CEDA awards 1996
There was an atmosphere of approval at this year's CEDA (Catering Equipment Distributors Association) Awards, as caterers endorsed the first-place nominations. This year's awards went to Falcon Catering Equipment in the heavy-duty category, Instanta for medium-duty and Churchill Hotelware came up trumps for light-duty.
Falcon 900SX chargrill
The key feature of the 900SX series gas chargrill, introduced last year, is Conrad, a cooking system which replaces the traditional lava rock intermediate bed with a barrier of stainless steel angled louvres. This helps direct heat away from the chef while catching and draining away excess fat and reducing unnecessary flare-ups. The branding irons are double-sided to suit different foods.
Faster heat-up times, even heat distribution and reduced food wastage are appreciated by users such as Vasco & Piero's Pavilion restaurant, close to London's Soho, which purchased the 900SX last December. This family-run Italian restaurant does a lot of grilling and manager Paul Matteuci commended the 900SX's adjustability - both the variable height positions and the reversible bars - for dealing with different items. Speed also counts, since the main focus at the 80-seat restaurant is business lunches.
Grilled vegetables such as courgettes, aubergines, leeks and fennel are a key requirement, along with fish dishes such as salmon. The chargrill is also needed to colour meats quickly before putting them on the salamander, so intense heat is important. Matteuci believes the lava rock type of grill is messy by comparison.
La Bonne Auberge restaurant at Glasgow's Holiday Inn has used a 900SX grill since March, when it replaced a five-year-old Garland lava rock grill. Executive chef Gerry Sharkey finds the Falcon unit much easier to clean because of the way oil and juices are channelled away from the food during cooking. "And the whole thing comes apart very easily," he says.
The 900SX chargrills are made in 600mm and 900mm widths for counter or stand mounting and cost £1,659 and £2,100.
Instanta water boilers
Last year this small British maker of water boilers and beverage equipment asked its designer to update the entire range of counter-top boilers from what joint managing director John Brassey readily characterises as "tin boxes". The result - subtly shaped units in stainless steel with burgundy red fascia - made the Instanta range winner of the medium-duty category and also overall CEDA winner.
Since February, the headquarters of the Staffordshire Police Authority in Stafford has used an Instanta 4000 series boiler to serve tea to police officers and other HQ staff in its dining room, which serves about 150 lunches and 50 breakfasts and 50 evening meals daily.
"Most of the diners prefer a fresh pot of tea," says Pauline Shorthose, contract manager with Staffordshire County Catering Service. The compactness of the boiler meant it could be sited on the front counter of the dining room, which helps speed up service and maximise freshness. Despite the Instanta's size, Shorthose has not experienced any shortages of boiling water, while the simplicity of the controls means canteen users can serve themselves if necessary at busy times.
The Instanta's combination of stainless steel and red helps add a dash of colour and style to the dining room. "Its lines are very well thought-out, with a nicely rounded front."
The design is highly practical, says Shorthose, who was particularly impressed at the ease with which the drip tray could be pulled away for cleaning and other components stripped down.
Tap clearance does pose a problem. If insulated air-pots need filling for field tea service, it is necessary to fill jugs and then decant the water into the tall air-pots. John Brassey, joint managing director of Instanta, says the company decided to reduce tap clearance a few years ago in line with the trend away from large teapots because of repetitive strain injury risks.
"Getting the tap height right is a difficult balance because if it is high you risk splashing when filling ordinary teapots." However, one model in the lower-output 100 series has a 272mm clearance and the company can make special modifications such as swivel arm taps.
Instanta countertop boilers are made in atmospheric and pressure versions and are priced from £359 to £1,195.
Kabul and Herat
Two ranges of crockery targeted at restaurants with themed interiors won the CEDA light-duty equipment category. Kabul and Herat in Churchill Hotelware's Ports of Call Collection were created by designer Jeff Banks.
The crockery is in use at the 100-seat Underworld bar-diner opened by night-club operators Catscratch underneath Glasgow's Central Station in April. The Underworld serves mainly Tex-Mex food but also pasta dishes and other elements reflecting the Italian origins of its owners.
"It's a hot-looking sort of place, but it could almost be Mediterranean," says manager Lisa Potter. "We wanted crockery that reflected the yellow-orange-turquoise slabs of colour." Kabul plates were chosen, but other items from both ranges are mixed colourfully - a cup in one style and a saucer in the other.
Angus Boyd is another Glasgow caterer who has opted for Kabul at the 50-seat Mitchells Restaurant & Bar in North Street (currently a Caterer & Hotelkeeper Adopted Business) and also at the 30-seat Mitchells West End."I think it's the sort of pattern you either love or hate and I loved it instantly," he says. "The design is bold and incredibly eye-catching."
