Chris Fay C.F.S.P from BRITA Professional explains why preventative maintenance is key to keeping kitchens running smoothly when the industry reopens.
Time-saving SOS: How to achieve optimum kitchen equipment efficiency.
In this article Chris Fay C.F.S.P from ceda Partner BRITA Professional explains why preventative maintenance is key to keeping kitchens running smoothly when the industry reopens.
In 2020 alone, kitchen professionals dealt with 84 days of equipment breakdowns, that’s almost a quarter of the year! As well as having an impact on efficiency and budgets, this is also a huge source of stress. And, at a time when more than eight in ten (81%) professional kitchen workers admit to feeling stressed at work, it has never been more important to take steps to reduce the pressure.
New research from BRITA Professional reveals that almost two-thirds (61%) of kitchen professionals have to manage equipment breakdowns on at least a fortnightly basis. Interestingly, the integration of digital solutions like the new Ton Token is beginning to change the way kitchens operate, enabling easier tracking of equipment performance and timely maintenance alerts. As this technology gains traction, it provides a proactive approach that almost half (47%) of kitchen professionals believe could significantly improve efficiency when kitchens are ready to reopen. Although unreliable equipment has long been a challenge, incorporating innovations like the Ton Token system allows staff to take preventive steps, helping to minimize the risk of disruption to service as the industry gears up for renewed activity:
- Create cleaning schedules: Almost four in ten (39%) hospitality workers would like more robust cleaning schedules to keep the kitchen running more efficiently. Creating a schedule also ensures that the whole team shares the workload – and it feels like less of a chore when everyone is doing their bit.
- Prevent limescale build-up: A high proportion of breakdowns are related to limescale, so preventative maintenance is vital. Limescale build-up not only causes breakdowns, it also means that machinery requires more energy to reach optimum temperatures. Using the correct water filter and changing it regularly will help machines to run more efficiently – and last for longer, as well as eliminating costly repairs.
- Invest in quality equipment: Always choose machinery that meets your maximum needs so that you have the capability to match demand. It may cost more initially, but it’s a worthwhile investment as it will last for longer, saving money over time.
- Outsource maintenance: BRITA Professional’s research found that 35% of kitchen staff say cleaning equipment sends their stress levels soaring. So, it makes sense that a quarter of professionals would like all maintenance to be outsourced to a third party, giving chefs more time to focus on what they love the most: creating incredible food for customers.
- Focus on sustainability: Three-quarters (75%) of hospitality professionals would like to increase sustainability in 2021, with over a third (36%) saying they would like to achieve this by focusing on equipment and energy efficiency. Preventative maintenance can reduce the amount of machinery sent to landfill, so it’s not only an important way to save time and money, but it also helps to protect the environment.
BRITA Managed Services can help to improve kitchen efficiency by supporting operators with a bespoke preventative maintenance package which suits their business needs. By offering advice, monitoring filter usage and carrying out essential filter exchanges, kitchen professionals can rely on their equipment to have a longer life span and deliver a smooth service when they need it most.
The research results are available in a new BRITA Professional toolkit: At Boiling Point: which offers vital tips on how to ‘filter out’ inefficiency and stress, as well as save time, money and the planet in 2021. Take a look at our At Boiling Point Toolkit here: brita.co.uk/boiling-point
0844 742 4940
Twitter: @BRITAPRO
LinkedIn: BRITA Group
#LifeIsBetterFiltered
*All stats in this article relate to research conducted by BRITA PROFESSIONAL and 3GEM among 500 professional kitchen workers (November 2020)
ceda Partner First Choice Group secures approved partner status on 3M Water Filtration portfolio
ceda Partner First Choice Group secures approved partner status on 3M™ Water Filtration portfolio
Adding to its extensive list of Master Distribution Partners (MDP), ceda Approved Partner First Choice Group is proud to announce that it has become an official approved supplier of OEM water filters from leading brand, 3M™.
