Question

Would the members be able to help us with a couple of queries that have arisen that we can’t find definitive answers to?

• Spoon dipper wells – we’ve put a cold-water feed, chef wants hot. What is the recommendation?
• Bar sinks – 2 slop sinks with cold water, wash hand basin with hot (and hot water in sinks in the back room) – Bar manager says all sinks should have hot and cold. Is he correct?

As I said I can’t find ‘proper’ answers but would welcome the advice of my learned colleagues.

Replies

1. The answer is mixer valves. Hot and cold mixed.
2. Please find below a link from Food Standards agency page 7 handwash should be hot and cold, page 9 sinks should be able to be sanitised (you cannot do this with just cold)hygieneguidebooklet.pdfAs for spoon dipper wells if this is a fixed well as opposed to a removable one then we would normally connect to a hot supply.
3. We don’t do many bars so our experience is limited.
   For a slop sink cold water should suffice in sluicing down and discarded drinks – I imagine hot would assist with clearing down any cocktail/cream liqueur ingredients with a fat content. This might be what the client is driving at?
   Regarding the spoon dipper wells I can only think that the chef wants warmth in the metal of the spoon, to assist in food leaving the spoon onto the plate (as well as cleaning the spoon between scoops).
   I am not aware of either being a ‘requirement’ as such.
   I hope this is of some use.
4. Sorry I am not sure maybe speak to WIAPS/WRAS.
5. With regards to dipper wells it should only ever be cold feed, aside of anything else it is (or should be) constant running water and with a hot connection you would be literally pouring money down the drain – dipper wells do use a surprisingly large amount of water even with the tap turned to a very slow flow.
   As for slops sinks I would tend to spec both hot and cold but there isn’t a specific requirement or reason for hot it’s down to personal preference.