Hot Wheels for Hot Meals

Moffat launches versatile meals on wheels system
NACC Conference 2010, Hilton Blackpool, 15 – 17 September

E & R Moffat has launched a new meals on wheels (MoW) system that allows caterers to either regenerate or hold cooked meals in motor vehicles ‘en route’. The system is based around a modified version of Moffat’s established CR range of electric regen ovens and is due to be officially unveiled at the NACC Conference 2010, at the Hilton Blackpool 15 – 17 September.    The company says the system’s versatility and reliability has the potential to set new standards of food quality and customer satisfaction in this increasingly important sector.

“Being an electric system means it’s very safe, easy to operate and reliable,” says Gary Allen, sales director. “We’ve developed it in partnership with some of our care sector clients – not only is it totally in line with the market’s current needs, it’s also a flexible option. For example, as well as being able to both hold and regen hot food, it can be adapted to a variety of vehicles and is equally suited to cook chill or hotline.”

Moffat’s core MoW system comprises of the oven, which runs off a specially designed inverter, the vehicle (as specified by the client) and special trays that hold the food safely, with no spills. The trays, like the ovens, are bespoke designs, built to match the client’s specifications.

The system on show at the NACC Conference uses a Ford Connect van and is one of the new fleet for Monmouthshire County Council’s meals on wheels service. The vans also have a refrigerator that stores additional chilled meals, for later regeneration, and cold dishes such as salads and cold sweets.

“The systems have to be bespoke, because there are so many variables,” explains Gary Allen. “For example, the oven capacity depends on the customer requirements, product type and van size.” Other variables include how many people are catered for by each vehicle, the number of runs, the distances and whether the system is cook chill or hotline.
Because it can regen en route, the Moffat system allows one vehicle to serve more customers over a longer period of time, saving staff time and costs. “By putting a refrigerator into the vehicle, each driver can do two or more ‘delivery runs’ without returning to base,” says Gary Allen. “When all the meals from the first batch have been delivered, the driver simply loads up the oven with the second batch, from the fridge, and starts off again. 

“Despite being a bespoke build, our Meals on Wheels system is very competitively priced,” he adds. “Its flexibility and cost savings will give buyers an excellent return on investment.”

E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house. Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment with a full nationwide after-sales engineering team. E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested. For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk