Oven summits: Unox UK team carry load up Ben Nevis for charity

A 25-strong team from oven supplier Unox UK carried a 140kg combi oven up Ben Nevis in Scotland, helping to raise over £22k for charity.

Dubbed the ‘Moving Mountains for Mental Health’ challenge, it formed the manufacturer’s latest fundraising activity in aid of The Burnt Chef Project, which provides mental health support and education for the hospitality industry.

After months of training, the colleagues assembled at the base of the Britain’s highest mountain in the early hours of Saturday (29 June) – one of its busiest days of the year – for a short safety meeting from professional guides. They were tasked with bringing a 10-grid ChefTop-X combi oven, the model equipped with state-of-the-art Digital.ID technology launched by Unox last August, to the peak using a custom-made frame.

Ascending the pony track at an average speed of just 1mph, the worked together in rotating groups of six or eight to carry the oven over narrow paths, steep drops, gates, stiles, and even multiple river crossings. After more than seven hours of relentless climbing, the team had surpassed 1,100 metres above sea level, higher than any point in England or Wales.

However, with wet weather closed in and daylight running out, the guides consulted with the team and the decision was made to halt the assent on safety grounds. They briefly unveiled and constructed the oven to capture a celebratory photo before heading back for another seven hours down to base.

The UK team garnered donations totalling more than £11k by the end of the day, a figure matched by Italian parent company Unox S.p.A.

“I’m incredibly proud of every single person who’s helped us to undertake this remarkable challenge,” commented Unox UK managing director Scott Duncan. “From those who scaled the mountain, carrying a full-sized combi oven in every conceivable weather, to those who supported us with logistics, fabricated the frame used to carry the oven and of course, those who have sponsored and supported us.”

Duncan expressed disappointment as not making the summit as planned. “Ultimately, safety must come first and with the weather throwing everything at us, with the team managing injuries and time against us, the decision was made to stop,” he said. “We also took inspiration from our friends at The Burnt Chef Project – understanding the wellbeing of the team was significantly more important than reaching the summit.”

Unox CEO Nicola Michelon described The Burnt Chef Project as a fantastic cause. “Mental health is something that is of huge importance, especially within our industry,” he asserted. “We have been partnered with the charity in the UK for more than two years, growing our partnership internationally as The Burnt Chef Project has transformed into a global charity organisation.”

The company was certified as a ‘Great Place To Work’ at the end of last year, having opened a purpose-built experience centre in Camberley, Surrey, in 2022 as a ‘major step’ towards its pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030.