Kitchen refurb focus: Tools for the trade
Cooking
Merrychef accelerated cooking oven
Merrychef's latest accelerated cooking oven is no ordinary oven, but it is designed for the most ordinary of pub kitchens - those under intense time pressure.
The compact unit delivers cooking speeds of 10 to 15 times faster than conventional ovens. A combination of convection heat, impingement pressure and electromagnetic energy means the EC420S model gives a typical cook time of 15 seconds to one and a half minutes. A built-in catalytic converter eliminates the need for a ventilation hood.
It also comes with Merrychef's trademarked MenuKey technology. Under this system, precise instructions for cooking selected items can be programmed into the oven's memory. Accelerate your turnaround times for dishes and accelerate your profits, so the thinking goes.
Merrychef: 0845 370 4888, www.enodisuk.com
Gilberts Food Equipment multi-function pan
Like the best chefs, this pan can turn its hand to a plethora of tasks. From pizza to paella, from scampi to roasts, dishes can be prepared quickly and with flavour in the Apexa Multi Pan.
The pan features a detachable power cable that incorporates an energy-saving thermostatic control. Another innovative feature is an 'overhead heating effect' which the manufacturer claims will add an oven cooked texture to dishes. The aluminium surface is flame proof and break resistant, and it is complete with a glass lid. Priced at around £90.
Gilberts Food Equipment: 08452 300 681, www.gilbertsfoodequipment.com
ServEquip SmartCombi oven
This next generation oven will do nothing to reassure fans of the Terminator films having sleepless nights about machines rising up to take over mankind. It seems to do everything, almost leaving the chef redundant.
It provides high-tech steaming technology, a system to remove and condense humidity making the door safer to open, and is self-cleaning. Under the Patented Advanced Steam Technology, there is total control over moisture and cooking climate. This feature has all the benefits of contemporary boilers but with reduced maintenance issues due to an in-built de-liming system.
The self-cleaning system involves popping in a cleaning cartridge and pushing a button to start the cycle. It can be adjusted for light, medium or heavy cleaning, all of which use low levels of chemicals. At the end of the cleaning cycle, the oven automatically turns itself off.
ServEquip: 020 8686 8855, www.servequip.co.uk
Samsung light duty microwaves
There has been much talk about the crucial importance, even for pubs without any catering facilities, of introducing food as an extra offering under the smoking ban. A solution for pubs in this situation could be microwaves such as Samsung's new 1.1kW model. Its power and size places it mid-way between a heavy duty model and a domestic microwave. The model features five power levels, a 26 litre capacity and a pull-to-open door with a large window display.
Apuro: 0121 744 0968, www.apuro.co.uk
Fridges/Freezers
LEC fridges with removable door gaskets
Blowing a gasket in a busy kitchen? Well, it's more than likely your fridge or freezer door will be too, according to white goods manufacturer LEC. To that end, it has produced a range of fridges with easily removable door gaskets. They are designed to be replaceable without having to call in a specialist engineer.
If a gasket is not producing a tight seal, the fridge or freezer will leak air and not function correctly, causing excessive condensation, wasting energy, and creating food safety issues if the temperature is too high.
There are four items in the range - two under-counter models in white or stainless steel and two corresponding freestanding versions. Available through Apuro.
Apuro: 0121 744 0968, www.apuro.co.uk
Delfield Sadia fridges with Mono-Bloc
A re-jig of Delfield Sadia's range of fridges means greater capacity for food storage and easy repairs.
The new system sees the evaporator no longer within the fridge, but set instead on top with the compressor. If a repair is needed, the cassette can be quickly removed and replaced with a new one. The fridges come in a range of sizes, in both single and double door models, and feature reversible doors and removable shelves as standard.
Enodis UK Food Service: 0845 370 4888
Other equipment
Marco small batch filter coffee brewer
Until very recently, hot drinks in a pub usually only stretched to a tepid cup of tea that had seen a teabag for a mere fraction of second. Now, thankfully, we have reached the stage where pub catering suppliers see fit to launch sophisticated coffee machines in cosmopolitan Milan.
Last year Filtro launched a small batch filter brewer, and this has been followed up by a new insulated flask model. Manually filled, and suitable for use with flasks up to 2.2 litre capacity, the system involves filling the unit with cold water. Coffee is brewed directly into the flask, which can be carried around the pub floor or conveniently poured from at the bar.
Marco: 0207 274 4577, www.marco-bev.co.uk
Dualit Conveyor Toasters
Whether it's with marmalade or the dreaded Marmite, the era of extended opening hours is proving toast can be a big seller in pubs at breakfast time. Keep up with orders with these conveyor belt toasters. Dualit boasts that the toaster can turn out up to 500 crisp slices of toast every hour.
The model uses quick start-up elements on the top and bottom for a guarantee that the finished product will be evenly toasted. The element output can also be precisely adjusted. The range also includes a panini maker.
Dualit: 01293 652 500, www.dualit.com
Smoking ban solutions
Moffat heated serving stations
Only the least proactive of licensees could have failed to notice that food will play a big part in drawing in customers when the smoking ban arrives in July. There are a lot of products out there aimed at redeveloping your facilities around food.
The Moffat Hot Top has to be one of the most straightforward. Available in a range of sizes, the Hot Tops are targeted at pubs opening outdoor areas in which they will be serving food, or otherwise rearranging furniture. They will stand on any suitable free surface to keep food hot and ready to serve. The units feature toughened glass and heated gantries to direct heat down onto the food and keep it at a temperature of 70 to 90C.
Moffat: www.ermoffat.co.uk
Free Rational seminars on preparing for the smoking ban
A kitchen upgrade in light of the smoking ban is the perfect opportunity to re-assess how your kitchen operates, and this can be helped by a series of free seminars organised by Rational. The events, running regularly at venues throughout the UK, focus on cooking with the manufacturer's SelfCooking Center.
They aim to help pubs cook better food, operate more efficiently and reduce running costs with the type of new equipment introduced to add a boost to pub food when the smoking ban arrives. Up to two people from any pub can attend. Register by contacting your dealer or Rational.
Rational: 0800 389 2944, www.rational-uk.com
