But there is more to a high class carvery than good cooking with good ingredients. A high quality serving unit is essential if the integrity of the food is to be maintained. Moffat Catering Equipment has produced a new prestigious servery unit designed to meet the needs of the modern professional carvery service.

The smooth curves and granite surround of Moffat’s new carvery units integrate into the ambience of a restaurant, making use of the available space and avoiding unnecessary queues and bottlenecks while keeping the food at the optimum serving temperature. Moffat also supplies the carveries with a variety of finishes to suit the customer’s décor.

The units have three lift-off, heated stainless steel carving pads. Each pad has holding spikes and is individually controlled by an energy regulator. The carving pads incorporate a run-off channel which funnels the juices and scraps into a removable container.

For ease of serving, the plate-up point is positioned at the centre of the unit between the meats and the vegetables. The large bain marie can be used as dry heat or wet heat. The sealed well has perforated lift-out stainless steel base plates for use with various types of dishes allowing different combinations of vegetables and sauces.

Extra servings, sauces or plates can be stored in a large heated cupboard beneath the serving area. The cupboard has removable sliding doors, heavy-duty rod shelves and fan heating unit for easy cleaning and maintenance. There is also ambient storage space within the unit for general merchandise, together with a detachable holding facility for carving knives and sharpening steels.

The two ranges are almost identical in design and deliver a huge selection of options and accessories. The main points of difference are their quality and price, with a choice allowing buyers to match the product to their budget. The E range is made using type 430 stainless steel and is aimed at caterers looking for an economic solution. The S range, using 304 grade stainless steel, delivers premium quality at a value for money price.

For example, a standard economy E range 600 x 600 x 850mm table, with undershelf, retails for about 13% less than the equivalent S range model.

Both ranges are constructed and designed to the highest specifications and will give robust service in commercial kitchens for many years. Thus the tables feature double tops, reinforced with a galvanised plate giving added strength and stiffness to the work surface, and are supplied with adjustable legs or castors.

Cheshire County Council is setting the standard in school catering facilities. One of the UK’s brightest and most remarkable catering operations is at Macclesfield High School, itself newly opened in September 2007.

The design of the all-new operation at Macclesfield will open most school caterers’ eyes. Serving lunch for up to 800 pupils in a stunningly modern food-court style, it also prepares food - from sandwiches to plated meals - for in-school daytime and evening functions.

The centrepiece of the room is a 6-metre long servery counter from Moffat Catering Equipment, built especially with flexibility in mind. Sweeping grandly around an open-plan kitchen, the counter surface is divided into Sandwich, Hot Main, Hot Dessert and Cold Dessert sections, followed by a Pay Station.

In a different queuing station - but as part of the main counter - is a Pizza and Panini section. A separate island counter serves pasta and baked potatoes.

And the counters certainly look the part. "We wanted a modern facility that would compete with anything equivalent in Macclesfield town centre," says Mary Butler, Area Manager for CBS, Cheshire’s county schools catering operation. "It also had be flexible enough to cope if the school’s needs changed - both in meeting new legislation and when the demands of staff, pupils and parents changed. We can also accommodate special needs pupils from neighbouring schools."

Mary Butler says the counters are designed to cope with very busy functions such as school parties, conferences or outdoor events, when large groups might suddenly descend on the dining area at once. At those times a lot of food and drink needs to be served in a very short space of time, and efficient design was vital.

Moffat was a natural choice for building the counters at Macclesfield High School, she says. CBS sketched out an idea for a brighter, more elegant design than is found in most school catering facilities, and wanted a manufacturer with a flair for building stylish custom catering equipment.

"We knew Moffat has a reputation for quality work at the cutting edge," she says. "They had already worked extensively with our chosen main contractor, Caterware, and could add expertise and individuality."

The new Moffat counters have proved excellent, she concludes. "Quite apart from being easy for the staff to work with, they are attractive, brighter and modern. They’ve helped us compete with high street catering outlets, and have made the dining area become ‘a place to be seen’."

E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house. Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment with a full nationwide after-sales engineering team. E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested. For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk

Moffat’s latest V-Gen foodservice trolleys are truly versatile, with numerous options to suit the individual hospital’s needs - and since they can do more than one job, they allow hospital caterers to stretch the budget to the maximum.

