17 Aug 2021
We were sad to learn that Chris Lester of the Grismby Ice Factor Great GIFT group passed away over the weekend. Chris was a co-author of a technical paper for the IOR in 2014 on the history of the Ice Factory. For many years, Chris was involved with industrial heritage and was an energetic member of the committee organising Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days as well as devoting much time to deliver talks on the history of Grimsby Ice Factory.
A wonderful ambassador for the Ice Factory and proposals to preserve and redevelop the site based on preserving its heritage, Chris gave his talk to groups up and down the country, telling the story of Grimsby Ice production. He bridged the gap between the heritage and the industrial sector by presenting the paper to the IOR and contributing an Ice Factory timeline to the Institute’s ‘Fantastic Fridges’ educational website. https://www.fantasticfridges.com/CoolingScience/IndustrialIceProductionTimeline
An online version of his history talk from 2020 is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sruQCrUM3o
The paper given jointly with Guy Hundy FInstR is available to download here https://ior.org.uk/technical/buy-documents?id=528&state=b
28 May 2025
Lots to discuss at the "enough" retail workshop on commercial refrigeration and food chain emissions reduction on 27th May
22 May 2025
IOR has published its latest Education Guidance Note in the series, this time focusing on Coaching as a way of employers supporting engineering and technician development. The Guidance Note (16) gives a guide to understanding the benefits of coaching, how this differs from mentoring and includes a useful list of organisations who can offer help with setting up coaching schemes or offer coaching.
21 May 2025
IOR members showed their support for the Cold Chain Federation (CCF) campaign to recognise the Cold Chain as part of the UK's critical national infrastructure, as they attended the CCF's reception at the Houses of Parliament on 20th May.
8 May 2025
Expert in climate change adaptation Tim Fox will deliver a keynote talk at the IOR’s Adaptation 2025 conference detailing why cooling is now a “mission critical” service, essential to public health, food security, global commerce, and economic well-being.
7 May 2025
Watch this webinar on catch-up, which focused on implementing technologies and operational strategies capable of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the European retail sector.