Buying Commercial Catering Equipment from Business Closures at Auction
Cover: Freepik via Magnific (see credits.csv)
Commercial catering equipment reaches auction when hospitality businesses close, downsize or go into administration, so one sale can hold equipment removed or offered from a commercial kitchen across every section of it. The hard part is services rather than price. Any gas appliance must be installed and commissioned by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer holding the commercial catering categories, hard wired equipment needs a suitably qualified or competent electrician, and whether an extraction or gas interlock system suits another kitchen depends on the new appliance arrangement and a professional assessment. We do not inspect or test the equipment, so measure your space and your access route, and check the specification, before you bid.
Why does commercial catering equipment end up at auction?
Hospitality turns premises over quickly. When a restaurant, pub, cafe or takeaway closes, changes hands or goes into administration, the kitchen is an asset that has to be turned into cash, and auction can provide an efficient route to a broad trade-buyer market across the UK. That is why equipment removed or offered from commercial kitchens, some of it only a few years old, appears as lots instead of sitting in a dealer's showroom.
Kitchens come to us from owners winding a site down, from traders and dealers, and from administrators, receivers and insolvency practitioners realising assets for creditors. Our sales are timed, online and trade-only, and the equipment stays on the seller's premises until it is sold and paid for. Current lots sit on our catering equipment auctions page, the seller's side is covered in selling business equipment at auction, and the mechanics of an administration disposal in liquidation and insolvency auctions explained.
Equipment is normally offered lot by lot, and a sale may contain items from different vendors and different locations rather than one complete kitchen. Read each lot's location and description, because a cooking line, refrigeration and warewashing you want may sit on separate sites with separate collection arrangements.
What actually comes up when a hospitality kitchen is sold?
Close to everything a working site holds, offered as individual lots. Cooking lines with combi ovens, ranges, fryers, griddles and salamanders; refrigeration from undercounter prep fridges to blast chillers and walk in rooms; dishwashers and glasswashers; stainless benching, sinks and shelving; extraction canopies; coffee and ice machines; cellar cooling; and front of house furniture, bar fittings and EPOS terminals. Nothing in a listing confirms that an appliance is operational.
- Cooking line. Typical lots: Combi ovens, six burner ranges, fryers, griddles, salamanders, pasta boilers. What decides whether it suits you: Fuel type, grid or pan capacity, width against your line, canopy coverage.
- Refrigeration. Typical lots: Prep counters, upright fridges and freezers, blast chillers, walk in rooms. What decides whether it suits you: Integral or remote condensing unit, gastronorm compatibility, door swing.
- Warewashing. Typical lots: Passthrough and undercounter dishwashers, glasswashers, pot sinks. What decides whether it suits you: Water feed, drainage, softener, electrical load, chemical dosing.
- Prep and storage. Typical lots: Stainless benching, sinks, wall and floor shelving, mixers, slicers. What decides whether it suits you: Surface finish and pitting, leg heights, whether the run fits your wall.
- Ventilation. Typical lots: Canopies, filters, extract fans, gas interlock panels. What decides whether it suits you: Designed around one appliance arrangement, so suitability elsewhere needs assessing.
- Beverage and bar. Typical lots: Espresso machines, grinders, ice machines, cellar cooling, bottle coolers. What decides whether it suits you: Water treatment, service history, plumbing and drainage in place.
- Front of house. Typical lots: Tables, chairs, banquette seating, EPOS terminals and printers. What decides whether it suits you: Volume available, licence status of software, condition of upholstery.
Universal Auctions Group Ltd acts solely as auctioneer and agent for the vendor. We do not inspect or test the equipment and we do not warrant its condition, safety or fitness for purpose. Lots are listed from the vendor's own details and photographs, so read what the listing says is included: shelving, gastronorm pans, filters and hoses sometimes come with the appliance and sometimes do not. Our auctions are trade-only, and bidders must carry out their own due diligence, check the specification and arrange any required inspection before bidding. Viewing is strictly by prior appointment and is strongly recommended.
Gas, electric or three phase: what supply does the equipment need?
