Hospitality Industry News & Articles

Once the indulgences of the festive season are behind us, people across the globe are setting themselves New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier and get more exercise. But rather paradoxically pizza sales also spike in this post-Christmas period. Pizza giants Domino’s report that New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are their busiest delivery days of the year. If you’re looking to get ahead of the curve and add pizzas to the menu, this guide should help you choose the right commercial pizza oven for your needs.

Written By: Oscar Williams

Christmas, a time for fine food and drink, when pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes can expect their tills to be jingling like Christmas bells. Obviously at such a profitable time of year it’s natural that a business will dedicate time and effort to the planning, preparation and creation of spectacular feasts, making sure that the bar is fully stocked with festive favourites and that they’re ready to facilitate the best celebrations around. All areas have been thought of, right? Not necessarily. What about considering the hot beverage selection on offer? Coffee is a steadfast favourite, a stalwart that never disappoints.

Written By: Gill Lester

Christmas, that festive time of year filled with seasons greetings, Santa, snow (hopefully) and … socialising. Anticipated numbers of social commitments rise exponentially – everyone frequenting nearby restaurants, pubs and bars more regularly than at any other time of the year, whether related to work, social or family commitments. Indulging in copious amounts of good food and drink has become almost as traditional as the holiday itself. With so many people flocking to pubs and restaurants, all expecting food, not just in the run-up to the big day but on Christmas Day itself, there’s extra pressure on the kitchen, bar and waiting staff. Every guest demands punctual service, a minimal wait at the bar and delicious fare. A shortfall in any of these areas could dampen party-goers Christmas spirit. Make sure your business is prepared and well equipped to get through the festive season without a hitch.

Written By: Gill Lester

Sous vide has become a highly popular method of cooking with home cooks and professional chefs alike enjoying the ease of a long, slow process resulting in delicious dishes packed full of flavour. Literally meaning ‘under vacuum’ in French, sous vide involves the vacuum packing of foods before immersion into a water bath for extended cooking at low temperatures. With just a small amount of prior preparation, food can be left to do its own thing; valuable kitchen time freed up for other time-consuming tasks. Sous vide is a no hassle, convenient way to achieve professional quality with minimum effort. New to sous vide and have a few reservations? It’s only natural. All instincts indicate that cooking in plastic at ridiculously low temperatures can’t be safe. We’re here to tell you, it is as long as you know what your doing and you stick to the rules.

Written By: Gill Lester

Correct storage and effective sealing of foods is a major consideration for any food service business; being essential for freshness, food safety, hygiene and in some cases even cooking. With this in mind what’s a vital tool in the arsenal of any serious commercial foodservice operator? …a vacuum pack machine.

Written By: Gill Lester

Any foodservice business with a commercial fryer knows that oil is a major expense. Rather than completely change and renew oil on a regular basis, investing in a high quality oil filtration system will not only provide consistent professional results but can also make sound financial sense. By rejuvenating and filtering used oil, the life span is prolonged and the usability extended as well as offering the potential to produce better tasting foods and make substantial savings in the long run.

Written By: Gill Lester

Once again burgers have proven to be a favourite with diners and rightly so - what’s not to love about those delicious meat patties? Whether you go for a standard, straight laced burger with simple salad or go all out with cheese, bacon, sauce and specialist buns, there is one element that always remains a constant, a core feature – a high quality meat cooked to perfection. Making a wise investment when choosing your commercial chargrill will undoubtedly set you up for success.

Written By: Gill Lester

If your customers are tiring of the old fashioned sandwich and want something a little different why not offer something warm, delicious and filling; the perfect alternative to standard two slices of bread and an unimaginative centre. A Panini press (or contact grill) can allow you to create heated lunch items for your customers with any number of tasty and imaginative fillings. Gone are the days of dreary cheese on bread or a plain old chicken salad. With a Panini grill you can serve fillings such as grilled vegetables topped with melted mozzarella or chicken and pesto dressing delicately topped with a grated, melted cheese all encased within warm toasted Panini bread.

Written By: Gill Lester

No fully functioning commercial kitchen should be without a few vital pieces of equipment, especially if they’re aiming for success. Whilst refrigeration, warewashing, storage, stainless steel prep counters, extraction and ventilation etc. are all major factors, let’s put them aside for now and concentrate on the nitty gritty, core area of the commercial kitchen – the larger cooking equipment that’s going to produce a full and varied menu range with outstanding professional results.

