The lead-up to Christmas is arguably the most important time of the year for caterers and hospitality companies.
From annual family-style sit-down dinners to large party bookings and charity or fundraising events, customers will be visiting your premises in their droves in late November and December to sample all your Christmas delights and enjoy soaking up the festive atmosphere.
But while it can be tempting to focus purely on getting covers out the door during such a busy (and profitable) time, you need to make sure you are looking after your commercial kitchen while it’s in heavy use.
Here are a few pointers to help you keep your setup working perfectly throughout the holidays and keep disastrous downtime or costly repair bills at bay during this make-or-break period for your business.
Don’t overload your machinery
From your ovens to your fridges, make sure you don’t use your vital equipment outside of manufacturer load lines. Following the guidance to the letter is a straightforward way to protect your appliances and make sure they last longer.
This is something you will need to think about carefully if you have ordered in extra ingredients to meet heightened demand, as these items will need to be stored safely in a way that doesn’t put an unnecessary strain on your machinery.
In the case of refrigeration specifically, air circulation can suffer when units are overstocked, which can cause the appliance to freeze up. Find more tips on looking after your commercial refrigeration equipment here.
Check your ventilation
Clear your ventilation to keep it clear from dirt, grease and grime that could prevent it from operating correctly (and pose a health hazard). The motto here is, the sooner the better, because the last thing you’ll want to do during your extended festive service is spend valuable hours cleaning out your ductwork and extractor fans.
If you would prefer a professional to take a look, TWO Services offers a comprehensive ductwork and extraction service that includes hygiene certificates to prove that our works have been completed to BESA TR19 industry standards.
Clean your ice machines
It’s easy to overlook this job – but if they are not cleaned out regularly, your ice machines can become a breeding ground for all sorts of nasty bacteria. Most manufacturers recommend that ice machines undergo a deep clean between two and four times a year. If you would rather not tackle this important job yourself, contact our cleaning team for help.
Keep on top of your maintenance
This is something you should be working towards all year round. However, we understand that getting your kitchen equipment serviced can be at the bottom of your list during such a busy season.
Thankfully, our planned maintenance solutions take the hassle out of the entire process, leaving you to concentrate on serving great food. With three options to choose from – including standard 6- or 12- month inspections, labour comprehensive contracts and out of hours agreements – you can rely on TWO Services to keep your kitchen safe and your equipment performing at its best, even when your equipment and your staff are under extra pressure.
React quickly to faulty or broken equipment
We don’t need to tell you that a broken down oven or a warm freezer will wreak havoc with your Christmas service plans.
If anything goes wrong between maintenance sessions and your kitchen is at risk, you can take advantage of our repairs and emergencies service. Our engineers’ vans are well-stocked with parts for most leading models, which means we can usually carry out repairs there and then, without the need for an extra visit. If for any reason we don’t have the components to hand, we can usually get them to your site by the next day, thanks to our partnerships with the largest parts distributors in the country.