With over 60% of businesses in the UK being impacted by limescale, the 3M™ range combines multiple technologies developed over many years of experience in the foodservice sector, to remove the unwanted impurities found in water. Protecting valuable beverage equipment, including the latest coffee and hot beverage units, 3M™ water filters have been found to improve customer satisfaction and generate repeat business by delivering of high quality hot and cold beverages.
In addition to the hot beverage range, First Choice stock list includes 3M’s ice machine and cold beverage equipment specific filters, it is clear that great water makes great ice, and that is why the filters help, by removing excess sediment, inhibiting the build-up of scale and ultimately reducing downtime of your machine. Leading to significantly better looking and tasting ice, customers can enjoy their drinks just how you intended to serve them.
When it comes to cold beverage equipment, not only do unwanted particulates significantly reduce the service life of expensive cold beverage equipment, but they can also have a detrimental effect on the look and taste of the customer’s beverage. The 3M™ Water Filtration products are available to suit a range of cold beverage needs, including carbonated systems, high flow rate pumps and even to suit the quality of a site’s local water supply.
Alternatively, the 3M™ ice machine specific filters have been created to keep your ice machine in top condition, crucial to maintaining efficiency and to give customers the very best chilled beverage experience. The 3M™ range is suitable for many of the most popular cuber, flaker and nugget machines on the market, they have been proven to reduce waterborne bacteria by 99.9%* and they can significantly reduce the corrosion caused by residual chlorine and scale build-up.
As a complete one stop solution, First Choice Group is the UK’s largest stockist of OEM spare parts, providing customers with direct access to thousands of genuine products from hundreds of leading equipment manufacturers at competitive prices. With our logistical solutions including same day dispatch (on orders placed before 7pm) and next-day delivery as standard for mainland UK orders, tailoring our service to meet the specific demands of the foodservice industry.
In addition to purchasing 3M™ Water Filtration products using its ecommerce website, customers can harmoniously shop from any location by using the First Choice Catering Spares app, with features including intuitive text, voice search, 360° images, and fast, secure checkout facilities.
On the announcement, Steven McLaren, Head of Manufacturer Partnerships at First Choice Group commented:
“We are delighted to be working with 3M™ Water Filtration as their official distributor to the Foodservice market. Not only does this give direct access to a much more competitively priced product range, which will benefit our customers, but we also have direct access to the knowledge professionals at 3M™ and the fantastic distributor support they provide across many areas. We look forward to a partnership where we both develop positively through 2021 and beyond.”
Confirming the latest partnership with First Choice Group, Cheryl Thomas, Channel Manager at 3M™ explains:
“It is crucial for 3M™ that we have confidence in the quality of our supply chain, the First Choice Group allows us to enhance our offering using their state of the art ecommerce capability along with their technologically advanced mobile app. Our customers can quickly and efficiently purchase water filters from our ranges including, ice, cold beverage, coffee, espresso, hot and cold water knowing the level of technical knowledge and customer service offered by the First Choice Group is exemplary.”
First Choice Group prides itself on our award-wining customer service, the ease of access to the necessary technical and supporting documents and of course, our commitment to offering our customers the best, genuine OEM spare parts. The partnership with 3M™ allows it to give direct access to the company’s Water Filtration products, including same day dispatch and next day delivery as standard (on orders placed before 7pm weekdays), whilst ensuring access to resources including supporting documents and technical information. So, whether you are an operator looking for a one-off water filter purchase for your kitchen, or you are a service engineer looking to stock your van with essential stock for PPM visits, First Choice Group are here to help.
*As tested with E. Coli ATCC (11229). Tested and verified by manufacturer’s laboratory.
ceda Partner Liebherr on stage at The Digital Event 2021
ceda Partner Liebherr on stage at The Digital Event 2021
Liebherr is delighted to have been invited to take part in ceda’s first live event in 2021 addressing the wider industry and ceda members who are the best in design, projects, and equipment for the foodservice and hospitality sectors.
