Page 4 - FFD Info Centre - Commercial Refrigeration News & Buying Guides

Gastronorm pans and trays are a common feature of any professional catering and food service operation. Here we answer some simple regularly asked questions and simplify the seemingly endless configurations to help businesses to ascertain how these simple pieces of equipment can be tailored to their individual needs.

The coronavirus pandemic has sent shockwaves through Britain's economy - with hundreds of thousands of businesses brought to the brink of closure as a result of the uncertainty of the last six months.

But those shockwaves could pale in comparison to the impact of Brexit, the UK's upcoming exit from the European Union.

What this might mean for the refrigeration industry is still hard to say although we do know that there will be a few changes to contend with. Rest assured though, the industry has been busy preparing and putting measures in place to ensure that customers will feel minimum impact.

Let's take a look, beginning with European regulations of equipment.

Over the years the slush market has grown in popularity becoming a cold treat enjoyed by any generation, all year round. Continuing to go from strength to strength, the commercial slush machine is now a solid feature for many shops, supermarkets, cafes, concession stands, kiosks and snack bars.

In order to realise how your business could harness the full potential of a slushie maker it’s vital to understand how a slush or granita machine works and what you should be looking for when it comes to choosing the right one for your establishment.

This buying guide aims to explain all things slush from what it actually is and how equipment works, to the components of the machine and different features plus a few top tips and handy hints along the way.

Are you feeling a bit cramped? Is your kitchen overflowing with appliances? Does your shop front look confused? Or are you simply struggling to see how your food business could run that bit more smoothly?

You may be in need of a re-vamp. Luckily, we’re here to recommend how you can make the most of your countertops. Here we highlight key pieces of equipment that can be used in a variety of businesses to tackle common issues such as space efficiency, convenience, organisation and display for a wide range of food products.

Commercial fridges and freezers can seem like scary, complicated contraptions and it can be difficult for many people to get their heads around them.

Luckily, we’re here for when things go wrong. In this case, if your commercial refrigerator can’t keep its cool, we’ve got you covered – with a list of what you need to check before calling in the experts.

Here we cover areas including power, doors, gauges, position, correct use, cleaning and maintenance and location to determine whether any issue is likely due to user error or actual mechanical fault.

Bottle coolers do what they say on the tin. They keep your cans and bottles cool and your customers happy.

The most common variety are those which sit behind your bar. Well-lit with glass doors, they showcase your bottled beer, soft drink and mixer selections, in an eye-catching display which makes it that bit easier for your peak-time customers, under pressure to choose, to point straight at what they want.

Drinks coolers are a familiar feature of any pub or bar.

But, what is the real difference between a bar’s bottle cooler and one you might get at home? Could you save a buck by buying a mini fridge for your pub? Or could you get the luxury treatment by bringing a commercial cooler home?