Ideal Heating is one of Hull’s longest-standing companies with more than 100 years of providing the best quality boilers under its belt. 

Founded in 1906, the innovative company has been continually working to meet ever-changing domestic heating needs, taking boilers from basements into kitchens in the 1920s, through to introducing pioneering high-efficiency technologies, and always focusing on delivering reliable products designed with their customers in mind. 

Today, Ideal Heating – which is now part of global business Groupe Atlantic – remains at the forefront of the domestic and commercial heating markets, leading the industry in setting new standards and challenging technological boundaries. The company remains true to its founding principles of quality, innovation and value, building on its rich heritage as it looks to the future. 

Awareness training 

The reputable firm is well known in Hull and employs around 700 people, many of whom work directly on building boilers and in the warehouse, as well as in office-based departments including IT, human resources, research and development and customer services. 

HR Manager Miriam Moore, who has worked there for 17 years, explained that initially, drug and alcohol screening was managed through a combination of in-house testing with analysis provided by an external supplier, but that this proved to be quite a ‘costly exercise’. 

Lemon Cherry entered the picture in 2014. “I can’t quite recall how we met but I do remember being intrigued by their name!” Miriam laughed.

“They visited us to demonstrate their equipment, which was really impressive.” 

Since that first meeting, Lemon Cherry has been Ideal Heating’s go-to provider of drug and alcohol screening, and the two companies have formed an excellent working relationship over the past eight years, not only with ‘for cause’ testing, but also for drug awareness training. 

Miriam said: “We’ve asked Lemon Cherry to deliver drug awareness training to our team managers a number of times. It’s really useful for people in supervisory positions, as it’s quite difficult for them to make a decision about whether or not someone is under the influence, and it’s important to us that they are equipped with the right knowledge and skills that will empower them to do that. 

“I’ve attended the training myself and found it very interesting. They talk about the different kinds of things to watch out for, and what illegal substances look like, it’s all extremely helpful and everyone has enjoyed the course. 

“They’ve also been onsite with their sniffer dog too, which was really effective. It’s not to scare people, but to raise awareness of our policy and the fact that this is something we take very seriously. First and foremost, we want to assist people, so if somebody comes forward and says they have an issue, we will do our best to help them.” 

Duty of care 

Miriam regards this as a ‘duty of care’ both to Ideal Heating’s staff, and its business in general. “There’s a number of things to think about,” she explained. “The work of building Ideal Heating products is incredibly important, and we have a duty of care to the people we employ. We’ve got a lot of manual handling equipment, forklifts and other traffic on-site, and we must ensure everyone is capable and aware. It’s key to ensure our people are safe, not just for themselves, but for the colleagues around them. 

“And that also means supporting anyone who has the courage to step forward and say they have a problem with substances. Testing forms part of the support system we have in place, and we do our best to assist any member of staff who finds themselves in this situation.” 

In terms of Lemon Cherry’s service, Miriam is full of praise: “They have very, very quick response times. They are efficient and effective in how they respond to any query, and are also incredibly professional. 

“It’s important to me, and to Ideal Heating, that we treat people well throughout this process – I’ve been present when the Lemon Cherry team have conducted tests and they treat people with such dignity and respect. They’re never accusatory and really make an effort to put people at ease.” 

And she wouldn’t hesitate to suggest Lemon Cherry’s services to other companies, adding: “I have recommended them to quite a few other HR professionals, and I wouldn’t do that if they weren’t good as that’s my reputation on the line! I’m really pleased we have this partnership, it works very well. It’s certainly helped raise awareness within our company of how seriously we take the issue of drug and alcohol testing.” 



Lemon Cherry’s Jonathan Smith said: “It’s always a pleasure to work with Miriam and her colleagues. We’ve been working alongside the Ideal Heating team for the past eight years and have got to know them well. 

“We’ve enjoyed delivering a number of drug awareness presentations for Ideal Heating’s line managers and supervisors, which have made a really positive impact, as well as responding to call-outs and performing a factory search with our sniffer dog. 

“Everyone is very receptive to our presence and understands why these checks are so important.” 

Looking to the future 

Ideal Heating is currently celebrating 100 years of British innovation, which it says is ‘at the heart of everything we do’. Consistent, thorough quality tests ensure its boilers live up to the same high standards every time – in practice, this means an Ideal Heating boiler will go through more than 200 quality checks before it leaves the factory in Hull. Every component needs to be perfectly configured and tested, so no detail is overlooked.

In 2021, the company’s out-of-warranty servicing and repairs achieved endorsement as a Which? Approved Service, under the Trusted Traders scheme, after a rigorous audit by Which?’s trading standards professionals, including an audit of business processes and spot-check assessments of Ideal’s engineers. 

This means that consumers can be assured that, after having an Ideal Heating boiler fitted, they will continue to receive the highest standards of customer service even after the warranty expires, so the Which? endorsement further reinforces the company’s commitment to building and maintaining long-lasting relationships with installers and consumers.  

For more information about Ideal Heating, visit www.idealheating.com   

If you’d like to speak to a member of the Lemon Cherry team about your drug and alcohol testing needs, call 01964 503773.