Three things decide it: the fuel, the electrical supply and the water. Cooking equipment runs on natural gas, LPG or electricity, and heavy electric kit such as a large combi, an induction suite or a bank of fryers commonly needs a 400/415 volt three phase supply rather than a 13 amp socket. Confirm the actual requirement from the appliance rating plate and the manufacturer's instructions rather than from the listing, and check it against what your site has.
- Natural gas. Typical appliances: Ranges, gas combis, fryers, chargrills, bratt pans. What has to exist at your site: Adequate gas supply and meter capacity, canopy, ventilation interlock.
- LPG. Typical appliances: Mobile units, marquees, sites off the gas grid. What has to exist at your site: Bottle storage and an appliance set for LPG. Not interchangeable with natural gas.
- 13 amp single phase. Typical appliances: Microwaves, small counters, grinders, blenders. What has to exist at your site: Spare socket circuits, and inspection and testing appropriate to the risk before use.
- Hard wired single phase. Typical appliances: Undercounter dishwashers, small ovens, water boilers. What has to exist at your site: Spare way in the board and connection by a suitably qualified or competent electrician.
- 400/415 volt three phase. Typical appliances: Large combis, induction ranges, passthrough dishwashers, fryer banks. What has to exist at your site: Three phase supply, spare capacity, correctly rated cable and protection.
- Water and drainage. Typical appliances: Warewashing, combis, ice machines, coffee machines. What has to exist at your site: Hot and cold feeds, waste and floor gully, softener or filtration.
- Refrigerant circuit. Typical appliances: Remote packs, walk in rooms, cellar cooling. What has to exist at your site: Pipe runs, condenser position, and an F Gas certified engineer.
Add up the loads before you buy. A kitchen's incoming supply is finite, and a second three phase appliance can tip a board over its capacity, turning a cheap lot into a supply upgrade. On gas, check what the appliance is set for. Natural gas and LPG use different injectors and settings, and conversion between the two is not always possible: it must only be undertaken where the manufacturer approves it for that appliance, and it must be carried out by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer holding the relevant commercial catering categories.
Who is allowed to install and commission secondhand catering equipment?
Any gas appliance must be installed, commissioned and serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer who holds the commercial catering categories for that type of appliance. Hard wired electrical equipment should be connected by a suitably qualified or competent electrician working to BS 7671, and electrical equipment generally should be inspected, maintained and tested according to the risk and the safety requirements that apply to it. The duty to make sure the kitchen is safe and compliant sits with you as the business operating it.
Ask to see the engineer's Gas Safe card and check the categories on the back, because a domestic registration does not cover commercial catering appliances. A used oven that has been moved, jolted on a lorry and reconnected is exactly where a proper commissioning test earns its money: the engineer checks the gas rate, burner pressure, combustion and ventilation before signing it off.
On electrical equipment, portable appliance testing is not automatically a specific legal requirement in its own right. The duty is to keep electrical equipment in a safe condition, and the type and frequency of inspection and testing should follow the risk, the environment and the manufacturer's guidance. In a commercial kitchen, where equipment is wet, hot and moved often, that usually means a documented regime rather than nothing at all.
Refrigeration follows the same logic. Anything that breaks into the refrigerant circuit, which includes most remote pack and walk in room installs, needs an F Gas certified engineer and a record of the work. Price a commissioning visit per appliance into your maximum bid.
Will an extraction canopy or gas interlock suit a different kitchen?
It depends, and it needs assessing rather than assuming. A canopy is sized and positioned for a particular appliance arrangement, the duct route, fan and make up air are designed alongside it, and a gas interlock ties the gas supply to the ventilation so the gas shuts off if the fan stops. Whether any of it suits your kitchen depends on your appliance line up, ventilation calculations, ducting, make up air and a professional assessment of the whole system.
A canopy is worth buying where your line up, ceiling height and duct route are close to the one it came from, and worth checking with a ventilation engineer where they are not. Otherwise you may be paying to transport a large stainless box that will not cover your appliances correctly. An interlock has to be commissioned as a whole against the extract rate your appliances need, so a panel lifted from another site is a component rather than a working installation. Where a canopy does suit, check the filters, grease trays and lighting are in the lot, because those are the parts most often missing.
