Building the Future of Sustainable Bakery Refrigeration and Dough Conditioning

Introducing KOMA UK

by Reece Brumby, Managing Director

After many years without a dedicated UK base, I was very proud to be able to launch KOMA UK in February 2025, bringing world-leading bakery refrigeration and dough conditioning technology closer to home.

For decades, UK bakeries had to rely on engineers travelling from the Netherlands to service their KOMA systems. Now, with our permanent UK presence, bakers and food producers have access to local expertise, faster response times, and the same precision engineering that’s made KOMA a global benchmark for reliability.

Having worked with KOMA for over five years, I saw an opportunity to make a lasting change in the UK baking industry. My goal is simple: to combine Dutch precision with UK-based technical excellence, helping bakeries achieve greater reliability, efficiency, and sustainability, all while keeping running costs down.

Whether you’re a high-street bakery or a large-scale manufacturer, KOMA UK can make it easier to future-proof your production with proofing, conditioning, and freezing systems that protect both your products and the planet.

Our Journey So Far

In just eight months, I’m proud to say KOMA UK has hit the ground running, completing new installations right across the country, from small artisan bakeries to high-end pastry kitchens and major food brands.

Every project shares the same focus: consistent quality, lower energy use, and less waste.

We’ve also been out and about meeting bakers and engineers face-to-face. At the Sustainable Food Factory conference, I delivered a talk called “The Chilled Conscience: Back to the Future!”: exploring how my background and experience have shaped our approach to helping bakeries cut costs and carbon emissions through CO₂ refrigeration.

Soon after, we exhibited at the Craft Bakers Association Business Day, sharing how KOMA’s temperature control systems can help bakeries tackle rising energy bills, improve proofing consistency, and reduce product losses.

And with upcoming F-Gas regulation changes set to phase out many common refrigerants, we’re helping customers get ahead of the curve. By switching early to CO₂-based systems, bakeries can avoid disruption, stay compliant, and secure a future-proof, low-carbon setup that keeps production moving smoothly.

What Makes KOMA Different

At KOMA UK, we don’t just sell refrigeration systems. We engineer environments that let bakers do what they do best: create consistently exceptional products.

For over 80 years, KOMA has been recognised worldwide as the gold standard for precision temperature control. Every cabinet, tunnel, and proofer is built to perform, designed around each bakery’s unique products, processes, and production flow.

What really sets us apart is how we balance technology with craftsmanship. Our systems combine advanced digital control with mechanical simplicity, making them more efficient, easier to maintain, and built to last.

1. Sustainable by Design

We’re leading the shift toward CO₂ (R744) systems: one of the most sustainable and future-proof refrigerants available. CO₂ is natural, carbon neutral, and exempt from F-Gas restrictions. It delivers excellent energy efficiency, stable temperature control, and long-term reliability, helping bakeries reduce costs and environmental impact.

2. Built for Reliability

Downtime costs money, and usually strikes at the worst possible time. We’ve all been there when the freezer decides to give up just before a big order goes out. That’s why every KOMA unit is built to last: robust insulation, durable materials, and intelligent control systems that keep temperature and humidity spot-on. Many of our systems run for over a decade with only routine maintenance.

3. Precision That Protects Quality

Temperature and humidity aren’t just numbers: they define texture, flavour, and consistency. Our systems give bakers total control over dough conditioning, retarding, proofing, and freezing, so every batch meets the same high standard, whether it’s your morning croissant or your Christmas panettone.

4. Local Expertise, Global Strength

With a dedicated UK team trained directly by KOMA Global, our customers get the best of both worlds: world-class engineering and local support. No more waiting days for overseas engineers: just fast, reliable service from people who understand your setup.

5. Smarter Service and Support

We’re no longer just suppliers: we’re partners. Our team provides proactive maintenance, energy optimisation, and system health checks to help you get the most from your investment over its full life cycle. We want every KOMA system to perform as perfectly in year ten as it did on day one.

The Future of Sustainable Bakery Refrigeration

The bakery industry is changing fast, and efficient temperature control is right at the heart of that transformation.

With the F-Gas phase-out now confirmed across Europe, many traditional refrigerants are being restricted or banned because of their high global warming potential (GWP). For bakery owners and engineers, that raises important questions:

• What happens when your current system becomes outdated?

• How will changing energy and environmental standards affect your production?

That’s where we come in.

We’re helping bakeries take a proactive approach by adopting CO₂ refrigeration systems that are sustainable, stable, and energy efficient. Whether it’s blast freezing, retarder proofing, or long-term storage, CO₂ delivers consistent performance and peace of mind.

As energy prices rise and sustainability expectations grow, CO₂ technology has become a cornerstone of low-carbon food production, offering real savings and long-term reliability.

But most importantly, for us "sustainability" isn’t just a buzzword. It’s smart engineering. Every system we install is designed to protect product quality, optimise airflow, reduce waste, and minimise energy use. So bakeries can keep doing what they love, more efficiently than ever.

Our mission is simple: to make it easy for bakeries of all sizes to move towards sustainable, high-performance refrigeration and dough conditioning that’s built to last.

Let’s Shape the Future Together

Whether you’re upgrading existing equipment or planning a new production site, KOMA UK is here to help you make confident, future-ready decisions.

From blast freezing and proofing to dough conditioning and storage, we combine world-class technology with local engineering expertise to deliver systems that save energy, reduce waste, and protect product quality.

If you’d like to learn more, arrange a site visit, or talk about how the upcoming F-Gas changes might affect your setup, we’d love to hear from you.

Let’s build a smarter, more sustainable future for bakery together.