The Harbour Inn in Southwold, Suffolk, has achieved energy savings, faster customer service and reduced staff costs after installing a VariCool unit from Adande.
The Adnams pub, run by Colin and Katie Fraser, serves food seven days a week. Head chef Mal Blyth produces five or six specials every day using fresh local produce.
"On busy days we can serve over 350 meals in a two-and-a-half hour period," says Colin, "so we're always looking for ways to work smarter."
The new unit features four drawers, each independently capable of operating at any temperature between -20°C to +15°C. This flexibility between chilled, frozen and ambient storage means that a drawer used as a fridge in the morning can become a freezer in the afternoon.
"Previously we had a stainless-steel table and relied purely on a three-door freezer unit and our cold room," says chef Mal, "so we spent a lot of time running around to get what we needed. Now, at the beginning of service we load the VariCool with the items we're most likely to need - raw meat, pre-prepared meals, sandwich fillings and dairy products - so they're close to hand and stored at the perfect temperature."
Licensee Colin is confident the unit has already paid for itself. "Staff costs have reduced because we no longer need an additional commis chef to fetch things and we're definitely saving on electricity.
The unit has enabled us to speed up service times and keep customers happy by delivering more meals in busy periods."