The Christmas Ice Experts:

Hubbard offers hotels advice on Christmas ice

Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for hotels, with parties and events causing spikes in custom on top of the overall higher numbers of guests. Having a steady supply of ice provides extra peace of mind that there’ll be no problems meeting the increase in demand.

Busy hotels can benefit from modular machines – perfect for high volume ice production. Hubbard’s Scotsman MXG range of modular ‘supercuber’ ice machines combine productivity, reliability and ease-of-use, with aesthetic-appeal and quieter operation. The MXG models offer high production with one unit capable of producing up to 410kg of gourmet ice per 24 hours, on a global standard footprint.

The MXG is the latest to make the famous thimble-shaped Scotsman gourmet Supercube. The Supercube is the obvious selection for the presentation of classic on-the-rocks drinks – it lasts longest, looks the best and chills without diluting.

To keep the ice flowing during the Christmas rush, it’s essential to make sure ice makers are operating efficiently. The ice experts at Hubbard offer a few pre-Christmas tips:

Most hotels will have ice makers with air-cooled condensers, which means they’ll have an air filter. This needs cleaning. If it gets clogged with dust it will make the ice maker less efficient, so you’ll get less ice. If it’s a quality ice maker this should be a simple, two minute job.
Similarly, keep any grills clean and clear of obstructions. Ice machines require a constant airflow around them to ensure correct operation.
Got a warning light on? If the machine has self-diagnostics it’ll indicate what’s wrong, and should be sorted straightaway. Don’t wait, if necessary call in the equipment service provider. If the ice maker isn’t being looked after by a service company, get one in sharpish.
Make sure the storage bin is emptied, cleaned and sanitised on a regular, weekly basis. If the machine is fitted with an anti-bacterial system, change the anti-bac bag every month.
If the pump has a scaleguard, regular cleaning will help prevent scale building up within the water system.
Having a maintenance schedule for the components that need regular cleaning will help keep the equipment in peak condition.
Water filters generally need to be changed every six months (more often in some areas) to ensure maximum productivity. Make sure the filter has been changed within this timescale.
Also check that the ice maker has been descaled and sanitised recently. Again this should be scheduled for every six months or more often in particularly hard water areas.

Hubbard Systems is the UK distributor for the market-leading Scotsman range, which is available via dealers nationwide. For more information on the full range of Scotsman ice machines, and details of local stockists, freephone Hubbard Systems on 0800 616559, call 01473 350045 email sales@hubbardsystems.co.uk or visit www.scotsman-ice.co.uk