Dual-function trolleys solve problems

Two Moffat banqueting trolleys each able to provide both refrigeration and regeneration play an important role at the Royal Armories Museum in Leeds, which includes a main dining hall able to offer banqueting for 800 as well as a restaurant, coffee shop and various galleries available for functions. Initial doubts of head chef Neil Moore-McCarthy concerning meal freshness were quickly dispelled. He rates three trolley features of primary significance: the dual refrigeration/regeneration capabilities; ability to run the trolleys from a 13 amp single phase supply with consequent location flexibility; and an integral 3D logging system which permits temperatures within the trolleys to be probed and logged at any time.

Further operational benefits include the ability to chill plated meals the day before and regenerate at the last minute without any extra handling.

Regeneration is via ceramic top with halogen gantry. "Producing meals that are ready to go straight to the table means we no longer need to employ more costly silver service staff, just traditional waiters," says Moore-McCarthy, "And we now find that instead of a ratio of one waiter to every ten diners we can operate with a ratio of one to twenty, all of which saves us money without compromising our level of service." Moffat supplied two different sized plate covers, making it possible to use both 10 and 11 inch plates.

• Moffat's latest Versigen and Chillogen regeneration trolleys are claimed to use less than 60 per cent of the energy required by most other trolleys and to have have faster regeneration times (60 mins compared with 100 mins plus). thanks to the exclusive TurboHeat Generator/Multifan system. A food transfer system enables food to be pre-loaded onto cassettes in the kitchen/chilled room then transferred to the serving area by lightweight transfer dolly. Spare cassettes can be supplied so that other meals can be prepared while the regeneration trolley is in use.

E & R Moffat