Avoid nightmares before Christmas

Checking essential equipment now could prevent your pub going into meltdown during the busiest trading period of the year

Christmas and New Year should be the time when drinks are flying out of the chillers and food is flying out of the kitchens. Undeniably, the festive season is the most rewarding trading period for almost every licensee.

It is also the most stressful. Staff rotas have to be organised. Orders have to be placed to ensure there is sufficient stock to last over the holiday period because many suppliers work limited hours. Countless other steps have to be taken to ensure trade runs smoothly.

The last thing any licensee wants is extra stress caused by a vital piece of equipment giving up the ghost. Yet this is what will inevitably happen in many outlets.

Faye Mayvers, head of marketing of hospitality equipment supplier Cater-Kwik, explains: "We always get a lot of calls at the start of the Christmas period from people who are having problems. A lot of equipment has been idle or not used very often and then suddenly people panic because it's not working or has been put on overload and just can't cope."

Many of these problems, says Mayvers, are caused by a lack of cleaning or preventative maintenance. "These problems affect everything from bottle coolers to cooking equipment. With refrigeration equipment, it is usually because they haven't been cleaned, even though it a simple case of vacuuming dust from around the motor and condenser and making sure the air vents are clear."

Mayvers continues: "The problem we often find with cookers and ranges is that they are clogged up with dirt and grease. Unfortunately, many chefs think they are gods in their own kitchen and don't do any cleaning."

If the problem can't be cured by a simple clean, she says: "You must call in a professional, a qualified engineer, especially for all gas-fired equipment."

Unlike many suppliers, Cumbria-based Cater-Kwik offers a telephone helpline that is open until 8pm every day, even on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Mayvers remarks: "More often than not, the problem can be fixed over the phone. If not, then we always try to get one of our engineers, or one from the manufacturer, to attend to the problem as soon as possible and certainly within a maximum of 48 hours."

To ensure everything is functioning properly, she advises: "Get the equipment serviced prior to the Christmas rush."

Mike Ritchie, managing director of Janine's Giraffe, which specialises in supplying coffee machines, also reports that the run-up to Christmas is a busy time for his Doncaster-based company. "Everyone seems to be getting the last bits and bobs, like new coffee machines, in time for Christmas or upgrading their machines."

Brisk sales of coffee machines

Ritchie says sales are brisk for the Saeco Vienna instant coffee machine. "At the push of a button, it can make a wide range of coffees in two drink sizes and you can adjust the strength of the coffee."

He says the machine's ease of use and speed are important factors during busy trading periods like Christmas.

Ritchie also reports brisk business from licensees wanting bean-to-cup machines such as the Franke Flair in time for the festivities.

He says there is still time for licensees to get a new coffee-maker before Christmas and quotes a maximum delivery period of three to four days. The firm will arrange installation and supply a starter package with enough ingredients to make 3,000 drinks.

Modern machines like the Vienna and Flair are ultra-reliable, he says. "The only problems come when people don't clean the machines. As long as they follow the instructions and guidelines, the machines will run and run."

Like Cater-Kwik, Janine's Giraffe operates a telephone helpline that will be manned over the holiday period. "The machines have a digital error code display, which means we can rectify nine out of every 10 problems over the phone. Recently where we were able to tell one guy that there was no water supply and he replied: 'Oh, someone must have turned it off because they're working in the cellar'."

He says customers buying a new machine or re-ordering ingredients also get a feel-good factor because Janine's Giraffe donates money to cancer research with every purchase.

Beat the taxman with a new chiller

Got a chiller on its last legs and want to beat the taxman? If the answer is yes on both counts, then now's your chance. And if your tax year ends on 31 December, then there's even more of an incentive to act.

Recent changes to taxation laws

allow operators that buy approved

environmentally-friendly and energy-

efficient equipment to claim enhanced

capital allowance (ECA). Under the rules, businesses that buy equipment with the ECA stamp of approval can claim 100% of the purchase price in their first year's capital allowance against their taxable profits.

So, if your business pays tax at 30%,

then every £100 spent on ECA approved equipment leads to a reduction of £30 in your tax bill for the year in which the

investment is made.

One of the first firms to receive ECA

accreditation for its product is Husky.

The Lutterworth, Leicestershire supplier cites a couple of examples of the savings to be had. Husky's DS5 chiller, which retails at £550, can reduce a year's tax bill by £155.

The firm's DS2 double-door back-bar chiller will give a typical tax break of £134.70 against its retail price of £449. And even better news, the taxman can't get his hands on the free stock that Husky are offering, which in the case of the DS2 is bottles of Budweiser with a retail value of £480.

Bring in the professionals

Graham Wagstaffe, UK sales manager of Rapid Wholesale Supplies, advises operators: "If you think you have got a problem, get a professional to look at it. Things like a fuse regularly

tripping indicates you have a problem, perhaps that the heating element is about to fail."

Although he thinks modern equipment is reliable, he asserts: "Any piece of equipment needs cleaning and regular maintenance."

Wagstaffe says one of the biggest contributors to malfunctioning glasswashers and

dishwashers is that "people don't rejuvenate the water softeners". He explains: "Around 70% of the country lies in areas with hard water and unless the softeners are rejuvenated every week, you will have problems."

Early indicators of a problem are white specks of limescale baked onto the glassware or crockery. Without corrective action, the heating elements for the wash and rinse cycles can fur over and lead to premature failure. "The life of dishwaters and glasswashers can be

extended two or three times over if the water softeners are rejuvenated weekly."

Combi ovens, which use steam to add cooking power, can be even more expensive to replace if water softening is ignored. "Combis use small-bore tubing, which can quickly fur up and cause failure. They can cost anywhere between £3,000 and £30,000, so it is a very expensive lesson."

Wagstaffe remarks: "I think people are a little apprehensive about their existing equipment and don't know when to replace it. At Christmas, most pubs are taking the equivalent of three weeks' turnover in one week, so if anything goes wrong, they are in trouble and risk losing a lot of money."

He says technical help and assistance will be available from RWS up to 10pm every night, even over Christmas, but adds: "If you have any doubts about your equipment, it is better to get it repaired or replaced now."