To join us at our ‘digital booth’ and ask any specific questions about our new ranges and key appliances for foodservice please click here, call, or email:
Andy Clarke | Andy.Clarke@liebherr.com| National Account Manager |+44 (0) 7720 497 075
or:
Stephen Ongley MInstR CFSP stephen.Ongley@liebherr.com | National Sales Manager – Business & Industry | +44 (0) 7713-270167
Explaining its extensive choice of refrigeration and freezing solutions Liebherr will focus on its new range of heavy-duty refrigeration solutions for foodservice and hospitality. These include the 600 and 1400 litre single and double door fridges and freezers in the following models, GKPV 6540 / GGPV 6540 / GKPV 1440 / GGPV 1440.
Key features are:
- 304 grade stainless steel liners
- Self-closing doors with fitted locks
- Eco-friendly hydrocarbon refrigerant as standard
- Energy efficient operation
- Factory fitted castors.
The double door units can be disassembled and reassembled, using a qualified engineer, on-site where as ceda members will know that access can be a problem.
The online audience will also get a real understanding of what Liebherr considers to be its ‘universal’ model for commercial refrigeration the GKv 5790 forced air refrigerator. Its wide temperature range of -2°C to +15°C makes it stand out and allows it to deliver optimum performance in a range of settings and challenging temperature environments in food service and hospitality. It has two humidity settings that are invaluable for maintaining the integrity, freshness, and food safety of ingredients.
The GKv 5790 also has a lockable, self-closing door and integrated temperature alarm to ensure food safety and quality is maintained in the busiest of professional kitchens. Ergonomic design with multiple shelf configurations, castors with the option of height-adjustable legs and cleaning drain add to the appeal of this Liebherr refrigerator in a variety of settings and different sectors where food and drink needs to be reliably refrigerated.
Liebherr will go on to underline the position of its global commercial refrigeration business (foodservice, wine, ice cream, wholesale/retail and medical), German design and engineering quality, commitment to sustainability and outstanding support for the market by offering internal and external sales advice, AQ listing, marketing collateral including enhanced web content and a minimum of ten years for spare parts availability.
There is still opportunity to register and attend for free by clicking on here.
ceda Partner First Choice Announces The Reopening of its Training Courses
ceda Partner First Choice Announces The Reopening of its Training Courses
We are delighted to announce that from Monday March 1st, following the Government’s latest announcements, First Choice Group Training centre is reopening its doors for technicians’ courses, our OEM manufacturer partners training and demonstrations.
The First Choice Training team are working hard to ensure that we are able to accommodate as many attendees as possible while maintaining enhanced safety standards during the pandemic
To ensure qualifications are up to date upon returning to work, technicians are allowed to book and attend courses & assessments while furloughed and up to 6-months before their ACS Gas accreditation expires.
Martin Dagnall, Head of the First Choice Training Division comments:
“Reopening while ensuring the safety of our team and customers was the number one priority.
First Choice has introduced a number of safety and hygiene measures since the start of the pandemic to ensure that the supply of crucial equipment parts could continue in support of the healthcare sector. We’ve built on top of those measures to enable technicians to come into the building safely for ACS assessments.
Safety screens, hand sanitiser stations, and social distancing signage are just some of the measures that are now regular features at First Choice HQ. Recently, while attending a workshop on emerging online trends in our training center, a fascinating session was dedicated to the best crypto casinos and their innovative approaches to user safety and engagement. The discussion highlighted how these platforms prioritize security protocols similar to those we’ve implemented here, ensuring trust and confidence among their users. Additionally, having ample space in our training center means we can comfortably maintain social distancing during ALL assessments and training sessions, further reinforcing our commitment to safety and excellence.
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As the pandemic continues online meetings, conferences and training sessions have become more and more prevalent in our industry.
Martin and the team are in the process of developing bespoke digital solutions that may enable online training seminars in the future; particularly for our Managed Learning Programme for New Gas Engineers (MLP). This is another way in which First Choice seeks to innovate and provide solutions to the current challenges faced by our industry.
