MYA Consulting LTD

14/04/2026

From Energy Shock to Operational Resilience

The current energy volatility in the Middle East isn't some distant macroeconomic drama. It lands quickly and rather rudely in hospitality balance sheets.

Oil, gas and fertiliser prices have all come under pressure from the conflict, and bodies including the IMF, World Bank and World Food Programme are warning that this is already feeding through into higher food prices and wider insecurity. FAO’s March update also showed global food prices rising for a second consecutive month, with energy-related pressure playing its part.

For hospitality operators, it means another familiar squeeze. Ingredients cost more. Freight becomes less predictable. Utilities remain volatile. Margins, never known for their robust health, start sighing theatrically in the corner. Even where oil prices have eased on ceasefire hopes, energy markets remain stressed and supply chains fragile.

But there is a useful lesson in all this, and perhaps even a sliver of silver lining. Businesses that treat this moment as a prompt to build resilience will come out stronger.
Smarter menu engineering, tighter procurement, lower waste, stronger local sourcing, better energy efficiency, and more disciplined operational modelling are no longer nice extras. They are becoming the difference between fragile and future-ready and this is where we come in to help businesses navigate these challenging times.

The global landscape is very unsettled, but it's also clarifying. Hospitality businesses that respond with sharper thinking, and not just higher prices, will be better placed to protect value, maintain standards, and keep moving when the market turns difficult.

09/04/2026

Why Strawberries Used to Matter

People have more or less forgotten what seasonal food actually is.

I can remember being absurdly excited when the first strawberries of the season appeared. Or going blackberry picking. Or, in a less policy-compliant phase of rural childhood, helping ourselves to apples from the local orchard.

That excitement was real. Seasonal food had anticipation built into it. You waited for it, so it mattered. And because it mattered, it tasted better too. Not just because memory is sentimental and occasionally a liar, but because food picked and eaten in season often is better.

Now, of course, almost everything is available at all times. On one level, that looks like abundance. On the other hand, it has flattened the sense of occasion. If strawberries are permanent, strawberries are no longer news.

And there is a harder point sitting behind that. Britain has built a food system heavily reliant on long, complex supply chains, imported produce, and oil-dependent transport. As a result, consumer expectations are now badly out of sync with what can actually be grown here, seasonally and resiliently.

There is a wider point here for hospitality and foodservice. Seasonality is not a limitation to be apologised for. It is part of the pleasure. It creates rhythm, variety, expectation and, done properly, excitement. It also connects menus more honestly to place, climate, supply chains and food security.

At a time when food resilience matters more than ever, there may be something to be said for rediscovering the value of seasonal produce, not as nostalgia, but as a strategy.

Less year-round sameness. More moments people actually look forward to.
That would be good for the plate, palate, and the business.

Want to rethink your food strategy around seasonality, resilience and sense of place? Let’s talk. https://www.mya-consulting.co.uk/contact/

02/04/2026

We were delighted to join Jestic Foodservice Solutions on an inspiring factory visit to Italy, where our Creative Director and members of the team had the opportunity to visit three industry-leading manufacturers.

At IRINOX Professional, we saw first-hand the precision behind their blast chilling and cold holding systems. At Moduline, we explored highly effective retherm and holding technology. At Orved, we gained a deeper insight into the innovation driving modern vacuum packing solutions.

Spending time with the teams behind these products was genuinely valuable. Seeing the technology up close, and understanding the care, engineering and expertise behind it, made it very clear why these businesses are recognised leaders in their fields.

A big thank you to Jestic Foodservice Solutions and to all our hosts for such a generous, informative and engaging visit. We’re looking forward to bringing this knowledge back to our projects and continuing to deliver the best possible solutions for our client.

06/03/2026

Last night, the MYA team had the pleasure of attending the Semi-Finals of the Hastings International Piano Competition, and witnessing an evening of genuinely superlative music, the kind that makes you stop fidgeting and simply listen.

Our congratulations to Adria Ye and Ryan Zhu, and to all the semi-finalists for performances that combined technical precision with real musical intelligence. We were proud to sponsor the evening, and grateful to the Competition team, judges, volunteers, and White Rock Theatre staff for making it run with such calm assurance.



Watching it, I kept thinking about the quiet lesson the stage offers to anyone trying to run a serious operation. An orchestra works because every person knows their part, but also because everyone is alert to everyone else, adjusting in real time. The soloist, the conductor, the sections, the pauses, the pace, the timing, the discipline, it’s a system built on preparation and trust.

And it’s a reminder that rigour isn’t “intellectual” or “practical”, it’s both. From the plan to the delivery, it’s the same mindset: clarity, rehearsal, responsiveness, and standards that don’t wobble under pressure. The audience’s delight is real, but it’s also almost a side effect.



That’s not far from what makes a kitchen, a venue, or a service team genuinely excellent: craft, rehearsal, clear roles, and a shared sense of what “good” looks like.

Photo Credit: Matthew Andrews
Catering: Coquina food & wine

06/03/2026

MYA is very pleased to welcome Elizabeth Clouting. She's joined MYA as a Revit Technician.

With two years’ experience in Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment design and space planning across education, hospitality, commercial and healthcare. Elizabeth brings a sharp eye for coordinated, inclusive environments.

