Sectors in Focus

contract caterers & stadia

THE ABILITY TO EFFICIENTLY PRODUCE VAST VOLUMES OF A VARIETY of FOOD items FROM WITHIN CENTRAL PRODUCTION KITCHENs, for distribution to food serving areas within the property or further afield

Contract catering are usually extremely busy and pressurized operations. A high demand is placed on producing high quality food with special focus on food safety, hygiene and logistics. However, the central kitchens must be able to produce large amounts of food across varied menu styles and catering requirements, for service in other outlets within the stadia or remotely for external catering, events, functions or corporate.

From refectory kitchens to banqueting, outside or events catering, these operations essentially use the same equipment within its catering operations. 

Falcon has had a longstanding reputation of supplying the perfect equipment to these sectors and our products can be found in most  kitchens across the nation. 

In the article below our chef offers some suggestions as to those equipment that stadia / contract catering kitchens should have to help them easily cater for the demand placed on them.

Essential Equipment – The Must Have’s:

Most kitchens will typically need a combination of the following equipment in order to produce the variety of menu items required to deliver on their daily food output objectives: 

• Stock pot stoves - essential for these kitchens, allowing for large quanities of soups, stocks and sauces. 
• Oven Range / boiling top - all kitchens need the versatility of some kind of hob - main query is what type (open top, solid top, hotplate or induction). With the addition of an integrated oven this device will be able to deliver even more functions.
• Combination Oven - hugely popular cooking devices for every kitchen. Able to combine dry and moisture cooking, and on demand steam. Most flexible device.
• Brat pans - a must have appliance in any central or bulk production food operation, ideal for stewing, braising and shallow frying. 
• Mobile heated Serveries - essential allowing maximum flexibility and ability to serve hot food safely and efficiently in any area within the business or site, or remotely. 
• Bains marie - these are used intensively and feature in every kitchen and or serving kitchen. Usually a bank of bains marie.
• Boiling kettles - an important piece of equipment that will help the operation cope with large amounts of soups and stocks by means of accurate thermostatic controls.

The combination of products the quantity and type of appliance will vary significantly with factors such as numbers catered for, size of kitchen, menu requirements, service times etc. all being important considerations when selecting equipment. 

Traditionally, stadia or contract kitchen equipment featured mostly gas appliances, but new builds have seen a distinctive turn towards electrical equipment, with energy efficient products such as induction hobs and combi ovens becoming integral parts of many new kitchens. 

Consideration Points 

• Usable kitchen space
• Kitchen layout and design
• One or multiple production lines
• Energy source and capacity available for the equipment
• Menu requirements and or food offering
• Kitchen staffing, i.e. skills set, formally trained / qualified
• Amount of kitchen staff vs numbers catered for
• Other catering requirements; such as in-house or production / supply kitchen and external provision via outside catering. 
• Collective equipment budget

Other Equipment – The Nice to Have’s

These products are generally not an absolute necessity for most central production kitchens but can be worth considering depending on the factors mentioned previously:

• Fryer/s
• Mobile heated and insulated food trolleys / carts
• Regeneration and or hot holding ovens
• Mobile heated plate dispensers

Which is best for my specific set up?

Essentially every bulk production kitchen will operate using the same type of catering equipment. Subtle differences may be models, energy source, size and manufacturer. 

Although the emphasis is now firmly on producing profitable, high quality meals / foods, it is important to recognise health and safety, reliability, efficiencies, performance and reputation as driving factors behind the considerations and decisions operators make with regards to acquiring new equipment. 

Therefore, the equipment required may well vary, not just in type, but also in the amount installed per kitchen.

The demand placed on bulk preparation kitchens not only refers to numbers caterered for, but also the amount of functions or events being catered for at the same time. Without high performance and reliable equipment, this will not be possible.

Typical Kitchen Equipment Set-up

Whether you need to replace existing equipment, add extra capacity or completely redesign your kitchen, our comprehensive product portfolio, experienced and knowledgeable support team and understanding of the unique requirements of the stadia and contract caterer, make us the ideal partner for all your catering equipment needs.

HELP ME WITH MY stadia and contract catering KITCHEN