Will it fit? Measuring your kitchen, your access route and your trays
Measure three things before you bid: the space the appliance will stand in, the route it has to travel, and the pans it has to take. Larger appliances such as a double stacked or roll in combi may not fit through a standard internal doorway, so measure the complete access route rather than assuming either way. A kitchen already running one gastronorm size is expensive to change. Take the listed dimensions and check them against a tape.
- Clear opening, not the frame. Measure with the door open, allowing for handles and hinges.
- The whole route. Corridors, corners, stair widths, lift capacity and thresholds at both ends. Basement kitchens are the common trap.
- Loading and parking. Kerbside access, loading bay restrictions and city centre rules on when a lorry can stop.
- Standing space and services. Appliance depth plus the clearance behind for gas, water and power, and the side clearances the manufacturer requires.
- Heights. Adjustable legs give some tolerance, a benching run gives almost none.
Gastronorm sizing is the detail that quietly costs money. Ovens, prep counters and blast chillers are built around gastronorm pans, a full size GN 1/1 pan measuring 530 by 325 millimetres, while many bakery ovens run on 600 by 400 millimetre trays instead. Buying into the other size means replacing trays, pans and racks throughout.
How do you clean down secondhand kit and keep it food safe?
Strip it, deep clean it and replace the wear parts before it goes near food. Take off door seals, filters, gaskets and shelving and clean behind them, descale anything that boils or steams, and check the surfaces you cannot replace. Where a food contact surface is pitted, cracked or scored, cleaning may not be reliable, so obtain a food safety or professional assessment of that surface before you put the equipment into use.
Look for the parts that hold soil rather than the parts that look dirty. Door seals and gaskets on ovens, fridges and dishwashers harden and split, and a split seal is both a hygiene problem and an energy cost. Wash arms scale up, fryer tanks pit, and the underside of a prep counter shows a hard used kitchen's real condition. Budget replacement seals and filters as part of the purchase, and build the equipment into your food safety management system before you open.
Does closure sale equipment come with manuals, service history or a warranty?
Usually not. Lots are sold under the applicable auction terms, based on the vendor's own descriptions and photographs, without a condition report or mechanical appraisal from us. Manuals and service records rarely follow the equipment. Whether any manufacturer's warranty remains depends on that manufacturer's terms, so do not assume a warranty transfers unless it is confirmed in writing.
Most manufacturers publish manuals and parts lists online, so note the model and serial number from the rating plate and check parts availability before you bid. A brand with a UK parts network is a very different proposition from an obscure import no engineer wants to touch. Assume a first service on anything with a burner, a pump or a compressor.
In the illustrative example above, a £2,600 hammer price on a used combi oven becomes roughly £4,432 once the buyer's premium, the internet surcharge, VAT, a commissioning visit and transport are added. The percentages used are an illustrative 15% buyer's premium and an illustrative 3% internet surcharge, with VAT at 20% charged on the hammer price, the premium and the surcharge, giving about £614 of VAT. The premium and surcharge that actually apply are stated per lot on the Additional Fees tab, so read them rather than assuming a rate. There are no standard listing, card processing or buyer administration fees, but contractual charges can arise if you pay or collect late, so what you model is the premium, the surcharge, VAT, transport, removal and the trades who connect the equipment. The same arithmetic is worked through for heavier assets in our guide to buying plant and machinery at auction.
On VAT recovery, whether you can reclaim the VAT depends on your own VAT status, the intended business use of the equipment, the VAT treatment of the individual lot and your holding valid VAT documentation. Some lots are sold with no VAT on the hammer price, so check the lot description, and take your own advice where the position matters to your numbers.
How do you plan the strip out and clear the lot by the deadline?
Work backwards from the removal deadline stated in the sale terms. A kitchen has to be disconnected by the right trades before anything moves, and a closing site often has a hard date because the landlord is taking the keys back. Disconnection and removal arrangements depend on the individual lot and the site instructions, and you must not disconnect equipment without the vendor's authority. Payment is required by bank transfer within the period stated in the auction terms, and collection is by prior arrangement after cleared payment.
