One way to reduce your carbon footprint is to buy British- or EU-made goods.  These goods are here on the doorstep waiting to be delivered without journeying halfway around the earth on container ships.  Costs saved on transportation can be passed on to the customer, making British goods an ethical and cost-effective option for today’s cash-strapped pubs, clubs and restaurants.

The Duo glasswashers and dishwashers from Classeq are 100% British-built in Classeq’s factory near Stafford.  Duo machines are designed and built to be reliable and energy efficient and a best value-for-money option both at purchase and during operation.  Classeq offers excellent after-sales service and because the machines are British-built sourcing spares and routine maintenance items is quick and easy.

Classeq includes virtually everything as standard on the machines, such as drain pump, WRAS approved break tank, rinse boost pump and integral chemical dosing pumps - features that in most other warewashers are optional extras.  A fully insulated double-skinned cabinet ensures that the Duo range is both quiet and cool to the touch while at the same time lowering energy usage.

The full coverage filter system keeps the wash water cleaner for longer, meaning fewer water changes, cleaner plates and lower fuel bills.  To give a quick start-up time and further minimise energy requirements the Duo machines have a washtank requiring very little water - as little as 10 litres – while the moulded steel interior wash chamber is easy to clean.

The Duo glasswashers are available in two sizes - the compact Duo 2 and the larger-capacity Duo 3. The Duo 2 is only 470mm wide (ideal for undercounter applications where space is tight), and can wash up to 16 pint glasses in a two-minute cycle. The larger 570mm wide Duo 3 handles up to 25 pint glasses per cycle.

The Duo dishwashers are available in similar dimensions, and have three-minute wash cycles. The compact Duo 500 can wash up to 9 dinner plates in its 400mm racks, while the larger Duo 750 has a capacity of up to 18 plates in 500mm racks.

THE design of three BSF schools in Bradford using natural and mechanical ventilation to minimise environmental impact have come in for criticism after pupils were reported to have collapsed during the recent heatwave.

According to the Bradford Telegraph & Argus, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) reported temperatures as high as 38ºC at three schools in the area:­ Tong High, Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College and Titus Salt School.

All three schools were built as part of Bradford Council’s £400m Building Schools for the Future (BSF)programme under a PFI contract.

Miriam Murch, health and safety advisor to the Bradford branch of the NUT told the Bradford Telegraph & Argus: “We have heard reports that three children have collapsed, one at each school”.

Stuart Davies of the NUT told ACR News that the schools mainly rely on natural and mechanical ventilation. “The problem is there is a lot of glass and not many opening windows,” he said.

A spokesman for Shepherd Engineering Services (SES), the m&e contractor at the Tong school confirmed that there was no comfort cooling in the building but that there were opening windows in all of the classrooms.

In a statement to ACR News, Integrated Bradford, the consortium behind the schools’ construction, said: “The Bradford schools are designed to be energy efficient with a combination of natural and mechanical ventilation, to minimise environmental impact. The schools are fully compliant with Building Bulletin guidance and in line with the design criteria. Air conditioning is fitted in the schools in the appropriate places, ie server rooms.”

Leading commercial refrigeration manufacturer Foster has launched a brand new wine chiller cabinet which will enable caterers and publicans to store large quantities of wine front-of-house.

The Foster Vino Cabinet is the ideal choice for those looking to store wine in a stylish way. With a massive capacity – up to 156 75cl. bottles-  on a very  slim footprint , the Vino wine chiller offers outstanding wine storage and at a very affordable price.

The attractive black coated steel exterior also looks great in any front of house setting, displaying contents effectively, and ensuring your customers’ wine is served at the optimum temperature.  The elegant, anti-UV ray double glazed door protects against content spoilage, and is also lockable for peace of mind.

The cabinet features a curved, lockable glass door and tilting shelves which allow maximum visibility of any wine collection, large or small. The Vino also cleverly allows the user to choose between two temperature settings: Multi-temp and Mono-temp:
- Multi-temp allows a variety of wines to be efficiently stored at different temperatures at the same time.
- Mono-temp allows a single temperature setting for the whole cabinet.

John Savage, Director for Foster Refrigerator said:  “This is an exciting new product from Foster and we are delighted to be adding this to our extensive refrigeration line. As always, Foster customers will receive the high quality, robust, value for money piece of equipment they have come to expect.”

After 18 years of selling the finest teas on the market, he has finally discovered a water boiler that has a built-in filtration system, and best of all, a variable temperature control.

Manufacturer Lincat invited Ben to test its innovative range of ‘FilterFlow’ automatic water boilers, with convenient and cost effective built-in water filtration, at his Lincoln premises. Designed to provide a continuous supply of high-quality, filtered water to improve the taste and quality of hot beverages, they are ideal for all catering establishments.

Ben installed two EB3F water boilers at the beginning of the year, which he retains at different temperatures for different types of tea.

His findings, he says, have been extraordinary.

“It is important to understand that the key ingredient for a really good cup of tea is freshly filtered water, which is free from taint and odour and heated to the correct temperature.

“Even with the finest teas in the world at your disposal, a good cup of tea can be ruined by the water, either its temperature, or its taste, or both.  Until now it has always frustrated me that even when I visit a top hotel I cannot get a good cup of tea that is served at the right temperature.

“So when Lincat asked me to try these new boilers I didn’t expect very much, but I was wrong. The temperature control means that I can have one water boiler set to 70 degrees for green teas, and one at close to boiling for black teas. It makes my tea tasting so much easier and undoubtedly brings out the very best in the tea leaves.”

Ben continued:

“These boilers are absolutely perfect for any catering establishment where hot drinks of any kind are on offer, but even more so for tea, which really relies on good tasting water. Often with water boilers there is a nasty taste, but with the EB3F’s built-in filtration system the water is at its finest. This has meant that I can do away with my kettle for tea tasting altogether.

“The water boilers are also very good to look at, made from polished stainless steel with an LCD panel. I would recommend them to any business that is serving hot drinks, and they cost no more than a traditional boiler.”

There are four FilterFlow models in the Lincat range, and each features comprehensive onboard diagnostics with an easy to read LCD panel.  This shows the operational status of the boiler and reminds users when to order a new filter and when exactly to change it. The filter cartridge is as easy to change as a light bulb, with no need to disconnect the water supply or seek the help of a service engineer or plumber.

Lincat Ltd is part of the Lincat Group of companies. Sister companies IMC Ltd and Britannia Kitchen Ventilation Ltd operate in the commercial catering equipment sector. Lincat Group company Mercury Appliances Ltd designs and manufactures domestic cooking appliances. Lincat’s website: www.filterflow.co.uk