Pulling together the many different elements involved in the operation of a large-scale hotel takes organisation, dedication and skill. Whether looking at housekeeping, maintenance, facilities, service, entertainment, or catering, being prepared is critical.
When catering for large quantities of paying guests, it’s vital to invest in equipment that can facilitate a professional service, is guaranteed to meet demand and ensures operations can run smoothly and staff can do their jobs to the fullest capacity. Here are 5 equipment essentials to make large scale catering a breeze.
Commercial Combination Ovens
A commercial combination oven is essential for large hotels and can revolutionise large scale catering. It performs multiple cooking functions and techniques including roasting, steaming, grilling, baking and frying, from a single piece of kit. Boasting intelligent cooking technology, leading combi ovens control heat and humidity with ultimate precision to guarantee exceptional and repeatable results.
Able to monitor progress, these clever systems can automatically adjust cooking programs when necessary, in order to achieve the desired results. Plus, they’re self-cleaning so chefs can go home to bed at the end of service and let the equipment take care of itself.
Blast Chiller and Freezer
A blast chiller and freezer is a must-have for big hotels. It rapidly chills and freezes food, keeping it fresh and minimising waste. It’s also a must for food safety in any catering setting. Its powerful cooling power quickly drops cooked food temps through the food danger zone to minimise bacterial growth.
Plus, it has exact temperature control, letting chefs keep their dishes’ quality. This is super important in large hotel kitchens that make many different foods at once. By quickly chilling or freezing cooked food, the blast chiller stops dishes from changing taste or texture and ensures that quality is retained.
There have been many media horror stories detailing cases of food poisoning where businesses have received hefty fines and, in some cases, prosecuted. Following strict food safety guidelines, keeping detailed records and using a blast chiller and freezer correctly can keep guests safe from potential health risks and save not only money but the reputation of a business.
It is essential to have a freezer temperature monitoring system and routine in place.
Commercial Ice Machine
Ice is a major commodity and large hotels must have a commercial ice machine to guarantee a steady supply of ice. Required not only for drinks in the bar but may also be required for food storage and certain cooking techniques. Modular ice machines can produce large amounts of clear, pure cubed or flaked ice quickly and as the motor block and ice storage bin can be purchased separately, choosing a configuration that meets specific requirements is simple.
Walk In Cold Room
Walk-in cold rooms are a must-have for large hotels. Offering large capacity cold storage, they can accommodate huge amounts of inventory and are the perfect place to store perishables.
All cold and freezer rooms feature quality insulation to maintain consistent temperatures and help hotels reduce energy use and costs. The large size makes organisation of stock easier, so chefs can locate ingredients easily during busy services and follow good food safe practices for stock rotation and use by dates.
Available as cold rooms, freezer rooms or a hybrid of both, walk-in cold stores can be purchased in ‘off the shelf’ standard sizes or be completely bespoke if a more unusual set-up is required. Due to the size and potential large investment related to cold rooms, it’s strongly recommended to have a site survey through a reputable supplier such as FFD Commercial Refrigeration, to discuss individual requirements.
Passthrough or Conveyor Dishwasher
A passthrough or conveyor dishwasher is essential for large hotels that deal with large scale catering. They offer rapid cleaning and automated convenience for large quantities of dinnerware, cookware, cutlery and utensils.
The high temperature washing cycle zaps bacteria and tough stains, so dishes are hygienically cleaned, spotless and ready to reuse.
By investing in core equipment essentials that can lessen the workload of large-scale catering, hotels can guarantee that guests always receive a professional and memorable experience.
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