It all began on a train journey across America

Our story began in 2007 during a holiday train journey across America. By chance, Brian Pengelly, who was co-managing director of an events company, fell into conversation with Brendan Dempsey, an Irish refrigeration engineer. And the chat turned to business. Brendan had been having problems finding door seals for his customers in Ireland and had discovered an American company based in Florida called Gasket Guy. Long story short, Brendan was now Ireland’s Gasket Guy. And by now, Brian had had a lightbulb moment.

Back in the UK, he and his daughter Rachel Hosking began researching the feasibility for such a service in the UK. They soon discovered the issue of getting refrigeration door seals was a major problem. Businesses frequently had to grapple with a range of different makes and models, so spent hours sourcing the right seals, often from the invariably overseas manufacturers or via wholesalers who added their cut. They talked to service engineers who similarly scratched their heads over laptops late into the night, desperately trying to find the right seals for their customers. Meanwhile all those fridges with faulty seals were racking up bigger energy bills, with their compressors working overtime, trying to keep their stocks cool.

Brian and Rachel realised the key to success was manufacturing the seals themselves. So after due diligence, they found themselves at the Florida headquarters, obtaining a licence to become Gasket Guy UK. They began modestly in the south west, providing a make and fit service to hospitality customers plus a supply-only service to the trade and service engineers.

Word quickly spread that there was now a UK manufacturer who could supply the seals faster and more cheaply. So they could say goodbye to all the extra costs involved in sourcing, shipping from abroad and customs paperwork. Not only that, this new UK manufacturer offered a swift friendly and personal service with a voice at the end of the phone for any queries. Plus they realised that keeping the business within the UK boosted their green credentials.

As a result the company gradually expanded its reach. Now it was able to offer bespoke Gasket Asset registers and site inspections, making it possible to process orders even faster.

A landmark moment in the company’s history came in 2019 when one of the company’s engineers flew to Scotland for a week to perform a 30-plus site asset register for the Scotsman Group, the largest independent hospitality group north of the border.

This gave the company the necessary confidence to cover the whole of the UK, providing this Gasket Asset Register Service which guarantees 100% serviceability for clients’ door seals. With a Gasket Guy Asset Register and easy ordering, customers could cut their costs even further.

Then came Covid and the world ground to a halt. With all the travel restrictions, customers began phoning in with orders. We realised they were growing more confident about measuring, ordering and fitting themselves. So we seized the opportunity to create and develop an online ordering service together with a range of easy online guides showing customers how to measure, order and then fit their seals. Service engineers too discovered that our make-to-order service meant they could request precisely what they need without carrying around excess stock or worse, an overflowing box of seals that never fitted in anywhere. Meanwhile we realised it was the best decision we’d ever made.

Our client base has now massively expanded from our original hospitality sector. As well as pubs, clubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels, we now work with national supermarkets and chains, ferries and cruise ships, armed forces, hospitals, laboratories, mortuaries and florists, butchers, bakers and who knows, one day maybe candlestick makers too! Basically we can help any business that has refrigeration.

Meanwhile, our original ethos remains the same. From a small independent business to a national chain, we offer the same friendly efficient service. Our online order and supply service is booming but we’re always at the end of the phone for any extra help. Our engineers are our ambassadors, working hard to help their customers keep their cool – whether it’s conducting thorough site visits, creating bespoke asset registers or fitting seals for anything from a small wine cooler to a walk-in cold room.

As a company, we are incredibly proud to be an accredited SafeSupplier, committed to continuously improving health and safety standards, working compliantly with all current regulations and to the highest sustainable, ethical and environmental practices.

By manufacturing in the UK and offering an online ordering and easy fitting service, we are doing our bit to reduce the effects of global warming. Having healthy door seals saves you ending up with excess energy bills, along with the potential for loss of stock, hygiene ratings and customer reputation. We’ve saved many an obsolete fridge from landfill simply by manufacturing a seal. A huge win for our customers!