Tramshed’s Cock & Bull Refrigeration

Dynamic new restaurant uses Precision to store exclusive ingredients such as ‘mighty marble’ steaks

Executive chef Kevin Gratton describes Tramshed, Mark Hix’s new site in Shoreditch, as a ‘sharey’ sort of a place. The menu has limited options, with three starters and three sweets that change daily and, that customers usually share. The main courses are all about steak and chicken – as underlined by Damien Hirst’s ‘Cock and Bull’ sculpture, a Hereford cow and a cockerel, preserved in a steel and glass tank of formaldehyde, installed 4 metres above diners.

The focus is on the very best ingredients, including whole Woolley Park Farm free-range chicken, a Tramshed exclusive, and ‘Mighty-marbled’ sirloin steak, hand selected and aged in Europe’s only Himalayan salt chamber. Customers have high expectations and to keep ingredients in the best possible condition Tramshed has a range of Precision refrigeration cabinets.

Tramshed is a big restaurant with big volumes, typically serving 150 for lunch and 250 for dinner. “In a standard restaurant I’d usually have a mix of counter fridges in the kitchen, with drawers and cabinets,” says Kevin Gratton. “But here we just have cabinets with doors – we’re not storing lots of different ingredients, so it makes more sense to have, for example, all our steaks loaded in gastronorm trays in the fridge.”

The kitchen also has a Precision blast chiller, which is designed to be as simple to use as possible and, despite its 35kg capacity, runs off a 13 amp supply. Only two button presses are needed to give a choice of soft chill or hard chill cycles in 90 minutes, or a blast freeze cycle of 240 minutes. “We use it all the time, for all sorts of products – from pastry bases to chicken livers.”

Out in the restaurant dining area there is a food bar, where the starters and desserts are prepared and served. Here the refrigeration comprises Precision undercounter fridges and freezers. Again, it’s doors only: “The limited menu options mean we need space for big volumes of ingredients – for example, if one of our starters uses whipped beetroot, the guys will make it in large batches,” says Kevin Gratton.

One of the Precision undercounters has a saladette cut into the top for storing ingredients such as washed salad leaves. “It keeps everything cool and gives us the best of both worlds. There’s a full size fridge below but also plenty of room for storing ingredients on top, so chefs don’t have to keep stocking up.”

Tramshed’s bar also has Precision refrigeration in the shape of the new Back Bar Storage models, including a two-door bottle cooler and a glass froster.

The Precision models were supplied and installed by Eximius Projects. James Lee of Eximius says: “In a site as busy and demanding as Tramshed you have to have equipment that is completely reliable. Precision refrigeration also ticks the boxes in terms of energy efficiency and quality build, without pushing up the price.”

Precision at Tramshed

All Precision models are made of stainless steel, inside and out, and feature high performance injected polyurethane insulation with an ODP (ozone depletion potential) of zero. The refrigerators and freezers use Precision’s iCool controllers, which automatically minimise power consumption and monitor operation, triggering audio visual alarms if there is a problem.

Blast Chiller: the PCF 351SS has a capacity for 35kg or 10 x 1/1GN 50mm pans. Energy saving technology allows the unit to run from a 13 amp supply.
Counter refrigerators: Precision’s MCU counter refrigeration is available in a choice of depths – 520, 670 and 790mm – allowing kitchen specifiers to maximise their storage space.
Under Counter cabinets: the 150 Series offers full commercial spec in a compact cabinet that offers 150 litres of chilled or frozen storage.
Back bar: the Back Bar Storage cabinets are available in a variety of sizes, finishes and heights. The BBS 900SS at Tramshed is a double door unit.

For more information check out the Precision website (www.precision-refrigeration.co.uk), or call the company directly on +44 (0)1842 753 994.