| | | | | commercial microwaves indicate the end of the |
| Scotland, Ireland,Wales and England Predictions based | | | | reheating cycle by the door opening automatically. One |
| on the experience of Scotland and Ireland following | | | | of the microwave ovens should be 1,500W or higher in |
| their smoking bans are that alcohol sales will dip and | | | | power to rapidly reheat dense frozen foods such as |
| the potential for food sales will rise. | | | | lasagne. Samsung, Panasonic and Sanyo all make |
| Many pubs are already running successful food | | | | commercial microwave ovens for commercial kitchen |
| operations, but those that have stayed wet-led might | | | | enviroments. |
| now be looking at raising more revenue from food, | | | | Cooking range |
| which means buying catering equipment. | | | | A six burner cooking range is a must for |
| Many pubs intending to push hard into the food market | | | | every commercial kitchen. The hobs will boil and |
| will choose fast-service menus offering familiar foods | | | | shallow-fry and the oven underneath will roast meat |
| that rely on frozen ingredients, quick-cook fresh items | | | | and bake pies. However, since a pub just moving into |
| and premium sandwiches and salads. Adopting this | | | | the food market is not going to have a huge demand |
| entry-level approach to pub food requires a restricted | | | | for food cooked on a range, a model classed by the |
| range of kitchen equipment and modest cooking skills, | | | | manufacturer as light- to medium-duty will suffice. |
| which keeps the start-up budget manageable until the | | | | Dishwasher |
| pub or the customer footfall suggests a more | | | | A pub will already have a commercial glasswasher, |
| ambitious approach. | | | | which might occasionally have been used for cups and |
| These are the basic items of catering equipment a | | | | saucers and sandwich plates, but once food proper |
| pub looking to move into food sales needs to have. | | | | appears on the menu a dedicated |
| Refrigeration | | | | commercial dishwasher will be needed. |
| No pub kitchen can work efficiently or safely without a | | | | Glasswashers and dishwashers look similar, but have |
| commercial freezer. The size and number of | | | | different wash cycles and pump pressures and use |
| freezers depends on the menu mix, but a | | | | different detergents. The worst thing a |
| commercial freezer is a must-have item of | | | | commercial glasswasher needs to clean off is lipstick, |
| commercial kitchen equipment. Pubs need rapid | | | | while a commercial dishwasher has to deal with |
| access to frozen food in busy service times, so | | | | everything from lasagne to curry. An immediate effect |
| upright freezer cabinets are more convenient that | | | | of trying to put food plates and glasses through the |
| chest freezers and occupy less floor space. There | | | | same washing machine is that the amount of streaks |
| also need to be enough upright catering fridge cabinets | | | | on glasses from food residue will rise hugely. |
| to cope with storing all the chilled food the kitchen is | | | | Grill or griddle |
| going to need. This might be a single cabinet, but is | | | | Steaks are a core menu item for a pub, and there are |
| more likely to be at least two. | | | | several ways to cook them. A griddle has its heat |
| The argument for buying commercial refrigeration is | | | | source underneath and is also a good way to cook |
| not just that it's good working practice, but, more | | | | burgers. One advantage of a griddle is that meat can |
| importantly, that it's essential for food safety. The | | | | be easily basted to keep it moist. |
| expensive components in commercial refrigeration | | | | A salamander grill works with heat radiating |
| are the motor and the condenser, which control how | | | | downwards and with some heat rising up. A benefit is |
| the refrigerant moves around the cooling bars. | | | | that food can get a barbecue effect through the |
| Manufacturers build motor performance according to | | | | intense radiated heat. A salamander grill can also do |
| the expected use, which depends on the number of | | | | toasted sandwiches or brown off a cheesy topping. It |
| times the freezer door or lid is going to be opened. | | | | can be a dry form of cooking with meats that do not |
| Fryers | | | | contain fat, so basting might be necessary. A |
| A pub will find it difficult to run a food operation with a | | | | compromise between the two is a contact grill, which |
| single catering fryer. There need to be two: usually | | | | has two hinged heating plates that clamp together to |
| one for frying coated products such as fish or | | | | cook meats on two sides at once. These are very |
| sausages, and one kept exclusively for chips. There | | | | quick, and the result is moist, but their small size |
| are good operational reasons for working with two | | | | compared with a griddle means that only one or two |
| fryers, or a twin-tank fryer. First, it is difficult for a fryer | | | | items can be cooked at once. Contact grills can also |
| to cook two different items at once - different foods | | | | do toasted sandwiches. |
| need different cook times and sometimes different | | | | Hot beverages |
| cooking temperatures. Also, coated products and salty | | | | These are the most profitable item a pub can sell, and |
| products such as sausages break down the structure | | | | sales will always benefit from quality tea and coffee. |
| of oil much more quickly than chips, so the oil in a | | | | An espresso machine produces the best range of |
| chip-only fryer will last longer than one being used for | | | | coffees, but is an expensive outlay for a pub just |
| other items. | | | | beginning in food. One way to offset the cost is to |
| For entry-level pub catering, plug-in table-top fryers will | | | | have a loan machine from a coffee supplier in return |
| be sufficient, avoiding the need for hard-wiring of | | | | for buying its coffee. At a much simpler level there |
| three-phase electricity or plumbing in of gas. For | | | | are pour-and-serve percolator systems and systems |
| volume production of fried food, however, free | | | | that use freeze-dried coffee as the base. A simple |
| standing commercial fryers will be needed. Any | | | | plug-in water boiler will cope with tea sales, and the |
| fryer needs the oil to be filtered at least once a day to | | | | constant source of boiling water is useful for other |
| remove food debris. | | | | tasks in the kitchen. |
| Microwave oven | | | | Equipment size |
| All pubs need at least one microwave oven most | | | | A common mistake pubs make in choosing the size of |
| need two or more to deliver food cooked from frozen | | | | equipment to buy is basing the decision on current |
| in the time customers expect between ordering and | | | | business and not planned business growth. A rule of |
| being served. Domestic microwave ovens are | | | | thumb is to choose catering equipment at least |
| unsuitable for commercial use for a number of | | | | one-third bigger than you think you will need. If your |
| reasons, which can include low power, uneven | | | | food sales take off, you will be glad of the greater |
| reheating and the irritating "ping", which can indicate to | | | | capacity. |
| the customer how the food is being prepared. Many | | | | |