Page 14 - FFD Info Centre - Commercial Refrigeration & Catering Equipment News & Buying Guides

Refrigeration has actively influenced the way we preserve food in both commercial and domestic spaces. Over the years, the refrigerators seen in the market have evolved and progressed to ensure that people get to enjoy the food preservation benefits that come with owning a refrigerator and foodservice businesses can make the most of fresh ingredients.

Despite the differences in branding, there are inherent similarities in all commercial refrigeration. They all have to keep food cold for a long as possible in precise, consistent temperatures conducive to preservation and freshness. The cooling process involves dropping the temperatures inside the refrigerator through a refrigeration cycle.

The modernisation of the food industry has seen a lot of improvements and additions to a commercial kitchen. Every year, more of these commercial kitchens and food joints are opened, all offering different cooking practices and cuisines to an ever-ready clientele.

With commercial kitchens producing more food than ever before, waste becomes a normal occurrence. Some of the waste finds itself in our environment. This is an unavoidable and sad reality, yet from it, you get to enjoy a well-prepared meal from your favourite restaurant.

Governments, in an effort to ensure that commercial food establishments are responsible for managing the waste, have come up with laws that enforce responsibility and ensure that the environment is not harmed.

One such law pertains to FOG and Grease Traps.

Fried foods tend to smell pretty tasty, but rancid FOGs (Fats, Oils and Grease) rarely do. Because of this, trapping grease in a box and leaving it there for it to go off may not seem like such a good idea, at first. Those first thoughts can make some forget the environmental benefits and put off investing in a grease trap.

But, those first thoughts are wrong. Here’s how to avoid the grease trap stink problem.

First, let’s go over the basics.

All catering businesses are aware of the beauty of blast freezing. Not only does this allow large quantities of food to be prepared and safely stored until it is needed but is also a great way to reduce food waste. While the food safety aspects of this technique are well known, it is also vital that the reheating process is carried out correctly.

By understanding the theory of the chilling and heating processes, the applicable rules and legislations and using the correct equipment, food safety can be observed to the highest standards.

Commercial refrigeration typically relies on tall upright models for fridge and freezer cabinets, preferable as they take up a smaller surface area in the kitchen by utilising vertical space to provide a large capacity for storage. Undercounter refrigerators are also popular as they are not only easy to fit in small kitchens but their small sizes lead to lower electricity costs.

While these options, especially modern ones, have been known to provide great service in terms of efficiency, there is an emerging trend of commercial refrigerated drawers which are bringing a new element of storage to foodservice operations. Professional chefs are increasingly choosing refrigerated drawers as part of their food storage systems.

It’s always exciting when a new restaurant opens – the innovation of coming up with a theme and branding, thinking up the perfect name and creating a menu that reflects the style of the business, all the way down to locating the right premises and choosing the perfect equipment. This was the exact position that co-owners Himal Patel and David Martin experienced when embarking on their new venture in 2016.