Does consumer law apply here?

I work in a department which is part of a public sector organisation. We bought a dishwasher for the office kitchen. It developed a fault with a few months but the retailer has refused to fix it arguing that because it is commercial premises the warranty doesn't apply. Following advice from Consumer Direct we sent a letter before action arguing that regardless of the warranty, we were seeking a remedy under the consumer protection legislation. We've had the same response and now want to go to the small claims court. However, when I phoned Consumer Direct the second time they were a bit unclear about the extent to which consumer law covers this transaction, saying it might be business to business. Any advice would be welcome. Also can we go ahead and try an get it repaired and then try and claim the money back?