Hospitality Week 2001 new product awards shortlist – Catering Equipment and Services
FOURTEEN judges from every sector of the hospitality industry met at London's Dorchester hotel last month to select 15 new products or services for The Hospitality Week 2001 New Product Awards.
More than 60 products had been submitted and they fell into three categories - catering equipment and services; facilities management and technology, furniture, furnishings and tableware; and food and drink. Each exhibitor with a shortlisted product will receive a certificate to display on their stand during the exhibition.
Three panels of invited judges will tour the exhibition for the final judging on the first day of Hospitality Week, 22 January. They will award gold, silver and bronze medals in each category, which will be presented at the show.
To qualify for entry, the shortlisted products described below, had to have been launched in the UK since Hotelympia 2000, and to be on show at Hospitality Week.
CATERING EQUIPMENT & SERVICES
Balmoral's Cafecino XL (picture) is a high-volume hot beverage machine which dispenses drinks by cup or pot. The judges were particularly impressed by the product's "exceptionally speedy service for large volumes" (Balmoral claims it can dispense 40 servings of black coffee in 10 seconds) and felt it was economical and compact.
For more information please contact: matty.grant@rbi.co.uk
Two products shortlisted this year hail from Rational UK. The CalcDiagnosis System and CleanJet (picture) are both new features to the company's ClimaPlus Combi oven. The former is designed to slow the accumulation of limescale and give operators a reading of the level of scale in their oven's steam generator, while the latter feature is a robot arm and cleaning agent delivery system. The judges felt that the CalcDiagnosis System could save operators "a lot of money" and act as a form of preventative maintenance and the CleanJet was seen as a great time-saver.
For more information please contact: matty.grant@rbi.co.uk
Williams Refrigeration's Glycol Chillers (picture) uses a remote refrigeration system based on technology that combines lower running costs with faster chilling power than traditional remote systems. "Williams has taken something that was around 10 years ago and reworked the technology," commented the judges. "Incredible recovery times."
For more information please contact: matty.grant@rbi.co.uk
Equipline Ram Frozen Fry/Appetiser Dispenser (picture) is an automated floor-standing unit that dispenses pre-set loads of frozen fries or appetisers at the touch of a button. It has a freezehold facility of up to two hours. "It's knock-out, goof-proof and exciting," said the judges.
For more information please contact: matty.grant@rbi.co.uk
According to the judges, Costa Thermal Sleeves (picture) for paper cups are "stylish - like the trends in coffee - and eminently practical". Unique to Costa in the UK, the thermal sleeves are made from corrigated card and slip over a hot takeway drink to prevent scalding.
For more information please contact: matty.grant@rbi.co.uk
The judging panel
The final judging for the New Product Awards will take place on Monday 22 January at the NEC and the awards will be presented at the show.
Members of the following panels will tour the stands to judge the shortlisted products in each category:
CATERING EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES
Kathy Bowry, editor, Catering Update (chair)
Alan Hill, food and beverage manager, Gleneagles
Carl Lindsay, Wood Hall Catering
Ian Neill, chief executive, Wagamama
For more details about Fresh RM's Hospitality Week contact: www.hospitalityweek.com