The versatility of the V-Gen trolley is based on Moffat’s Chillogen technology. Food is stored, chilled, in the Chillogen cabinet until service is required. The trolley can be programmed to automatically commence the heating cycle at a preset time, or at the push of a button. At that point it starts to regenerate the food to the preferred temperature.

When the hot food is ready, the trolley doubles as a service counter.

So the V-Gen works as a fridge, regen oven, hot cupboard and service counter, all in one. Where appropriate, V-Gen trolleys can even be used to cook food from fresh.
Most of the trolleys will come with a separate refrigerated section for keeping cold foods such as sandwiches, dairy products, cold desserts and even ice cream.

To find out more about the latest V-Gen trolleys from Moffat, visit www.ermoffat.co.uk

E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house. Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment with a full nationwide after-sales engineering team. E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested.

The London Borough of Barnet is encouraging its staff to change the way they operate.  By taking a more flexible approach, for example using Wi-Fi and having less formal meeting areas, staff are encouraged to modernise the way they work.

The Atrium is at the heart of the council’s new strategy. Formerly used by Middlesex University, the building houses an airy and attractive open plan area with meeting rooms and offices attached. The catering facilities are a vital part of the strategy, since staff are encouraged to use the café area to work and hold meetings, as well as for networking and relaxing.

“There’s a choice of meeting areas - from conventional private rooms to coffee-shop-style soft chairs and sofas,” explains Teresa Goodall, Head of Catering for the London Borough of Barnet. “We needed the facilities to both attract staff and encourage the flexible approach to work - so there are plenty of work stations as well, plus Wi-Fi and network access.”

The foodservice facilities were completely redeveloped and are based around a striking new counter, supplied by Moffat Catering Equipment. The counter top is black granite, while the facia incorporates the Borough’s official colour, teal. “The granite goes really well with our colour - Moffat did a good job in designing the counter as a focal point that looks great but is also practical.”

There are two counter areas - one for grab ‘n go foods, such as snacks and sandwiches, the other for hot and cold meals. According to Teresa Goodall, two of the most popular sections are the fresh fruit bar and the salad bar. There’s also a variety of hot and cold display areas built into the counters, including a soup servery, and two cash points. The counter’s gently bowed front is both attractive and practical, since it allows customers to see more of the food offering.

“We’re delighted with the counter and it’s clearly a hit with our customers - since we opened in October, takings have increased every week,” says Teresa Goodall. “More people are using the facilities, including staff from other civic buildings.

“The counter was a significant investment for us. It’s proving its worth and the robust construction will give us many years of service.”

E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house. Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment with a full nationwide after-sales engineering team.

E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested. The company was FCSI Manufacturer of the Year in 2006 and LACA Supplier of the Year for 2007. For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk

Two of Southampton’s largest primary schools have just had major kitchen and servery installations to bring all their school meals service in-house for the first time. And the head teachers are said to be ‘over the moon’ with the new facilities.

Southampton City Council’s catering department (City Catering) says that key to the success of the installations was Moffat Catering Equipment’s Versicarte Plus mobile servery counters.

Bassett Green Primary and St Mark’s C of E Junior School had previously been dependent on remote kitchens at other schools, where the meals were prepared earlier in the morning and carried up to four miles using insulated containers.

Catering Client Liaison Officer Ray Loines says that while the new kitchens were conventional and straightforward, everything hinged around the serveries. The Versicarte Plus system allowed them to make maximum use of space and adjust for changing demand. Benefits include their ease of use, safe design (for instance, the hidden castors), ease of cleaning, and the ability to change and adapt to the schools’ individual needs.

The schools are both using Versicarte Plus mobile serveries – one bain marie model and one ambient version. With these, Bassett Green is serving more than 200 meals a day, while St Mark’s is serving over 150.

The Versicarte Plus was a major update of the mobile servery when introduced to the school catering market, featuring enhancements that made it ideal for school use. But the main reason for the installation’s success, says Ray Loines, is Moffat’s attitude in integrating its products with the school kitchens and dining room.

“Moffat was willing to join in and be supportive of us,” he says. “For example, they realise that school caterers don’t have the large equipment budgets of commercial caterers. So they took the trouble to amend the design for us, to ensure that models needed only a single standard 13-amp plug.  

“Moffat’s ability to work with us ensured a superbly successful installation.”