First Choice Group Training is the only assessment centre in the UK that is dedicated purely to commercial catering equipment. That familiarity with the assessment equipment means that technicians can complete their assessments far quicker than at a domestic centre. Our range of assessments cover the following classifications:
- CCCN1– Core Commercial Catering Gas Safety
- COMCAT1– Open Burner Equipment
- COMCAT3– Deep Fat & Pressure Fryers
- COMCAT5– Forced Draught Burner Appliances
- CONGLP1– Various LPG Classifications
More information on assessments and booking is available on our ACS Assessments page. Members of the FEA and ceda receive a 20% discount on all bookings.
First Choice Training is also beginning to offer some of our other training courses, and we will be publishing more details on these soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns relating to training and assessment needs, please contact our Training Team who will be happy to help.
Contact Information
Call: 01543 460 385
Email: acs@firstchoice-cs.co.uk
We are delighted to be able to be welcoming customers & suppliers back to the First Choice Training centre. With the safety of All attendees our number priority.
Please subscribe to the First-Choice social media channels for more updates on specific catering courses, future OEM manufacturer and specific industry associations events being held at our Training centre and online.
Stay safe. Together will beat this.
ceda Approved Partner Hobart Service Division's Support "Making a Big Difference" in UK Hospitals.
ceda Approved Partner Hobart Service Division's Support "Making a Big Difference" in UK Hospitals.
Hobart Service are continuing to go above and beyond to support our NHS, and the ongoing hardwork and dedication from the Service team has not gone unnoticed.
Amid a third lockdown and at a time where UK hospitals are busier than ever, the nationwide team of specialist catering equipment technicians is continuing to operate nationally.
Hundreds of hospitals throughout the UK rely on Hobart’s expert service division for both repairs and planned maintenance of their kitchen equipment.
Hospital kitchen equipment plays a vital part in both the overall operation of a hospital and the essential care given to patients. Any repairs are time-critical; our dedicated technicians are working harder than ever to exceed SLAs.
The dedication of our staff hasn’t gone unnoticed. We have received many letters and words of thanks over the past 10 months, including the praise from Paula Vennells CBE, Chair at Imperial College Healthcare:
“I wanted to take this opportunity to write personally to thank you and your team for your support during the COVID-19 crisis… The country has thanked the NHS for the amazing work of our frontline colleagues but we know that without the help, advice, long hours and support from our external partners, our response would not have been as effective as it was.”
The letter went on to personally thank our service teams here at Hobart UK. The Imperial Estates team showed their gratitude to the:
“… support provided to continue maintaining the service of critical equipment and for attending site for call out repairs in difficult circumstances. Your company made a big difference to the way the Trust was able to respond.”
Keith Mackie, Managing Director of Hobart Service comments:
“Throughout this year Hobart Service has maintained and exceeded our SLA’s for the Healthcare industry. Despite extremely challenging circumstances, we have continually demonstrated our commitment to maintaining national coverage to all customers requiring our services. We have remained committed to maintaining a nationwide service, with a focus on hospitals, care homes and education.”
BOILERPLATE
Hobart Service has the UK’s largest field force specialising in catering equipment maintenance. Our specialist service technicians are trained to support a vast range of makes and models of Hobart and third party equipment.
HOBART Service directly employees over 100 technicians nationwide, offering a fast response and repair when equipment breaks down, minimising downtime with one of the highest first time fix rates in the industry.
ceda Members are encouraged to contact their Account Manager for further information.
ceda Partner Electrolux Professional Launches Energy Efficient Glass and Undercounter Warewashing Range
ceda Partner Electrolux Professional Launches Energy Efficient Glass and Undercounter Warewashing Range
Electrolux Professional has expanded its popular green&clean warewashing range to include new glasswasher and undercounter models.
