Keep the ice flowing during the run up to Christmas and into the New Year

No festive fretting about Christmas drinks Hubbard Systems has got it covered.

The lead up to 25th December is one of the busiest periods of the year for bar staff, with countless Christmas parties taking prominence alongside an increase in general merriment and the number of revellers. Then there’s the New Year celebration. With this in mind, it’s crucial that ice machines are fully functional and up for the heavy workload. Don’t worry, Hubbard Systems, UK distributor for Scotsman icemakers, is here with essential advice for keeping everything running smoothly this Christmas.

For example, a constant airflow is paramount to keeping an icemaker running at full capacity, so keep all vents clear and unblocked, and clean the air filter to prevent it from getting clogged up with dust. If a warning light shows, act on it quickly. If the machine has self-diagnostics, it should be straightforward to sort. If necessary, get in the service engineer quickly before the Christmas panic sets in.

And last, but certainly not least, remember hygiene. Don’t forget that ice is a food, and thus the same rules apply to ice as to food. It is vital that staff always wash their hands, and that they never handle the ice directly, instead use a scoop. Alongside personnel hygiene, the ice machine should be kept clean according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Its ice bin should be emptied, sanitised and cleaned on a weekly basis.

Further online advice on cleaning ice machines is available at scotsman-ice.co.uk, where there is a series of ‘how to’ videos on the site’s video area. An ice machine maintenance guide is also available to download, at www.scotsman-ice.co.uk/service-and-support.