CASE STUDY
CaterCombi x A La Turka, Canterbury
CaterCombi customer since 2022
A La Turka is a family-run enterprise that opened its Canterbury location in May 2014, with the broader chain taking shape around 2015. They now have restaurants in Canterbury, Herne Bay, Whitstable and Ramsgate. The restaurant, designed to transport guests to the vibrant streets of Turkey through both its decor and its hospitality, is deeply tied to the culinary heritage of Gaziantep, a Turkish city famous for its gastronomy.We spoke with founder Mehmet Dari, whose passion for food was sparked by working in his mother's kitchen and helping his father sell fresh produce at local markets, to find out more about how their combi oven has changed his kitchen.
Can you tell us a bit about your business and what prompted you to look for a refurbished combi oven at the time of purchase?
In the last three years we have expanded our chain of restaurants into Herne Bay (The Bay, Grapevine and A la Turka) and Ramsgate (A la Turka) and we have fitted all our locations with refurbished CaterCombi ovens. We opted for refurbished because they are very good value for the price – in the catering world is well known Rational is one of the best brands out there.
How did you hear about CaterCombi and what made you choose us over other suppliers? Were you considering buying new or going refurbished initially?
We chose Catercombi because they are local and compared with other second-hand oven suppliers I have seen, we trusted that their products were thoroughly checked, came with parts warranty and we also felt like we would receive the support we need, alongside the product. With all these advantages in mind, why should we pay more for a new one?
Walk us through your experience with CaterCombi, from your initial enquiry to installing the oven.
After doing some online research and coming across CaterCombi, I visited their showroom in Canterbury where the team has been extremely helpful in listening to my requirements and presenting their offering. The sale process was very smooth and transparent from their refurbishment checklist to the pricing, I had a very positive experience throughout.
Have you received any ongoing support from CaterCombi? Did you need any after-sales service or repairs?
We have had our ovens for more than 2 years now and never experienced any issues with any of them, so we did not require any repairs, which speaks volumes about CaterCombi’s refurbishment process and the service they provide.
(The oven was on a clean cycle between lunch and dinner service when we visited)
How has the refurbished combi oven performed compared to your expectations? Do you have a favourite function?
It has far surpassed what we were hoping for. Our chefs particularly love the self-cleaning feature—it's a real game-changer for them. Personally, what I appreciate most is how versatile it is: we can cook everything from main courses to desserts perfectly, simply by tweaking the settings. For us, consistency is crucial, and it's fantastic knowing every dish turns out exactly the same time after time.
Has using a CaterCombi refurbished oven helped your business in any specific way?
Besides saving a lot of money on the initial investment – we bought our oven for a quarter of the price of a new one – where the oven really helped us as a business is ensuring consistency in food quality and making the most out of limited space – such as in our Herne Bay location – The Bay, where the kitchen is fairly small, so having one piece of equipment with so many cooking functions is ideal.
Any thoughts or advice for other businesses considering a refurbished combi oven from CaterCombi? Would you recommend CaterCombi to other local chefs or businesses?
Use them with confidence, their products are refurbished to the highest standard and their team highly professional - I highly recommend CaterCombi.
Thank you for chatting with us, Mehmet, we appreciate your business and look forward to collaborating again in the future.
Visit their website to book a table: A La Turka Restaurants | Canterbury | Whitstable | Herne Bay | Ramsgate
Visit our shop for the full combi oven range: Buy Refurbished Combi Ovens UK | 165+ In Stock | CaterCombi Ltd – Catercombi Ltd