- Read the removal terms first. Confirm the deadline, the site instructions and who is responsible for disconnection before you bid, because a bid is a binding commitment to complete.
- Get a transport figure up front. Email us the lot number and your postcode and we can obtain a no-obligation transport quotation before the auction ends. Collection and transport remain your responsibility unless separately agreed.
- Agree the disconnection. Only with the vendor's authority, and using appropriately qualified contractors where required: gas capped by a Gas Safe registered engineer, hard wired items isolated by a suitably qualified or competent electrician, water and waste disconnected cleanly.
- Plan the lift and the route. Confirm widths, stairs, lift capacity and loading access at both ends, and arrange trolleys, straps and enough people.
- Move, position and level. Set everything in place with its service clearances before the engineers arrive, so nothing is lifted twice.
- Commission and record. Gas work certified, electrical connections certified where required, other equipment inspected and tested according to the risk, and every record filed with your food safety paperwork.
Our sales are timed and online. Lots close at staggered published times, and where a valid bid is placed during a lot's final ten minutes that lot receives a ten-minute extension, repeating each time a further valid bid is accepted in the final ten minutes. If the format is new to you, read how online industrial bidding works before your first sale, and register early: registration may require manual approval and identification, and requirements vary by bidding platform.
You are responsible for making sure any equipment you buy is suitable, safe, legally compliant and professionally installed before it is put into commercial use. That is the case whatever the listing says and whatever the equipment did on its last site.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Budgeting the hammer price only. The buyer's premium, the internet surcharge, VAT, a Gas Safe engineer, an electrical connection, removal and transport are all real money on every appliance. Price them into your maximum bid.
- Assuming a domestic gas registration will do. Commercial catering appliances need the commercial catering categories on the engineer's Gas Safe card. Check the card.
- Assuming a canopy or interlock will transfer. Suitability depends on your appliance arrangement, ventilation calculations, ducting and make up air, and it needs a professional assessment.
- Not measuring the route. A large combi may not fit through a standard internal doorway. Measure the clear opening, corners, stairs and loading access along the complete route before you bid.
- Assuming a warranty comes with it. Any remaining manufacturer's warranty depends on the manufacturer's terms. Do not rely on it unless it is confirmed in writing.
- Ignoring gastronorm sizing. An appliance built for a different pan or tray size forces you to replace racks and pans across the kitchen. Match what you already run.
About this guide, and where to check the terms
Last reviewed 5 August 2026. This guide is general information for trade buyers and is not legal, tax, safety or financial advice. The terms of the individual sale govern the lot, so check them before you bid, and take your own professional advice on installation, electrical safety, gas work and food safety.
- Auction terms and conditions. Bidding, buyer's premium, internet surcharge, VAT, payment, viewing, collection and storage provisions: universalauctionsgroup.com/terms-and-conditions.
- Viewing arrangements. Viewing is strictly by prior appointment and is strongly recommended. To arrange it on a specific lot, contact us.
- Payment and collection requirements. Payment by bank transfer within the period stated in the terms, then collection by prior appointment: account and invoicing terms.
- Current sales. Catering equipment auctions.
Frequently asked questions
Who can install second hand gas catering equipment?
A Gas Safe registered engineer holding the commercial catering categories for that type of appliance. A domestic gas registration does not cover commercial catering equipment, so ask to see the engineer's Gas Safe card and check the categories listed on the back. The engineer checks the gas rate, burner pressure, combustion and ventilation, then commissions and certifies the installation. The duty to get this right sits with the business operating the kitchen.
Can an appliance be converted between natural gas and LPG?
Not always. Natural gas and LPG use different injectors and settings, and conversion is only possible where the manufacturer approves it for that specific appliance. Where it is approved, the work must be carried out by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer holding the relevant commercial catering categories. Confirm the appliance's current setting from the rating plate and check the manufacturer's position before you bid.
