The Dynamic MX91 is a classic model which has been a favourite in many famous kitchens since it was first manufactured in 1991. This blender is an ideal choice for creating very large quantities of mayonnaise, sauces, curries and soups. This lightweight unit weighs just 3.5kg and comes with a shaft made from aluminium which has a coating of stainless steel, for total hygiene and durability. This mixer is very easy to clean; an essential factor in any busy catering situation; due to its stainless steel exterior, it can quickly be rinsed, washed and dried in a matter of minutes. Even when used and washed day in and day out, this mixer won’t rust or burn out; it’s an ideal choice for those who need a mixer for heavy, everyday use.

This great piece of catering equipment can emulsify and puree over 100 litres, due to its powerful motor which is doubly insulated. Users have a choice of the pulse function or a continuous function, depending on the results that they want to achieve. The blades of the Dynamic MX91 are perfectly suited to heavy use, as they are coated in titanium, an incredibly hard wearing metal.

Being able to whip up delicious meals quickly and easily is a must in any professional kitchen; the Dynamic mixer can do just that. The blades of this piece of equipment spin at a rate of 9000rpm, so that you can whip up smooth sauces, purees and soups in just a few minutes.

Posted by Hayley on the 1st February 2012

Tragus is a restaurant group that owns many of the popular mid-market restaurants, such as Café Rouge, Bella Italia and Strada. And for those who have chefs jobs in these eateries, there is good news, thanks to a recent deal between Tragus and O2, which has been reported in the catering industry press.
What’s the story? Apparently O2 have made an announcement that they have plans to offer free wi-fi to those who work in the company establishments. It does not matter, according to these reports, whether these employees are already loyal O2 customers or not – they can still get online when at work without charge. It is said that this new service will be phased into place, starting with more than 120 of the company’s largest restaurants.

Why is this move being made by the telecommunications giant? The news reports have quoted Gavin Franks, MD of O2 Wi-Fi, as saying that they have an aim of ‘changing the public wi-fi landscape” within the next 36 months. From Tragus’ perspective, they hope that customers’ experience in their restaurants will be improved, according to other reports.

Tragus prides itself on having over 295 sites nationwide and delivering more than 21 million meals on an annual basis. They are a forward-looking dynamic company, which has also been in the press recently, after making known their intention to open an eating establishment in Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport. It seems that the company has many plans for the future.

Posted by Hayley on the 27th January 2012

The Panasonic NEC1275 Combination Oven is a versatile piece of cooking equipment ideal for coffee shop, café or snack bar outlets.From this one cooking appliance you can serve golden toasted sandwiches, hot Paninis and filled baguettes as well as crispy pizzas and delicious jacket potatoes. Throw out the Panini Machine, Sandwich Toaster and Pizza Oven – all you need is Panasonic NEC1275.

A delicious 12” pizza to share in only 6 ½ minutes. Eat in or takeaway.

Why not try a hot Panini filled with mozzarella cheese, pesto and sundried tomatoes? Straight from the oven in only 2 minutes.

Cook 6 large jacket potatoes in bulk in only 22 minutes then heat and serve to order from chilled with a tasty filling in just 2½ minutes .

Serve tasty pies and pasties crisp and hot from the oven in only 2½  minutes – and that’s straight from the freezer so there’s no waste.

Don’t forget. A Panasonic Trainer will visit you to train your staff, program the oven with cooking programs to suit your menu and ensure that you will make the most of the oven – and it’s free.

Posted by Hayley on the 24th January 2012

Concerns have been raised in many quarters about the growing worries we have about obesity in the young generation. This has led to celebrity chefs, such as Jamie Oliver, promoting national campaigns to try to help to improve the food that our school children are eating.

One recent report sparked alarm when it concluded that many pre-school children were consuming foods which were more appropriate for adults. As a result, the School Food Trust has now issued some guidelines to try to help matters. These new guidelines are not mandatory and are targeting particularly children under the age of five years. However, parents and service providers in the childcare sector had asked for help and guidance on the topic, so hopefully it will be well received.

