Former chef and Lainox regional sales manager says move to Falcon is ‘destiny’
Falcon Foodservice Equipment has appointed Chris Noble as Business Development Manager. As part of the company’s key accounts team his remit will include dealing with major customers and consultants. Chris moves to the new role from Lainox, the combi oven brand marketed in the UK by Falcon, where he spent three years as Regional Sales Manager.
Chris has experience of both the supply chain and the operator sides of the foodservice industry. His first job from school in Aberdeen was as a kitchen porter at the Pancake Place before moving to the Mansion House Hotel as a commis chef. He went on to work in top restaurants, winning rosettes with his teams and being part of a kitchen brigade that won a Michelin star in the Lake District.
An injury ended his kitchen career, and he moved into foodservice equipment sales, working with several distributors and then moving to the manufacturer side as Area Sales Manager at WMF.
He says, “As a chef, every kitchen I worked in had one or two pieces of Falcon equipment – a six burner, a fryer, a grill, an induction suite. It was a constant. It never let me down, and it was always heavy duty. It feels as if that familiarity is the reason this appointment is my destiny! Since moving to this side of the industry I’ve always wanted to work at Falcon.”
Chris says his early career as a chef has shaped the way he builds rapport with customers. “I believe the best way to do business is by developing long-term, meaningful relationships. The conversational, consultative side of the job comes pretty naturally, and I think that came from the kitchens.”
Chris is involved in NextGen, the Foodservice Equipment Association’s initiative to bring new talent into the industry, a programme Falcon is supporting proactively. “It’s about making connections for people coming into foodservice,” he says. “I want to be part of a group that helps build the industry’s future.”
Chris is 36 and lives with his wife and their young daughter. A music fan who plays guitar, he rarely goes long without a live gig. He’s also a keen DIY enthusiast – his projects include a mud kitchen he built for his daughter, complete with a wooden frame, metal sinks and running hot and cold water!
Falcon is the market-leading UK manufacturer of professional cooking equipment and is the UK distributor for Lainox products. The company combines a reputation for performance, reliability and innovation with a history going back over 200 years. Today Falcon supplies foodservice operators throughout the catering industry, across all market sectors. Its comprehensive product portfolio is backed by award-winning customer support. Visit www.falconfoodservice.com for more information.