area?
“My department encompasses internal service, external service engineers, warehouse, and project support. Overseeing these operational teams allows me the visibility needed to apply best practices for the business. Gratte Brothers’ competitive edge comes from offering a comprehensive 360-degree service: we design the kitchen with the client, quote it, supply, deliver, and install the design, and nine months later, we can offer them a Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) contract to maintain the equipment we supplied and installed, alongside any reactive repairs required.”
How long have you held your current position, and what has been your journey within Gratte Brothers?
“I have been in my current role for three years. I joined Gratte Brothers nearly 29 years ago as a Project Administrator, later moving into the role of Project Coordinator and then Senior Project Coordinator. Many years later, I was promoted to Business Support Manager, then quickly to Head of Operations, and now Service & Operations Director. My experience as a Project Coordinator, where deadlines are key and communication with all internal departments, suppliers, and customers is essential, has certainly prepared me well for my current role.”
Are there any recent achievements you’d like to spotlight?
“Finally, after 20+ years, we were able to say goodbye to our Linux-based accounts system. Having implemented Job Logic into our service division in April 2022, the time had come to roll it out to our Projects teams, and so ‘Project X’ was born. Together with my colleague Lorraine Tozer, we worked over nine months to ensure that by April 2024, we would be in a position to hit the button and finally say goodbye to our function keys! It has been an absolute success and one we are very proud of!”
Have you been involved in any ‘firsts’ for the company?
For Gratte Brothers | Foodservice Solutions, I was the first female manager, first female director, and first Mental Health First Aider (MHFA).
What is your connection with ceda?
“Becoming a ceda board member in 2023 was an achievement I never saw coming but one I am incredibly proud of. The ceda board is made up of many industry leaders with a wealth of experience in the catering equipment industry, so it was an opportunity I grabbed with both hands. Being a part of such an elite group of people has widened my knowledge of the industry and the connections that I have within it.”
Do you have any advice for the next generation?
“It is well recognised within our industry that recruiting the next generation is a bit of a challenge. To the outside world, they are not even aware that there is such a thing as a ‘Catering Equipment Industry’. Ceda has been instrumental in introducing a catering equipment engineer apprenticeship, but there are so many more career paths to be had within the industry, from designers to R&D and roles surrounding sustainability, especially with the net-zero journey.”
Natasha’s journey and insights highlight the dynamic leadership and forward-thinking approach that drive Gratte Brothers | Foodservice Solutions’ success in the industry. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the foodservice solutions industry, check out our Vacancies page to see our latest opportunities.