Written By: Gill Lester

Just as investing in the right commercial fryer is a tough yet vital task to any food service business, choosing the best frying oil can also be tricky. There are so many factors to consider and once they’ve been addressed, it’s essential to understand how to look after it. Getting it right will not only reduce outlay on this potentially pricey ongoing cost but will also guarantee fried foods that will keep customers coming back for more. We all know fried foods aren’t particularly the healthiest option but this still doesn’t stop them being one of the most loved and most ordered areas of the menu. Whether producing chips with a crisp crunch and fluffy filling, beautifully battered fish or a side of onion rings or mushrooms, frying is an essential aspect of every catering operation. Here we break down the important areas of choosing and managing oil in an easy to digest guide.

Written By: Gill Lester

Commercial appliances are specifically designed for purpose. Built to cope with the amount they need to be used and to fit in the spaces available. The most successful kitchens run like clockwork - literally. Sets of complimenting components organised and working together in a particular pattern to get the job done. You might be surprised at just how huge the impact of the right equipment is on your kitchens ability to quickly and efficiently produce a smooth service.

Written By: Terri

At the cusp of summer’s arrival when the season is coming into full bloom, getting drinks menus up to speed is vital. While alcoholic tipples tend to go hand in hand with sun and beer gardens, there may be a new way to attract the summer crowd. There’s nothing more refreshing than a freshly squeezed juice or beautifully blended smoothie so why not introduce a new element to summer drinks by kitting out your bar with the right commercial juicer and blender to guarantee beverages always hit the spot.

Written By: Gill Lester

As a chef, it is optimal, whenever possible, to prepare ingredients prior to service or before a function, and cook all dishes freshly as they are ordered. When faced with a large scale catering event, preparation where possible is key to achieving high quality results in a timely fashion.

Written By: Gill Lester

Not only does copper cookware look magnificent but performs well in commercial kitchens. Delivering excellent thermal conductivity and even heat distribution, high temperatures aren’t necessary to achieve perfection; the copper pans do the hard work for you. As copper products are expensive, learning how to correctly care for your kitchen items will guarantee that your investment stands the test of time.

Written By: Gill Lester

Cast iron cookware offers an incredibly durable piece of equipment that conducts heat excellently and more important evenly. Although cast iron products are primarily designed for use on a stove top they can also be used in the oven and over an open fire meaning that versatility is a major advantage. While this sounds like the perfect choice you must be aware that cast iron cookware involves more maintenance than other alternatives in order to prevent rusting. The method of protection required is known as seasoning and the process must be carried out before use and again after cleaning.

Written By: Gill Lester

Aluminium cookware is a favourite in many commercial kitchens due to its impressive heat conducting properties and the fact that products are light weight and affordable.

Written By: Gill Lester

Stainless steel offers attractive cookware manufacture that has a protective coating enabling the stainless finish. It boasts the weight and durability vital for commercial use and can be used to cook any type of food increasing versatility without any risk of reaction to acidity or alkalinity.

Written By: Gill Lester

While a good piece of cooking equipment and high quality refrigeration are vital to any professional kitchen, a microwave is equally necessary. Offering advanced power levels, commercial models are built for consistent and prolonged use. Capable of performing a wide range of functions, any kitchen would be lost without one.

Written By: Gill Lester

Chopping or cutting boards are often underrated in commercial kitchens. Considered to be an accessory they are actually more important than you think. They might not wield the power of cooking and refrigeration equipment but are essential in their own way. Protecting work tops, increasing food safety and offering a stable platform to prepare ingredients, making the right choice is vital and understanding how to care for your boards can guarantee food safety is never an issue.

Written By: Gill Lester

The area of hospitality is a booming industry with approximately 1.9 million people in the UK now being employed in some form of position that falls under this heading. Although the shifts can be long, stressful and tiring there are still plenty of people willing to accept roles of some sort. A number of employees may see their job as an easy way to earn a bit of extra money while others harbour a passion for working with the public or love the buzz of creating exquisite dishes in a hectic bustling kitchen under constant pressure.

Written By: Gill Lester