It All Started with a Bet
Have you ever wondered how our business started? You may be very surprised to find out!
A £2 bet
That’s right! It all started with a £2 bet. One that would change our lives forever.
It was New Year’s Day 1999. Stuart and Lynn Slaughter – that’s us! – were out for a New Year’s lunch in rural Warwickshire. During our lunch a £2 coin placed on every place setting.
Stuart’s father asked “Who can turn £2 into the most money by Millennium Day?”
What started as a small challenge turned into something far bigger.
It may not have been a big bet, but it led to millions of miles, thousands of customers, and hundreds of products… it caused a dream to come true!
October 1999
By October 1999, having spent a bit more than the £2 coin, Lynn and I had bought a small tool hire company in Stratford Upon Avon. With 100 plates, no wash-up facility and absolutely no technology.
So, we changed the name and ditched the chainsaws, drills, strimmers and anything else dangerous and just kept the plates and a few glasses. The business went from a tool hire company to Plato Catering Hire.
By 2000, we hoped to have made back our investment (which was a little more than the initial £2 bet!) And we did!
2022
Fast-forward to just over 26 years after that eventful lunch, and we’re pleased to say we think we won the bet!
And that’s not the only thing we won… In 2017, 2021, 2025 and 2025 we were the winners of the SafeHire© Event Equipment Hire Company of the Year award. Since 2016, we are the only Midlands-based company to be nominated.
SafeHire certification
As you may have gathered from us mentioning the awards, being SafeHireã certified is something we’re rather passionate about.
SafeHire© is the industry’s leading safety and quality mark, THE gold standard for the hire and rental industry setting the benchmark for excellence in the hire and rental sectors. The companies who have gone through SafeHire© and have been successful have been rigorously tested and audited. Businesses that receive the SafeHire certification have achieved a specific level of quality and proven they can meet certain criteria to an exacting standard.
A growing team
As our company’s reputation for providing excellent equipment hire has grown, so has the business itself. We’ve now expanded to a team of 12 people, rising to 17 full-time staff in peak season. This is a reflection of how our business has grown to accommodate increased demand.
So, from a £2 bet, our business has flourished. Now the rest, as they say, is history.
Like we said, it was a surprising turn of events…
I bet you’ve not started a company like this!
Are you looking to hire catering equipment? Visit our FAQs or contact us today, so a member of our team can help you.
