RATIONAL – the chefs' company that makes a difference
RATIONAL AG is the market and technology leader for professional cooking
appliances for large-scale and commercial kitchens. 120 million meals are
prepared all over the world every day using RATIONAL appliances. The secret of
success: customer benefits and satisfaction are the company's top priority all
the way down the line, from development right through to product recycling.
A cooking appliance from RATIONAL replaces almost all the appliances traditionally found
in a professional kitchen. It can grill, steam, gratinate, bake, rise, roast, braise, simmer,
stew, poach or blanche. That not only saves room in the kitchen. Compared with
conventional appliances, a cooking appliance from RATIONAL requires significantly less
energy, water and raw materials by transmitting heat to the product by means of steam,
hot air or a combination of the two.
Because efficiency can be so simple
It is the cooking intelligence that makes RATIONAL appliances unique. The chef sets his
desired result for a particular dish on the touch screen. The appliance then independently
determines, controls and monitors the optimum cooking process. The chef only looks at
the food again when it's ready. The advantages: No matter who prepares the food, the
quality is consistently high and the chef has more time to spend on new, creative ideas
or the looking after his guests.
What's behind it
Ever since RATIONAL invented the combi-steamer in 1973, the company has had the
ambitious wish of always offering chefs around the world the best possible tool for hot
food preparation. In the largest research and development team in this market segment,
physicists, nutritionists and development engineers work closely with more than 250
company kitchen chefs to meet this requirement long term.
More than 400 patents, patent applications and utility models, a global market share of
54 per cent, 550,000 appliances sold and product technology as yet unrivalled speak for
themselves.
Company portrait, September 2012
From Landsberg to the professional kitchens of the world
The production facilities are in Landsberg, Bavaria, 55 kilometres west of Munich.
Excellently organised production cells permit a processing time of less than two days
between order and dispatch. The appliances, which are ideal for companies from 30
meals per day, are then sold all over the world.
Customers include restaurants, hotels, company canteens, hospitals, schools, universities
or retirement homes as well as fast food chains, caterers, supermarkets or bakery and
snack shops.
In all, RATIONAL has almost 1,400 employees worldwide. The company is present in
more than 100 countries through its own sales companies and partners.
RATIONAL in Germany
Around 850 people work for RATIONAL in Germany. Since the IPO in 2000 the company
was floated in the Prime Standard on the German stock market and is currently listed on
the MDAX.
RATIONAL in UK
40 employees work for RATIONAL in the United Kingdom. The UK office is based in Luton,
Bedfordshire, 35 miles from London. RATIONAL UK has 18 regional sales managers
covering the UK and Ireland. RATIONAL is represented throughout the country and is
always near its customers to offer partnership based service – for the entire product life.
RATIONAL is there for its customers
It is the customer who shapes the philosophy of the company and the actions of the
whole workforce all over the world. RATIONAL would like every customer to gain the
greatest possible benefit from his investment from the very start. This begins with
product development, continues through the consultation and planning phase, includes
appliance installation and on-site instruction as well as numerous individual seminar
programs.
The RATIONAL service partners are close to customers wherever they are in the world. In
addition, RATIONAL has a reliable phone service in place 365 days a year. Service
hotlines provide customers with answers to any questions they may have about cooking
and their appliances. With the free RATIONAL expert app for iPhones the company also
makes numerous practical tips available to customers on the move.
Company portrait, September 2012