Our story

SilverChef's story so far

Where it started

Back in 1986, Allan English kickstarted the journey of SilverChef.

However, it wasn't until nearly a decade later that Rent-Try-Buy® came into existence. Allan saw the pressing need to assist Australian businesses in getting their hands on groundbreaking pizza ovens.

Rent-Try-Buy enabled customers to put these ovens to the test in their own operations, granting them the flexibility to either make a purchase or return them.

This unique financing solution continues to be the bedrock of our offerings today.

Our philanthropic history

In 2010, Allan and Tessa English founded the English Family Foundation by generously donating half of their family's ownership in SilverChef.

The foundation made Opportunity International Australia a central beneficiary of its grant initiatives. Collaborating with Opportunity, SilverChef contributed to the remarkable achievement of elevating over 1.5 million individuals out of poverty globally.

In recognition of his philanthropic endeavours and community service, Allan received the prestigious appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2020.

Ownership

In 2019, SilverChef underwent an acquisition by Next Capital, a prominent Australian private equity firm.

This strategic move injected the essential capital required for SilverChef's expansion on the global stage.

As part of this transition, Next Capital formed a fresh board of directors and appointed Phillip Godkin as the Chief Executive Officer.

Econolease

In 2021, SilverChef acquired Econolease, one of Canada’s leading equipment finance providers. With this acquisition, we became the SilverChef Group globally.

Econolease boasts a strong reputation as a provider of hospitality equipment financing, backed by a skilled team of over 60 professionals.

This strategic move not only facilitated the rapid expansion of SilverChef's operations in Canada but also widened our geographical reach.

Join our team

We’re always looking for talented people to join our growing team. Check out our current vacancies or register your CV for future opportunities, on our Careers page.