As Elizabeth puts it: “I joined MYA because of my passion for designing practical and functional spaces… I was particularly drawn to MYA by the diversity of sectors the practice covers and the opportunity to contribute to a wide range of exciting projects.”

She’s keen to support the design team while building her technical skills, expanding her industry knowledge, and working closely with clients to support high-quality outcomes.

03/03/2026

Last week, our team had the pleasure of visiting the Alto-Shaam, Inc. demo kitchen in Milton Keynes for a hands-on session with their industry-leading equipment.

And for those of you who don’t know, Alto-Shaam is a global manufacturer of commercial cooking, holding, and regeneration equipment, best known for its solutions that help kitchens deliver consistent results quickly, without consuming excessive labour, space, or compromising standards.

It was a great opportunity to get close to the technology, explore best-practice techniques, and deepen our understanding of how Alto-Shaam supports efficiency, consistency, and quality in busy professional environments.

A big thank you to the Alto-Shaam team for the warm welcome and for sharing their expertise.

Days like this keep us sharp, so we can continue recommending solutions that are practical, performance-led, and genuinely useful for our clients.

02/03/2026

On Thursday 26 February, members of the MYA team, Carla, Mark, Ben and Max, were honoured to attend the breaking of the fast at Husainy Masjid. The evening brought together the Dawoodi Bohra community and distinguished guests, including the High Commissioner of India and representatives from Ealing Council, among them the Mayor of Ealing, Anthony Kelly. It was a generous, thoughtful celebration of faith, tradition and shared community, with warmth, lively conversation and exceptional food.

We’ve been fortunate to be welcomed to this gathering on several occasions, and each invitation matters. It’s a chance to strengthen relationships beyond the practical realities of project delivery, to listen, learn, and better understand the values and aspirations that shape the community’s work, and the ambition behind what we’re delivering together.

Our sincere thanks to the Dawoodi Bohra community for their hospitality and continued trust in MYA. We value the partnership, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration in the years ahead.

23/02/2026

Huge congratulations to the Hastings-based Dance Collective: their Children’s Classical Ballet Group, “The Prayer”, has qualified to represent Team England at the Dance World Cup 2026 in Dublin.

The Dance World Cup is the world’s largest dance competition, bringing together thousands of dancers to compete at an elite international level. What makes this even more impressive is that this was Dance Collective’s first year entering, and the organisation is only two years old. Qualifying at this stage isn’t luck; it’s talent, discipline, resilience, and a frankly heroic number of training hours.

At MYA, we’re proud to support local talent on journeys like this. When young people earn the right to step onto a global stage, they deserve a community behind them that says: yes, go further.

We’ll be cheering you on all the way to Dublin.

09/02/2026

Our CEO, Carla McKenzie, reflects on her recent trip to Saudi Arabia.

As the Prince of Wales heads to Saudi Arabia to strengthen UK–Saudi relationships, I’ve been thinking about what that actually looks like when you’re there, rather than reading about it from a safe distance.

I was back in Riyadh in January with the MYA team, moving between meetings, presentations, and site work. What stayed with me wasn’t the schedule, it was the sense of a place mid-stride: building at speed, but not sleepwalking into a generic “global city” future. We spent time at the King Abdullah Financial District, and it’s hard not to be struck by how deliberately Saudi it still feels, in the motifs, the social intent, the confidence. Whatever your assumptions, it doesn’t present as timid.

People often ask how I find working in the Kingdom as a woman. The honest answer is: positively. Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in its young people, men and women, and you can feel the results everywhere. There’s a generation coming through that is highly educated, outward-looking, and increasingly in the driving seat. The UK media tends to default to a single-note story, usually the darkest one. On the ground, what you encounter is more complex: a society in significant transition, full of capable people who want to build something better and are getting on with it.

MYA has been working in the Kingdom for the last four years. We keep client work discreet because trust matters, but we’ve seen first-hand the ambition, the pace, and the seriousness of intent across hospitality, tourism, and cultural projects. It’s challenging, it’s fascinating, and it’s a privilege to contribute to work that aims to create places where people will genuinely want to spend time.

04/02/2026

Delighted to be backing Hastings International Piano. Serious artistry, real community reach, and a tangible boost to the local economy.

23/01/2026

Friday thoughts; Newly-recruited MYA Graphic Designer, Alex Thornton, reflects on the life of a creative in the modern working landscape, and what MYA as a company of creatives do to harness our top talent.

Read more below:
https://www.mya-consulting.co.uk/creative-life-its-a-serious-business/

Newly-recruited MYA Graphic Designer, Alex Thornton, reflects on the life of a creative in the modern working landscape. MYA: Creative Life. It’s a Serious Business – Jan 2026

14/01/2026

MYA are delighted to welcome Alex Thornton to the team as our new Graphic Designer.

Alex joins us after eight years at Great Western Railway, moving from Designer/Artworker into Brand Designer, with a track record that includes brand guidelines, campaign art direction (TV, OOH, B2B), partner toolkits, social assets, publications, logo development, and giving colleagues the kind of design feedback that improves the work rather than just decorating the room.

What we like most is the combination: proper corporate rigour paired with a genuinely creative sensibility, plus an attitude that’s calm, curious, and refreshingly unprecious. He’s also coming home to Hastings, which matters to us. We grow internationally, but we’re serious about building talent and opportunities in our local community.

Welcome aboard, Alex. Plenty to do, and we promise not to waste a single pixel