Commercial Kitchen Re-Opening Guide

The Covid-19 crisis and subsequent lockdown placed a huge amount of pressure on the UK’s catering and hospitality sector, meaning many businesses have had to close for several months. To help ensure that equipment was appropriately decommissioned and maintained, we produced this guide to provide some advice for those facing a period of inactivity.

In response to the government’s announcement that hospitality venues can start to reopen their premises on 4^th July, we’ve complied some of the most important considerations for businesses looking to get their kitchen up and running again.

As catering operations start to reopen, there will be an obligation for kitchen staff to adhere to social distancing. Government guidance highlights the importance of ‘minimising interaction between kitchen staff…and spacing working areas to maintain social distancing guidelines as much as possible’[1].

Not only does this mean kitchen staff maintaining an adequate distance from each other, but any chance of cross-contamination in terms of workspace and equipment used must be eliminated. In an environment as fast-paced and dynamic as a kitchen, this presents a challenge.

In many circumstances this will mean dedicated work stations, with chefs required to maintain a certain position within the kitchen. Although this reduces flexibility and dynamism to a certain extent, it does mean that social distancing can be followed without a significant drop in output. It does, however, require careful consideration over the way that kitchen equipment is used. If chefs are having to stay within just one or two stations throughout service, equipment must be flexible enough to facilitate this without affecting the quality of the end result.

With this in mind, multi-functional equipment such as Electrolux Professional’s thermaline ProThermetic range of Pressure Cooking Boiling and Braising pans can be an invaluable tool. We’ve covered them in more detail in this guide, but it’s worth recapping just how versatile they can be. Able to undertake a number of different cooking methods, including shallow frying, boiling, and steaming, they enable operators to get the most out of a single work station. They’re also easy to clean, which is important when you consider chefs will be required to cook several different meals in one place, on the same piece of equipment, throughout the day.

The other thing to bear in mind with equipment is the volume of food it is able to produce. It’s not just the restriction in being able to move about, but a reduced service front-of-house means less money coming in for businesses. Government guidelines also suggest reducing the number of people each person has contact with, by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’[1]. Ultimately, this may mean less kitchen staff will be working at any one time, which places greater pressure on those working during a service to keep up with demand.

Electrolux Professional’s high capacity Fryers^HP are perfect for producing large volumes of food on very little floor space. Crucially, they are capable of rapid re-heat, which allows more batches to be cooked in a shorter period. At a time when profit margins are tight, features such as the automatic load compensation are important in maximising productivity, and therefore increasing the output capabilities of a socially distanced kitchen.

It’s difficult to predict how the hospitality sector will look as it reopens, or to say with any certainty how many customers will be coming through the door. This is something that businesses will have to consider as they plan for the next few months, and while our industry is resilient, social distancing will mean premises are restricted in how many customers they can get through the door.

One of the most impressive things to come out of the lockdown has been the flexibility and ingenuity of some outlets in changing how they operate, moving from an exclusive in-house service to more of a takeaway model. We’ve seen pubs and restaurants provide takeaway meals, either ready to be eaten immediately, or frozen to be re-heated at home later on.

As businesses begin to welcome customers through the door again, a reduced capacity may give rise to more hybrid models, in which operations provide a sit down as well as a takeaway service.

In these circumstances, a kitchen’s ability to meet this demand will depend heavily on the equipment at its disposal. Blast chilling has emerged as an integral part of a catering operation’s output in recent months, capable of rapidly freezing meals in batch. This allows them to be taken home by customers and re-heated safely, locking in the taste and providing a substitute restaurant experience.

Utilising systems such as Cook&Chill on the Electrolux Professional SkyLine Blast Chillers, in conjunction with SkyLine Combi Ovens will enable chefs to navigate social distancing and produce substantial volumes of food.

The SkyDuo functionality ensures a seamless connection between cooking and blast chilling, facilitating efficient meal preparation outside of key in-house service times. Ultimately, this allows businesses to continue offering an eat-at-home service, that will supplement the reduced front-of-house service that will be in operation.

We have also seen businesses thrive in offering hot food takeaway options, but again social distancing in both the kitchen, and the waiting area for customers, has put pressure on staff to work quickly. The capacity for equipment to produce a range of tasty fast food is critical in providing a high level of service to patrons, and products such as the SpeeDelight are invaluable for this. Effectively combining three distinct cooking technologies: contact plates, infrared radiation, and microwaves, it incorporates a raft of functionality specifically designed to increase the quality of food, while minimising cooking times.

Given that businesses are likely to see a drop in income as a result of reduced service capabilities, equipment running costs must be kept to an absolute minimum. This means opting for equipment that is as energy efficient as possible, extending beyond core catering products to refrigeration and warewashing as well.

Hygiene is something that will always be a top priority for kitchen staff, so it goes without saying that as operations start to reopen, they must ensure they adhere to the strictest food safety and hygiene practices. We’ve covered the top 10 considerations in this blog, which naturally places thorough and regular hand-washing at the top of the list.

Following these best practices will help businesses ensure the health and safety of both employees and customers alike. However, while ever Covid-19 remains, there will always be an additional focus on sanitation, and this is where it is important to be aware of how the latest warewashers can help with this.

For example, Electrolux Professional’s green&clean Hood Type dishwasher has rounded corners in the cavity, and is designed to be as smooth and easy to clean as possible. The wash tank and bottom section of the cavity are pressed from a single sheet of stainless steel, meaning there are no dirt traps or corners that could impact on overall cleanliness.

The importance of high-quality maintenance, servicing, and training is greater than ever, yet social distancing also presents a challenge in this regard. Over the past few months, we have seen service personnel attend emergency callouts while adhering to strict hygiene and social distancing practices. As we move out of lockdown, however, there are exciting technological advancements that will assist businesses in keeping their equipment in tiptop shape.

Front and centre of this technological revolution is Two Pairs of Eyes, a new augmented reality remote guidance app which can help customers complete a number of service and maintenance tasks on their own Electrolux Professional food service equipment.

Available on PC, mobile, and tablet devices, it allows service and maintenance technicians to remotely guide customers through basic servicing, repair and maintenance tasks, as well as remote training and product tutorials. The app also ensures any necessary remedial work can take place on sites with strict access limitations.

Training, too, has seen a digital transformation. Online webinars and tutorials have allowed us to remain connected with our customers, and provide important training on products and software, such as latest SkyLine Cook&Chill updates. While nothing beats getting up close and personal in our Center of Excellence, this type of training is ideal for helping people get the most out of their equipment, without contravening social distancing measures.

As well as considering the key points outlined above, it is crucial that kitchen equipment is re-started in the right way. Where it has been switched off for a sustained period of time, which has been the case for many operators over the last few months, there are certain measures that should be taken to ensure equipment is in proper working order. Not only will this minimise the risk of breakdowns and unnecessary callouts, but it will also mean kitchens can quickly ramp up to full productivity once service resumes.

Head over to this guide for some of the key steps in recovering Electrolux Professional equipment from idle.