Best of the rest
Over the next two pages, Graham Ridout rounds up some of the best tips and
labour-saving equipment available to help your business run like clockwork
Dishwashing goes green
With energy efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions high on the agenda, dishwasher manufacturer Hobart has devised a way for licensees to check the efficiency of their machines.
Details can be seen on www.hobartuk.com by clicking on the "Saving energy, saving the planet" icon. Licensees are asked for information about their existing warewasher, such as wash-tank capacity, water usage per cycle, and the number of daily hours the machine is in use.
This information is used to calculate how much money can be saved if users switch to a Hobart FXP under-counter dishwasher. The computer programme also works out the potential for operators to reduce their carbon footprint.
Hobart managing director Ian Garner explains: "The new FXP machine is economical, efficient and environmentally-friendly. A high-wash temperature is essential to get the best results from detergent." The new machine's latest heating technology makes this easy to achieve, he says.
He adds: "The FXP uses just 0.8kW of energy, yet ensures a constant 62°C during every wash cycle. Operators could save more than £500 a year in running costs and reduce their CO2 emissions by 1,250kg."
Grab a Gram
Refrigeration manufacturer Gram has 33 products accredited as environmentally-friendly by the Carbon Trust, despite recent tightening of energy-efficiency criteria.
The trust has reduced the amount of energy consumed by refrigeration appliances by 25% to ensure that they qualify for inclusion in its energy technology list (ETL). All Gram's originally accredited products passed the new entry levels.
All 33 products qualify for tax breaks under the Government's Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme.
Gram UK sales and marketing director Glenn Roberts says "being green" is an extremely important issue for many operators. The ETL allows operators to see which products are energy-efficient and assess the number of kilowatt hours of energy they use each year.
The company has a wide range of single-door and double-door refrigerator and freezer units that are included on the ETL.
Chilling out
Nottingham-based refrigeration equipment specialist Chill Factor MD Darren Goose has more than 25 years' experience and offers this advice:
l Don't buy on price alone
l Leave enough space for ventilation
l Consider coolers that draw in air from the front
l Clean and maintain ice-makers regularly
l Pay for proper installation
l Request a free site survey
l Look for free UK delivery and nationwide servicing.
Now for the washing-up
Pubs with high food volumes will welcome Classeq's
re-engineered Hydro pass-through dishwashers. The new design improves the machines' cleaning performance and energy efficiency, and reduces detergent usage, making them easier to operate and look after.
The new models have wash-cycle times from 90 seconds to three minutes, with a maximum cleaning capacity of 720 dinner plates per hour. They can be installed in-line or as an L-shape in a corner location.
Classeq, part of the Winterhalter Group, says the
dishwashers' simple controls require minimal staff training to ensure tableware is cleaned properly every time. The auto-start mechanism saves time by turning on the machine for the next wash cycle as soon as the hood closes.
A wash chamber made from a single sheet of pressed steel without dirt traps streamlines the process, while a continuous
cleaning system built into the hood ensures high standards of internal hygiene. The dishwashers' automatic self-drain and clean-down programme drains off dirty water and cleans the machine at the end of a shift.
All models comply with water regulations and are backed by a 12-month parts and labour warranty. Prices start from about £3,900.
Environmentally-friendly cellars
Cooling and refrigeration specialist Hubbard claims to be the first to produce a cellar-cooling system qualifying for a tax break under the Government's Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme.
The firm, from Otley in Suffolk, has three cellar-cooling systems sold under the Lite, HCR and Premium brand names. Models in the Premium range qualify for the ECA scheme.
Lite is a low-cost system tagged as
offering "reliability, ease of maintenance and realistic running costs". Sales
director Dougie Stoddart says the Lite
cooling system is ideal for freetraders who see price as a priority.
The HCR models have been designed to suit pubs close to residential areas where noise could be an issue. The units have an indoor compressor and receiver, with the condenser situated remotely from the cellar. All have a control to govern fan speed,
minimising night-time noise levels, the risk of neighbour complaints and the threat of having a noise abatement order slapped on the pub. The HCR range has 18 models that can be used for cellars with storage volumes varying from 10 to 200 cubic metres.
The Premium range is suitable for all sizes of cellars and the units have been designed to be energy-efficient, with low running costs. They come with both cooling and heating modes so that cellar temperatures don't plummet too drastically in winter.
Stoddart says licensees thinking about replacing their cellar-cooling should approach a refrigeration specialist for a thorough survey before buying any equipment.
"The survey will take into account the
barrelage, which parts of the cellar are above or below ground, and any other
equipment generating heat such as an ice-maker or freezer that increases the required cooling-load. The survey will also identify the best place for the condenser - you don't want it on a south-facing wall where the sun will heat it all day."
Hubbard's cellar-cooling arm was acquired by Zanussi last May, but will continue to trade under the Hubbard brand name.
Cooking front-of-house style
Hobart's Premier Plus 700 series is billed as providing the complete range of catering equipment that has been developed to offer maximum flexibility for front-of-house installations.
The stylish Italian design with black livery is attention grabbing. The modular range of top-mounted appliances includes gas and electric griddles; gas and electric, single and double-pan fryers; an electric chip scuttle, and a lava-rock char-grill. These can be supplemented by an optional range of ambient-temperature or refrigerated base units, supplied in drawer or cupboard formats to suit the operator's storage needs.
The top-mounted fryers feature fast heat-up and recovery performance with single-piece easy-clean fry pans and can be drained quickly when oil needs replacing.
Hobart product development manager for cooking equipment Pete Evans says: "The Premier Plus range has been designed to meet all those different requirements with a robust, reliable and stylish front-of-house cooking range that can be configured to a caterer's exact needs".
The firm offers on-site training and an after-sales service staffed by more than 200 engineers operating seven days per week.