Many of the nation’s children of this age are in some sort of day care and it is these service-providers who should make themselves aware of the guidelines. Typical categories of workers in this intended audience include child-minders, those who work in nurseries and so on. The guidelines cover various issues such as the food types that are appropriate for the young children in their care. They also offer advice on the size of portions which these children should be eating. In addition, sample menus and recipes are also suggested.

For those carers who are faced with fussy eaters, there are also guidelines which may help. In addition, there are suggestions on how to involve children with food preparation, so that they come to appreciate and enjoy their food in a different way.

Posted by Matt on the 19th January 2012

The Bunn 392 filter coffee machine is a ‘pour and serve’ style filter coffee machine for professional caterers. It’s designed for small-volume coffee brewing and uses glass jugs of 1.8 litre volumes.

Its space-saving design makes it very handy for smaller workspaces and its pour-over brewer doesn’t require plumbing, making it completely portable and highly valuable for events caterers. It is made from stainless steel, for an attractive, smart finish that’s also easy to clean and maintain and it looks good on any front of house surface.

Its throughput is a consistent jug of coffee every three minutes, heated at a maintained temperature of 92ºC. It has two coffee warmers which have separate controls and a patented ‘splash guard’ funnel which minimises the risk of hot liquid splashes.

The range offers different capacities across model types and this model includes the two glass decanters, a pour-in pitcher and a paper filter pack.
Next day delivery is available on the Bunn 392 and we offer a wide range of complementary catering products and appliances to kit out your catering establishment at the best prices – including coffee hot plates and fast water boilers. We also stock a wide range of parts and have an expert team of engineers on hand to make repairs, carry out maintenance and generally ensure that you continue to get as much working life from your appliance as possible. Speak to our friendly customer services team to find out more and to discuss your requirements.

Posted by Phil on the 18th January 2012

Welsh Government wants to raise food hygiene standards Of course, when any consumer makes the choice to eat food in a catering establishment, their decision will be affected by the level of hygiene in the outlet. However, the Welsh government is seeking to put forward a new draft Bill, which will address concerns of consumers and is intended to help both the customer and the business alike.

What are these new plans? The government of Wales wants food businesses to be obliged to display their food hygiene ratings on site. This means that consumers can check the rating and there is transparency on the issue. The move will also increase the incentive on the business to ensure that it has good and appropriate hygiene standards and will, hopefully, cut down the levels of any food-borne illnesses. The proposed legislation will cover a range of food businesses – traditional eateries, such as restaurants, but also other food outlets too, such as takeaways and supermarkets.

There is a proposed scoring system which will be put in place to rate the quality of food hygiene of the food business. Top scores will be a 5 and the lowest score, which indicate the need for urgent improvement, is 0. If a business fails to display the notice of their food hygiene score, there will be penalties (of £200) and fines (up to £1,000). The Food Standards Agency will also make funds available to local authorities, to allow them to undertake ‘advisory visits’ to businesses, so that they can learn how to improve their scores.

Posted by Matt on the 17th January 2012

The Robot Coupe R301 is a multi-functional piece of catering equipment, which works as both a vegetable prep machine and a food processor. The vegetable preparation function allows you to perform various types of fine and coarse chopping, grinding, kneading and stuffing, using the stainless steel discs provided. There are also discs for grating, slicing and shredding.

The lid and the bowl are made from a strong polycarbonate which is exceptionally durable. No time is wasted with attaching the lid on this processor; in a second or two, the bowl and lid can be set up and the food processing can begin. Dismantling this machine for cleaning is simple and quick to do, with its easily detachable parts. This is the ideal equipment for a busy catering environment, where a large variety of dishes need to be made in quick succession; this food processor takes just two minutes to produce things like fruit compote, pureed carrot or mayonnaise. Due to its 3.7 litre cutter bowl, users can create larger quantities of food in a very short time, a feature which is essential in any hectic kitchen.