Ray says that the new installation is expected to generate a much higher uptake of meals at the schools. “When we converted other schools we saw an increase in uptake of 20%, but I expect an even higher figure at the new sites – perhaps as much as 30%.”

Southampton’s Head of Services, Stephen Price, echoes Ray Loines’ comments: “In helping to set up the new kitchens, Moffat not only listened to us, but to our customers too.   Whenever we’ve had a request, they’ve fulfilled it.”
Catering for around 76 schools and serving over eight thousand meals a day, Southampton City Council has made great strides in enhancing its catering facilities. Older kitchens and serveries are being updated, and some schools which had been using satellite kitchens - sharing remote kitchens with other schools - have for the first time had their own full installations.

E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house. Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment with a full nationwide after-sales engineering team. E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested. For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk

That was the problem faced by Moffat Catering Equipment in marketing the Chillogen banqueting trolley - a rapid chiller, a fridge, an oven and a hot cupboard all in one.  “When we actually show a chef the Chillogen trolley, they believe it,” says Moffat sales director Gary Allen, “but until then, they’re sceptical, because it seems so improbable.”

So Moffat financed a short film, produced by, directed by and starring a group of ex-BBC professionals.  “The idea was to show the trolley in action, to prove what it can do in a short and light-hearted video,” says Allen.

An eager but increasingly muddled interviewer (played in Alan Partridge-style by BBC North presenter Roger Greenwood) talks to (real life) head chef Neil Moore-McCarthy at the Royal Armouries in Leeds about the trolleys.  Finally frustrated by the lack of pressure, Roger asks on the eve of a banquet: “Where’s the blood, sweat and tears?” - but Neil calmly sips tea.

The film’s final claim, that the Chillogen helps with chef’s golf handicap, is tongue in cheek but the early reaction has been much more than merely playful.  “We’ve shown it to several groups of customers and they’ve been very positive - on the one hand, it’s funny but on the other it’s getting the message across very strongly and clearly,” says Gary Allen.

The film was conceived as an online, emailable marketing tool - Moffat believes it to be the first viral-style video from a catering supplier aimed at the hospitality sector.  “Online videos, virals and podcasts are becoming common in other markets and will surely become more popular in the catering market, too,” says Gary Allen.

The film can be seen on Google Video (type ‘Chillogen’ into the search bar or go straight to video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=Chillogen) or on the Moffat website at www.ermoffat.co.uk

E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house.  Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment with a full nationwide after-sales engineering team.  E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested.  For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk

Moffat Chillogen trolleys make it easy to cater for Christmas events because they are truly mobile banqueting trolleys that can quick chill, hold and regenerate and hold cooked food - fully automatically and all in the same compartment.

With the Chillogen trolleys it is possible to cater for banquets and functions without stress from even a modest kitchen. A Chillogen trolley and can save space, labour and time during the run-up to the event and it can hold up to 90 ten-inch plates (with covers) on 15 shelves.

To use Chillogen, the chef pre-chills the trolley, loads the plated-up meals into the cabinet and sets the quick-chill mode to bring the food down to storage temperature (under 10 degrees C in 90 minutes). The trolley is then unplugged, wheeled to its required location and plugged in again. It holds the food at the required temperature for as long as required or regulations allow - up to several days if necessary.

At the preset time it automatically turns into a regeneration oven and reheats to serving temperature in about one hour. And if there is any delay (for example if the entertainment overruns) the trolley holds the food at its correct core temperature until a convenient time to serve. A humidifier supplies moist air if required.

Chillogen has been designed for practicality and ease of use. It can plug in anywhere as it only requires two standard 13amp power sockets (3-phase can also be used if available). The interior has specially designed heat generation and multi-fan technology to ensure fast and even distribution of both hot air in regen mode and cold air in refrigeration mode.

Chillogen saves on preparation costs, storage space and workspace by reducing or eliminating the need for specialist and separate chilling, holding and regeneration equipment. It also makes staff more productive and efficient, especially by making it easier for chefs and banqueting managers to have separate functions running simultaneously.

Other benefits include the ability to book more functions, being easier to serve separate dishes simultaneously (such as special diets alongside conventional dishes) and the ability to serve complete plated meals, avoiding the need for labour-intensive silver service.

The system can be used individually in its three primary functions: regeneration only; ‘keep hot’ facility; or refrigerator for storing and chilling cooked food (chilling to under 10 degrees C in 90mins).

