Adaptable refrigeration docks at Mondrian London at Sea Containers

Williams’ equipment at iconic London hotel includes fire retardant coldrooms

In the heart of the Southbank, Mondrian London at Sea Containers is set to become one of the capital’s iconic hotels.  A Transatlantic fusion of English and American aesthetics, it is inspired by the glory days of 1920s ocean liners – a theme that runs from the lobby’s giant, copper-clad wall, shaped like a hull, to the first-class menu served in the brasserie-style restaurant, Sea Containers.

In such a setting, quality is paramount.  Sea Containers is open from 6am to midnight and serves up to 700 covers every day.  “Catering equipment gets a pounding, it has to be very hard wearing,” says Executive Chef Luke Rayment.  Given the restaurant’s open kitchen, it also has to look good.  When it came to refrigeration, Sea Containers chose Williams. 

Luke works alongside the hotel’s Culinary Director, New York chef Seamus Mullen, and the menu is very much about sharing and healthy foods, reflecting the restaurant’s youthful, refined ambiance.   The shaved mushroom salad with pine nuts, Idiazábal cheese and brown butter vinaigrette won the Hot Dinners ‘best dish’ award for 2014.

With a menu based on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, the refrigeration has to be reliable, functional and adaptable.  “The equipment was built around what we do,” says Luke.  “Some refrigeration can look great, but is complicated to use.  The Williams kit works very well, it’s functional and easy to clean.”

Vision Commercial Kitchens project managed the Sea Containers installation, with Tricon as the design consultant.  The value of the refrigeration alone was around £200,000.  Williams supplied a wide variety of equipment, including upright cabinets, ‘biscuit top’ under counters, cold rooms and blast chillers, as well as refrigeration systems for two temperature controlled prep rooms, for fish and general produce.

“Inevitably things can go wrong with catering equipment – especially in a busy environment.  We only work with companies who can provide the best service,” says Luke.  The benefit of this approach was apparent during the installation, when it emerged that the coldrooms opened onto main fire escape corridors, so Williams replaced the original doors with PIR fire retardant ones.  “I’d never seen these types of doors on a coldroom,” says Luke.  “Williams created a special lock for them, too, with an interior release mechanism and reinforced handles.”

“In fact, Williams came back a few times to tailor equipment to our requirements.

“Sustainability is a very important issue for the hotel,” says Luke.  “We source locally and responsibly, whether its food or equipment, and we try to have the least possible impact on the environment.”

Williams at Sea Containers

The Williams refrigeration at the hotel has a variety of ‘green’ features, with all the standard counters and cabinets running on hydrocarbon.  This refrigerant, which has low GWP and zero ODP, has excellent thermodynamic properties, maximising energy efficiency, and all the units are below the 150g charge of hydrocarbon threshold, ensuring safety and removing the need for site inspections.

Additional energy saving features range from high performance insulation to CoolSmart intelligent controllers.  These minimise a cabinet’s energy consumption, through processes such as fan and heater pulsing, intelligent defrost and independent management of evaporator and condenser fans.

The counter refrigerators supplied included a mix of Jade and Amber one-, two- and three-door units, with a variety of special options including glass doors, left hand opening doors, drawers and ‘biscuit top’ models that fit under the worktop.

2 x Amber undercounter refrigerator       HA135SA hydrocarbon, left hand

Amber undercounter refrigerator             HA135SA hydrocarbon, glass doors, left hand

4 x Jade Counter refrigerator                  HJC2SA hydrocarbon, biscuit top

7 x Jade Cabinet refrigerator                  HJ1 hydrocarbon

2 x Jade Cabinet freezer                        LJ1 hydrocarbon

Jade Counter refrigerator                       HJC2SA hydrocarbon, biscuit top, 1 bank of 2 drawers, 1 back of 3 drawers

Jade Cabinet refrigerator                       HJ1 hydrocarbon, glass door (please note light not                                                                    available on hydrocarbon models)

Jade Counter                                        HJC3 hydrocarbon, biscuit top

Blast Chiller                                           WBC40 Blast Chiller

Multideck merchandiser                         R65-SCS

Thermowell ingredients well                    TW18 with set of 18 x 1/6 GN pans

Ruby Modular Roll In Cabinet                 HRMR1T

The seven coldrooms at the hotel were constructed using Williams’ roof and wall panels with camlocks, which are securely foamed into tongue and groove joints for a tight-locking, stable structure.  These eliminate the risk of ice build-up in joints and ensure the ‘thermal envelope’ is 100%, thereby reducing energy consumption. The panels use 90mm, zero ODP foam insulation for optimum efficiency.

The coldrooms included a beverage room, dairy, meat, general purpose and two freezers.  The units were fitted with bumper rails, to prevent damage from trolleys used to transport the food, and viewing panels.  The doors were also fitted with curtains to help prevent temperature loss while open.

Williams Southern undertook the site survey for the coldrooms, supplying the drawings as well as testing and commissioning the units.

For information on:

Sea Containers at Mondrian London:

www.morganshotelgroup.com/mondrian/mondrian-london/eat-drink/sea-containers

Tricon Foodservice Consultants: www.tricon.co.uk

Vision Commercial Kitchens: www.visionck.co.uk

Williams Southern: www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk