Greatness was written in the stars for the 2026 Footprint Awards Special Achievement winner, Justin Cadbury. But unlike his ancestors in confectionary who painted the food industry purple, Justin made it his mission to paint our industry green thanks to his commitment to sustainability in grilling.
Before this part of his career, Justin made his mark in the financial sphere in which he successfully managed his own investment portfolio concentrating on short-term prospects with a fast turnaround. Justin’s gut instinct has led him to make strong strategic decisions throughout his entire career, such as anticipating the collapse of the stock market in 1973, which led him to sell out, and move on to buying agricultural land and a small engineering works. Other key career highlights include director roles at Jean Sorelle Ltd (Soap Manufacturer) and Radiant System Technology (gas fired heaters for factory ceilings). The innovation of the products offered here somewhat mirror Synergy in the fact that Justin identified a much-needed solution never seen before.
Justin’s journey towards grilling excellence began with a simple yet profound conversation that Mr Cadbury had with a local publican. The owner spoke at length about the challenges he faced with the high energy and service costs of his kitchen equipment, particularly the gas grill. It could be said that this was a chance, consumer led invention… but for an invention to transform into a true innovation and success, the person behind the concept is what counts most of all.
After personally investing significant money, time and trials, in 2001, Justin ‘cracked the code’ with what is now known as Synergy’s patented fuel injection technology and air vortex system. Essentially, this milestone development set Synergy on their path to create a new generation of fat atomising grills, which turn natural fat into fuel, allowing for a massive 59% saving for gas. In 2023, this same technology was transferred to the electric market for the very first time, which truly represents a double whammy green-win. Through this patented system, the need for a fat tray is completely eradicated. In fact, the chef simply needs to vacuum carbon deposits from the grill at the end of service. This new way of cleaning and maintaining a grill represents a first of its kind solution for protecting drainage systems….But for Justin, his commitment to keeping drains clear goes much deeper than the solution itself… as anyone that knows Justin will confirm, his passion on fighting fatbergs is unwavering, as is his keenness for taking his mission and message to the next level. So when he got the opportunity to become an official affinity partner of Thames Water in 2014, he seized it.
Justin also deeply understands the relationship between profitability and sustainability for hospitality venues. To help hammer this message home, Justin and his team initiated a cost saving calculator – an online tool which has been used by thousands of customers so launching in 2018. One has even calculated that by replacing their current grill and installing a 900 wide Synergy Grill in each of their 400 establishments, not only have they saved 4,400 tonnes of CO2 every year, (the equivalent of taking 800 cars off the road every year!) but they have also saved themselves over £500,000 in energy costs.
Justin’s clear commitment to the environment has allowed Synergy Grill Technology to win a multitude of prestigious awards both within the UK and worldwide. The Company repeatedly achieves expert recognition for delivering thoughtful, well-designed energy-efficient systems that has generated a plethora of quality affirmed Case Studies and high-level client reference sites such as Greene King and Whitbread.