Does used catering equipment need a three phase electrical supply?
Often, yes. Large combi ovens, induction ranges, passthrough dishwashers and banks of fryers commonly need a 400/415 volt three phase supply rather than a socket outlet. Confirm the requirement from the appliance rating plate and the manufacturer's instructions, covering voltage, phases and full load current, then check your board has the spare capacity and a suitable way. Adding a second heavy three phase appliance is what usually tips a kitchen into a supply upgrade.
Is portable appliance testing a legal requirement?
Portable appliance testing is not automatically a specific legal requirement in its own right. The duty is to keep electrical equipment in a safe condition, and the type and frequency of inspection and testing should follow the risk, the environment and the manufacturer's guidance. In a commercial kitchen, where equipment is wet, hot and moved often, that normally means a documented inspection and testing regime.
Can I reuse an extraction canopy bought at auction?
It depends on your kitchen, and it needs assessing rather than assuming. A canopy is sized and positioned for a particular appliance arrangement, and the duct route, fan and make up air are designed alongside it. Suitability elsewhere depends on your appliance line up, ventilation calculations, ducting, make up air and a professional assessment. A gas interlock has to be commissioned as a complete system against the extract rate your appliances need, so a panel lifted from another site is a component rather than a working installation.
Is second hand catering equipment sold with a warranty or service history?
Usually not. Lots are sold under the applicable auction terms, based on the vendor's own descriptions and photographs, without a condition report or mechanical appraisal from us. Manuals and service records rarely follow the equipment. Whether any manufacturer's warranty remains depends on that manufacturer's terms, so do not assume a warranty transfers unless it is confirmed in writing. Note the model and serial number and check UK parts availability before you bid.
How do I know a used oven or fridge will fit my kitchen?
Measure three things: the standing space including service clearances behind and beside the appliance, the complete route it has to travel, and the pan sizes it takes. Measure the clear door opening rather than the frame, and check corners, stair widths, lift capacity and loading access at both ends. Larger appliances may not fit through a standard internal doorway, so measure rather than assume. Then check gastronorm compatibility, because an appliance built around a different pan or tray size forces you to replace racks and pans.
What does a used combi oven actually cost, all in?
More than the hammer price. On an illustrative £2,600 combi oven, adding an illustrative 15% buyer's premium of £390, an illustrative 3% internet surcharge of £78, VAT at 20% on all three of about £614, a £450 commissioning visit and £300 of transport gives roughly £4,432. The premium and surcharge that actually apply are stated per lot on the Additional Fees tab. Whether you can recover the VAT depends on your VAT status, the intended business use, the lot's VAT treatment and valid VAT documentation.
How long do I have to remove a kitchen after I win?
The removal deadline is stated in each sale's terms, and closing sites often have a hard date because the landlord is taking the premises back. Payment is required by bank transfer within the period stated in the auction terms, and collection is by prior arrangement after cleared payment. Disconnection and removal arrangements depend on the lot and the site instructions, and you must not disconnect equipment without the vendor's authority. Use appropriately qualified contractors where required. Email us the lot number and your postcode before the auction ends and we can obtain a no-obligation transport quotation.
Sources and references
- The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 · legislation.gov.uk, 2026 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/2451/contents/made
- Maintaining portable electrical equipment (PAT) · HSE, 2026 https://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq-portable-appliance-testing.htm
- Register a food business · GOV.UK, 2026 https://www.gov.uk/food-business-registration
- Universal Auctions Group terms and conditions · Universal Auctions Group Ltd, 2026 https://www.universalauctionsgroup.com/terms-and-conditions
We sell commercial catering equipment, plant, vehicles and business assets from closures and administrations across the UK, in timed online, trade-only sales you can bid in from anywhere. We do not inspect or test the equipment, so check the specification and arrange a viewing before you bid. Sellers pay nothing and receive 100% of the hammer price together with any applicable VAT.
View current catering lotsUniversal Auctions Group · EORI registered and export-ready · no seller fees, UK-wide collection. This article is general information for trade buyers and sellers and is not financial, tax or legal advice.
