The right kit in the kitchen

Tumbledown Farm in Cannock, Staffordshire, was part of the first wave of contemporary carveries developed by Orchid Group.

The pub was originally built in a mock farmhouse style. The refurbishment programme has brought it up to date inside and out, and it acts as a training house for 17 Orchid pubs in the area.

The pub is situated on the A5 Watling Street, the original Roman route from London to Wales, and is about two minutes from the M6, making the Tumbledown Farm accessible both to destination customers and to passing trade.

Manager Cath Poynton says: "We get visitors from nearby places like Walsall, Wolverhampton and Stafford, but also from Manchester and beyond as they come down the M6. Some are just passing through but we have noticed more and more visit because they know it as a good place to eat without having to come far from the motorway."

Through both the carvery offering and the main menu, the pub follows the Orchid Group ethos of sourcing the best British ingredients, including Red Tractor Farm Assured meats.

Brendan Corder, development chef for the Orchid Group, says: "We make a conscious effort to support British farmers in order to boost food production in the UK and offer reassurance of the highest quality and taste for our customers.

"The Red Tractor Farm Assurance logo is gaining more recognition with the public and we are proud to offer this assurance on all our carvery meats. We also source vegetables from LEAF accredited farmers, offer named regional cheeses and even British wines to ensure the highest quality and taste for our customers. It is a real point of difference for our outlets."

A total weekly average of 40,000 carvery meals are served across the Orchid Group's 50 carvery outlets.

Brendan adds: "Orchid sites offer a unique environment, with a contemporary feel to the pub where diners can relax in their surroundings. The provenance throughout the menu - not just of the meat - offers an invaluable reassurance."

Alongside the carvery choice of three joints from beef, gammon, turkey, pork or lamb, customers can choose from pub food classics such as bangers and mash, steak and ale pie, and fish and chips, or from more exotic choices such as kipper & horseradish fishcake salad or green lip mussels with tomato and chorizo sauce.

"Roast dinner is still one of the most popular meals, and people are drawn in by the fact they can choose their meat and vegetables to suit the mood," says Brendan.

"But our extensive menu lets us provide a suitable offer right up until closing time, so it's not just about the carvery."

So what is the key to carvery success? The right kit in the kitchen plays a part, and the Tumbledown uses an FWE Cook & Hold oven, supplied and installed by Imperial Catering Equipment. Brendan believes this helps to deliver product quality, which helps to deliver the all-important 'better than home' experience.

"Beef is the most common choice on our carveries and also the meat on which we get the most compliments - aided by the fact that the FWE Cook & Hold oven in operation is perfect for cooking beef," he says. "It's one of the hardest meats to get right at home, so it makes sense to go out for a quality roast beef dinner."

Ian Moore, kitchen manager at Tumbledown Farm, as well as the area training chef, says: "The Cook & Hold does what it says on the tin. I can load it up with carvery meat, put the probe in, press start and then have no worries until the meat is ready. It also has a perfect cook cycle to run overnight for lunchtime service and then again in the morning to prepare a fresh joint for evening service."

Used at the outlet as a holding oven for main menu items alongside its principal function as an oven for carvery meats, the oven offers a better yield from joints without compromising moisture or the flavour of the meat.