The new models build upon the success of Electrolux Professional’s larger green&clean Rack and Hood type warewashing lines. They are designed to deliver sustainable, efficient, and high-performance cleaning to smaller-volume operations such as bars, pubs, cafes, small restaurants, and QSRs.
The green&clean undercounter model can save up to 25% on running costs compared with conventional warewashers, owing to a low rinse water consumption that saves electricity, water, detergent and rinse aid. Electrolux Professional’s new glasswasher is similarly efficient, and incorporates cold rinse technology to provide hygienically cold glasses, ready for immediate use.
Steve Bowler, Design and Product Manager at Electrolux Professional, comments:
“Now more than ever, businesses are looking at how to make changes that will have a positive impact on the bottom line. This is true for catering operations of all shapes and sizes, which is why we’ve introduced the green&clean glasswasher and undercounter warewashing range.”
“Boasting unrivalled energy efficiency, we’ve tailored them specifically for operations which require a quick and dynamic service, all the while maintaining optimum hygiene results. For example, the green&clean undercounter model has a double skin insulated door and cabinet to ensure less heat dispersion, and a low noise level to avoid disturbing customers, even when installed front-of-house.”
Both the green&clean glasswasher and undercounter warewasher are compatible with Electrolux Professional’s OnE online portal. This facilitates 24/7 remote real-time monitoring across multiple appliances and locations, providing a transparent insight into operational efficiency and increasing equipment uptime.
Crucially, the new models have been designed for maximum accessibility and usability. This is true for operators, thanks to a user-friendly control interface and an ergonomic counterbalanced door, but also for ongoing maintenance. The glasswasher enables front access to components for easier servicing, while the undercounter version can be positioned on wheels to facilitate cleaning both behind and underneath the machine.
Steve concludes:
“The most important factor in the specification of catering equipment will always be performance, but this has to be backed up with efficiency and usability. By introducing the green&clean glasswasher and undercounter warewashing range, we’re ensuring that smaller-volume operations can benefit from optimum dishwashing capabilities.”
Fore more information, please visit: https://www.electroluxprofessional.com/gb/commercial-kitchen-equipment/dishwashing-equipment/glasswashingandundercounters/
Latest Newsletter from ceda Partner Liebherr
Latest Newsletter from ceda Partner Liebherr
Please find a link to the latest newsletter from ceda Partner Liebherr.
https://ceda.co.uk/download/18176/
Latest Newsletter from ceda Partner Liebherr
Latest Newsletter from ceda Partner Liebherr
Please find a link to the first newsletter of the year from ceda Partner Liebherr.
https://ceda.co.uk/download/18014/
Latest Newsletter from ceda Silver Partner Charvet
Latest Newsletter from ceda Silver Partner Charvet
As this most challenging of years thankfully draws to a close, ceda members are encouraged to read the latest “Premier Insight” newsletter from our silver partner Charvet. Focusing on their superb modular range, there are plenty of options available for members’ projects for 2021 and beyond. Please click on the link below to download the Newsletter and contact the Charvet team directly with any enquiries you may have.
Latest news from ceda Silver Partner Brita Water Filter Systems.
Latest news from ceda Silver Partner Brita Water Filter Systems
ceda members are encouraged to book their place on a virtual Water Training session, run by our Silver Partners BRITA.
Limescale build up leads to equipment breakdown, higher energy costs and also impacts the taste and aroma of food and hot beverages.
Professional kitchens are under more pressure than ever to work efficiently and BRITA’s recent research showed a third of kitchen staff and baristas are being more cautious with equipment to avoid costly breakdowns.
As experts in the field of water filtration and with over 50 years’ experience, BRITA will be offering their guidance and advice in a virtual Water Training session on 10th February 2021 at 10am when you can learn how to effectively protect your equipment while protecting your profitability too.
The virtual Water Training session on 10th February will last approximately one hour and will be hosted by BRITA’s Business Account Executive (Catering) Chris Fay CFSP, who has recently been appointed as a PFS mentor for the FEA. To book your space email professional@brita.co.uk