Manitowoc ice machines keep up with summer ice demand
Summertime is the time for long cooling drinks. A glass full of crystal clear, long lasting ice is a must for summer drinks - it means not only do they look attractive and stay cooler for longer, they actually taste better so customers come back for more.

Serving superior summer drinks takes a commitment from the bar or restaurant - staff need to be trained on how to serve these drinks and to have access to large quantities of fresh, sparkling ice to keep the glasses topped up. Investing in a reliable, quality ice machine not only ensures a constant supply of ice but also that the ice is pure, clean and produced hygienically.

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A proliferation of fancy cocktails, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, means there is an increased demand for large quantities of top quality ice. Add to that the filling of ice buckets for sparkling wine or champagne and its easy to see that a high production ice machine is a must for busy bars and restaurants. But a “must not” in a classy bar is the droning hum of an ice machine and the hot exhaust air some machines pump out.

Winterhalter is the UK distributor of Manitowoc ice machines. From the land of the ice-filled drink - America - Manitowoc machines are designed to be quiet and efficient in operation whilst delivering copious quantities of crystal clear ice cubes. For high volume production in front of house settings Winterhalter recommends Manitowoc’s new S-Series 1470C air-cooled remote ice machine.

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Manitowoc’s small ice dispenser delivers ice fast

Many venues say they simply don’t have the room for an ice dispenser and make do with an ice bucket. This can raise serious hygiene issues such as contamination of the ice by hand contact and bacterial build-up as the ice in the bucket is not stored at low enough temperatures.

Manitowoc has introduced a narrow ice dispenser, the SPA160, that at only 559mm wide gives smaller venues such as bars, restaurants, fast food outlets and hotel lobbies the option to offer self-serve ice facilities.

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Manitowoc’s automatic cleaning cycle simplifies maintenance

Ice is defined as a food and therefore must be made, stored and handled so that it is not contaminated. This is a requirement of the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 . Past surveys of ice used in drinks have shown the presence of high levels of bacteria and it is up to businesses to sharpen up their practices when it comes to the handling and storage of ice.

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Fresh juice bar phenomenon chooses Manitowoc

Boost Juice Bars is a remarkable concept born ‘down under’ in 2000, when Janine Allis (wife, mother of three and occasional superwoman!) had struggled to find healthier alternatives to fast food for her growing family. Upon realising this gap in the market, the Boost Juice bar concept was born, and today, a delicious range of fresh fruit juices and smoothies - that contain absolutely no preservatives, artificial flavours or colours and are at least 98% fat free - are offered.

In Australia the company is a phenomenon, the fastest-growing catering business ever, and has been transforming people’s attitudes to both fast food and nutrition. Already with over 190 stores worldwide, the company has opened bars in Oxford, Manchester and Nottingham, and announced plans for a further 5 in the UK by Christmas 2007. 

With such a broad drinks menu born in the heat of Australia, it’s no surprise that ice is at the heart of their drinks service. But even in chillier UK, Boost’s Retail Director Dawn O’Sullivan says that ice is at the core of their business.

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Manitowoc table top ice dispensers from Winterhalter give high-volume, fast ice production

Winterhalter has introduced two new Manitowoc ice machines onto the UK market - the SN12 and SN20 table top ice dispensers. Both are extremely compact but are capable of producing up to 148kg of ‘Softcube’ nugget ice in 24 hours and are proving very popular in fast food locations and hotel lobbies.

This 8mm x 8mm x 12mm nugget ice has a soft ‘chewable’ texture. It is especially suitable for soft drinks such as smoothies and slushies but is equally at home in exotic cocktails. Nugget ice chills a drink very quickly without melting too fast and has good glass filling properties adding ‘bulk’ to a drink.

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In the busy run up to Christmas there is simply no leeway for downtime in the hospitality industry. Staff are pushed to their limits and machines need to work at maximum capacity throughout. Manitowoc’s ice machines, available in the UK through Winterhalter, have been designed for dependable operation 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year - and that includes Christmas.

Some things that can get overlooked, especially at Christmas, are routine cleaning and maintenance tasks. To simplify this and free up staff for other duties, Manitowoc ice machines have a built-in, exclusive, patented technology that automatically descales and sanitises the water distribution systems. The AuCS system is compatible for all models in Manitowoc’s popular S-Series of modular icemakers.

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Someone recently started selling ice from Arctic glaciers in a London cocktail bar.  You don’t have to be that specialist or that extravagant (or that daft), but you do need to consider the right type of ice for the right application.

Ice machine specialist Manitowoc has machines producing five types of ice, and says that each one has its specific uses.  You are unlikely to have a business needing all of them, but almost every food & drink business can benefit from more than one type.  We traditionally call big chunks of ice ‘cubes’, but rarely is ice machine ice truly a square ‘cube’. Read the rest of this entry »

Summer cocktails needn’t be complicated - one of the simplest but chicest cocktails around this summer is the Mojita. To conjure up a vibrant Cuban taste, the Mojita only requires fine quality light rum, soda, lime juice, sugar, a few mint leaves - and, most importantly lots of crystal clear, long lasting ice.

The octagonal ice cubes produced by Manitowoc’s EC Series ice makers are absolutely perfect for putting into cooled highball glasses for long summer cocktails such as the Mojita. The cubes are pure, solid and sparkling clear lumps of ice that can be made in two sizes, either a standard 33 x 34mm cube or an impressive grande 38 x40mm cube for larger glasses. Their purity makes them extremely long lasting to maximise the cooling effect and limit dilution to the drink.

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Winterhalter has launched another Manitowoc ice machine into the UK market.  The S850C is a mid-sized ‘QuietQube’ model that delivers plenty of ice for summer drinkers, but keeps operation noise down.

However warm it gets this summer, one thing’s for sure: bars, restaurants and fast food outlets are going to need more ice than ever.  The UK’s consumption of ice is still increasing and anyone serving drinks needs a reliable ice supply and a reliable after-sales service support.  So bigger ice machines with faster ice production make sense.

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