Target Company History...
Founded in Gloucester over 30 years ago, Target Catering Equipment has become one of the UK's leading British manufacturers of commercial induction cooking equipment. Here are a few key milestones in the history of Target Catering Equipment.
1985 - Pedrette Engineering founded by Mr David Pedrette ex-merchant navy engineering officer and wife Elizabeth Pedrette
David worked part-time self-employed carrying out small engineering works and site work, manufacturing precision sheet metal components for weighing and processing industries from his and his wife Elizabeth’s bungalow in Hucclecote. At the time David was also working full-time at Bentham International Limited as Mechanical and Electrical Maintenance Engineer.
Following a move to a larger property later in the year, David and Elizabeth invested in faulty and damaged machinery which they could buy cheap and David could fix using his extensive engineering experience, to enable him to begin engineering various products.
David Sub-let his cottage workshop out to Mr John Claxton of GCG Services who machined components for various companies including Edmond Evans. Through these contacts David was recommended as a sub-contractor to Vidison, sheet metal workers & fabricators of stainless-steel catering equipment.
Vidison engaged David as a sub-contractor where he began carrying out jobs including;
Spray painting components
Welding balustrades and railings
Stripping industrial fans apart and repairing
Once Vidison was confident of David’s skill level and knew he was a reliable tradesman they began to engage David to carry out complete installations of extraction canopies and ducting - his first ever canopy that he installed was at Valley Indoor Leisure and Bowls Cinderford, followed by many more all over the country for end-user clients and catering disributors.
During this time David continued acting as a sub-contractor to various companies that required his engineering services including;
Machining hydraulic fittings and general fabrication for Showmen
Commercial kitchen plumbing installations for David Ford of Ford Microwave Services who set up Gloucester Catering Equipment which led to more catering installation work and was subsequently asked by David Ford if he could install gas catering equipment and manufacture extraction canopies and other pieces of catering equipment.
Rudolf Steiner School, Brookthorpe was the first canopy that David designed and manufactured himself through the knowledge he gained from watching others at Vidison and using his skills gained through his engineering background for David Ford’s Gloucester Catering Equipment.
1988 - Pedrette Engineering became incorporated as Pedrette Engineering Ltd
David and Elizabeth both decided that in order to attract more prestigious work from larger companies that wanted security of working for an established Limited company they needed to register the business as a limited company and so Pedrette Engineering became incorporated as Pedrette Engineering Ltd.
Pedrette Engineering Limited began and continued to carry out;
Sub-contracting for different catering equipment distributors general fabrication, supply, install and servicing including;
Extraction canopies and ducting
Stainless steel tables
Hot cupboards
Ambient and heated gantries
Gas range cookers
On-site fabrication and installation of specialist conveyor and powder handling equipment for Craven Associates, manufacturers of Maxfactor and Revlon beauty products.
1990 - Pedrette Engineering Ltd took on first member of staff
1993 - Expansion resulted in a move to a larger premises at Gloucester Docks
1999 - Orders doubled meaning a relocation to the current Bristol Road, Gloucester site along with a company re-branding into Target Catering Equipment
The Target name and logo derived from David’s grandfather’s business, W. & F. Archer Ltd (1930’s - 1970’s), British manufacturers, pioneers and patentees of quality municipal brushware, which had a brand of brushware called “Target Brand Brushware”.
2007 - Recession hit UK businesses hard resulting in a review of the companies manufactured products
2008 - 20 years in business, pioneering works started for specialist induction cooking technology
2009 - The 2nd generation of the Pedrette family joined Target Catering Equipment
2010 - First heavy duty bespoke commercial induction range manufactured for customer
2012 - Full range of induction cooking technology light and heavy duty developed
2015 - Target Standard commercial induction products launched
2016 - Target Catering Equipment launched as a Centre of Excellence for sustainable commercial kitchens
2017 - Target Catering Equipment became accredited suppliers of sustainable catering equipment by The Carbon Trust
2018 - Target celebrate 30 years as a family business!
2019 - Target awarded “People’s Choice Family Business of the Year 2019”