The powerful induction motor on the Robot Coupe R301 means that it can withstand heavy use, so it’s perfectly suited to busy kitchens. This processor also comes with a pulse control setting, so that the pressure can be controlled by the user to produce a great dish, every time; whether you want to gently mix a sauce or whizz together a smooth puree, this machine will give you the exact results you need.

Posted by Matt on the 16th January 2012

Would you like to hear some good news about employment potential in the catering industry? It seems that despite the cut-backs, job losses and generally miserable news relating to the job market and the economy, there are still some heartening news stories around to buoy up the catering industry. Here are three examples:
First, Travelodge, the budget hotel chain. It has been announced recently that the company intends to make over a thousand new jobs available around the country this year, as it extends its portfolio. For instance, there is to be a new development in Sunderland, which will have around 82 rooms and a mixture of commercial use on the ground floor. As well as making new jobs for the hospitality industry, the reports are that it is also hoped that this will encourage tourists to the area, attracted by the value-for-money approach of the hotel chain.

Second, La Tasca. Again, this is a company with plans to expand if reports in the industry news are to be believed. The first property to be added to its portfolio is a restaurant in Newbury, which was bought from Paramount. The restaurant was called Brasserie Gerard and the reports are that the festive trading was ‘strong.’

In the fast food sector, there are also stories of growth. KFC has recently applied for planning permission in Peterborough, it was revealed in a local news source, for a drive thru design which would also contribute to job creation – it was estimated some 40 jobs would be created locally as a result.

Posted by Phil on the 13th January 2012

The Blue Seal E31D4 is an exciting new addition to the world of convection ovens. This convection oven can accommodate up to 4 sheet pans of half size. It’s an incredibly durable and versatile convection oven which can perform a multitude of functions, including warming, roasting, baking and grilling. This oven retains all of the best design aspects of the previous models in the Blue Seal range, with the addition of new and innovative features which make catering that much easier. It’s the perfect size and shape for use as a main oven in a smaller catering environment or as part of a larger group of ovens in larger, busier kitchens.

The Blue Seal E31D4 features an easy to use, digital control display which is highly visible, so that you don’t have to waste time searching for the right function. This model also comes with an electronically run thermostat which allows for accurate and consistent heating of the convention oven each and every time. The interior of the oven is made with a vitreous enamel, so that cleaning up spillages is easier than ever.

Cooking in a busy catering kitchen is so much simpler with the Blue Seal E31D4; this convection oven is designed specifically to offer versatile and consistent performance, whatever you happen to be cooking.

These convection oven units by Blue Seal can fit easily into a catering kitchen, whatever the size. The countertop units don’t take up too much space, yet still offer a good capacity for cooking a large quantity of food at once.

Posted by Phil on the 12th January 2012

Although we all like to eat, drink and make merry this time of year, it is worth paying attention to a recent reminder from the Food Standards Agency. They have warned that it is necessary to cook chicken livers with particular care when creating chicken liver pate, failing which there is a risk of disease. What is the disease? The answer is: campylobacter infection, which is said to be the number one cause of food poisoning in the UK at the moment. According to figures from the Health Protection Agency, 90% of the diseases in catering establishments were connected to this undercooked food dish made from chicken liver.

Wealdon District Council is taking this warning very seriously and has recently increased its inspections on local restaurants. Of course, chicken liver pate is a popular starter and with the increased festive trade – Christmas celebrations, office parties and the like – the risk of contracting the disease is proportionately higher.

The Health Protection Agency has suggested that many of the traditional recipes for this dish do not provide for the livers to be adequately cooked and can remain pink in the middle. Expert advice indicates that searing the livers only will not be adequate to make the livers safe for consumption – they have to be cooked all the way through. Of course, it is also important to remember other food hygiene practices in the kitchen so that there is no risk of cross-contamination with other food stuffs in the food preparation areas.

Posted by Matt on the 11th January 2012