Healthcare and Education
Hospital Catering Team Feeds 1000 Patients Per Day
The main one (of many) challenges that his team face daily is the provision of food for 1,000 patients: add to this the requirement to cater for a very wide range of specialist dietary needs, plus produce food for the Dining room which offers a full and varied menu for staff and visitors - and also produce food for several local nurseries and the local Meals on Wheels service, and we get some idea of the enormity of the operation.
Proof Required - Study Tour & Live Cooking Demonstrations
Part of the brief Marshall had to fulfil before funding could be approved was to identify what saving could be made through the purchase of the FRIMA units.
Marshall and his team undertook a Study Tour and visited two sites at different locations on the UK mainland, and in addition the team also spent the day challenging the Chef during live demonstrations at the Equip Line Live Kitchen, a fully equipped showroom/test kitchen facility located in their head office at Uxbridge.
Savings on Energy & Shrinkage - A Winning Combination
This thorough investigation satisfied Marshall that the reduction in meat shrinkage meant better yields and more serving portions would result in lower food costs. That together with the swifter cooking times proved there would also be savings on the power used.
Local Service Support & Chef Training
As it does throughout the UK, the Equip Line team worked closely with its local partner on the Island to supply & install these units to the hospital, and, despite their futuristic looks, expert tuition from fully trained FRIMA Chefs ensure the FRIMA quickly becomes easy to use.
Ease of Use
This was especially important as it allows Chef to spread his workload throughout the brigade - fortunately the FRIMA control panel is very similar to the Rational combi units so it is often familiar to Chefs anyway.
Choice of Models
To meet all these demands he chose to install two 311+ = FRIMA Vario-Cooking centres. These are the largest models in the range with capacities of 90 litres each.
Marshall said "the decision to purchase the two FRIMA 311's was not taken lightly" - and that as early as the first week of installation they have already proved to be well received by his usually sceptical Chefs.
The Chefs after using them for such a short time are complementary about the units, saying "they have lived up to the 'salesman's' claim that they would save on energy costs as the braised beef dish that would normally take two and half hours had been cooked one hour earlier and there had been less shrinkage of the joints."
VarioCooking Truly Means Vario!
Unlike many pieces of equipment which are claimed by manufacturers to be versatile, the FRIMA really is: within 2 - 3 minutes the unit can be cleaned (no more pots and pans) and move on to the next required function: breakfast items, helping with mise en plas, then busy lunch service whether Table d'hôte style or a la carte menu. Fry, braise, pressure cook (under ½ bar), sauté, seer, cook pasta, cook fresh vegetables, re-heat just about anything; deep fry fish and chips.
You Have to See it to Believe it!
Book a private demonstration or come to one of our scheduled FRIMA Cook Live days and see the smaller 112+ cope very easily with 120-160 covers in a two hour window. All within less than a metre squared footprint. Using 40% less energy!
Equip Line wish Bob Marshall and his team well.