A range of accessories is available for Chillogen Banquet Trolleys, including a variety of plate covers (customised covers are available), additional grid shelves, spare roll-in/roll-out internal racks, temperature retention covers, transfer dollies, internal food probes and full ‘3D’ logging systems.

E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house. Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment with a full nationwide after-sales engineering team. E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested. For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk

Commenting on the award, the judges said that Moffat “is known to many Authorities for the quality of its products and for its customer service” and spoke about “finding the company completely in tune with customer needs”.

Accepting the award from LACA’s Chairman at the conference, Moffat’s Sales Director Gary Allen said: “We are delighted and honoured to get this recognition.  But it’s not happened just from our side; we’ve had huge help from a number of excellent local authorities this year who are really making the effort for their staff and children.

Gary Allen particularly thanked the local authorities who supported Moffat when the nominations were announced, including several who nominated the company privately.  The award featured a litany of support from LACA members, including the following citations:

“The customer service offered to us has been second to none with their helpful advice and support. As a catering equipment supplier they have always consulted with us and been willing to customise their products according to our service needs and requirements.”

“In the last year or two I seen this company make huge advances. They’ve given us excellent advice, they’ve been pro-active and they’ve especially been innovative.”

“They’ve been pro-active and flexible and helped us to develop and deliver some remarkable projects.”

Gary Allen explained that Moffat had been especially keen to focus on local authority catering in the last year.  ”More than ever in the last year, we’ve been listening to LACA members. Perhaps that’s why they’ve been so positive.  We’ve made a point of inviting clients to the factory and discussing products with them during design and construction.  We feel this extra openness gives them greater input into final product design.  Ultimately, our local authority catering contracts have been a huge help to driving our business forward.”

E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house.  Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment with a full nationwide after-sales engineering team.  E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested.  For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk

E&R Moffat has enormous expertise in equipment for banqueting and has developed the Chillogen trolley, an all-in-one rapid chiller, fridge, regen oven and hot cupboard - and it’s mobile!  It means chefs can plate up a cooked meal, put it in the Chillogen trolley and leave it until it’s time to serve the food.  The trolley automatically looks after the chilling, storing and regenerating.  The Chillogen technology helped Moffat win the FCSI manufacturer of the year award in 2006.

Neil Moore-McCarthy is head chef at the Royal Armouries, Leeds, one of the UK’s top banqueting venues, where 25,000 meals are served around Christmas and New Year alone.  Neil is a big fan of Moffat’s Chillogen technology - the Royal Armouries has twenty of the banqueting trolleys.  When the Royal Armouries opened its new Savile Hall conference and banqueting centre, Neil again selected Chillogen Trolleys to deliver the top quality food the venue will serve.

Neil is a hugely experienced banqueting chef - here are a few of his top tips for chefs who are new to big event catering.

Fish
If you’re serving fish and you’re using a cook chill system, then cook it just underdone.  Fish is delicate and it’s easy to over do - if it’s slightly undercooked, the heat from the regen will finish the cooking to perfection.

Dietary requirements
In the current climate of dietary requirements always prepare a few meals that are gluten- and dairy-free, even if they are not pre-booked.  In my experience, nine times out of ten you will need them!

Know who you’re cooking for
When you’re planning your menu, think about the customers you’re cooking for and adapt the food to match.  For example, older people like their vegetables cooked a bit more; you can be sure you’ll need extra potatoes for an all-male sportsman’s dinner; and ladies who lunch will like delicate portions.  Every event is different, so treat it that way and you won’t go wrong.

Ordering food
When ordering food for banqueting try to work a couple of days in advance - ordering for large numbers may take more than 24hrs to source.

Green bean bundles
If you’re using green bean bundles such as Bonduelle, then plate them up straight from the freezer.  (The regen will cook them just right).

Wet, wet, wet
Moisture can be a serious issue with any regen system.  Use mashed potato or couscous as a bed to garnish meat, as this helps soak up any moisture.  If your regen oven has a water well, experiment by varying the amount of water in it - for some recipes, you may want to empty the water well completely.

Small banquet, big regen oven…?
If you have a large regen oven but you’re only doing a small function, fill the empty shelves with empty plates, as this helps distribute the heat evenly.

E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house.  Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment with a full nationwide after-sales engineering team.  E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested.  For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk