If your business is in the hospitality or food preparation sector, you will require some commercial refrigeration. These can be expensive assets to purchase, so making sure you get the right type for your short- and medium-term needs is important.
Why does your business need commercial refrigeration, and what options are available?
Why your business needs commercial refrigeration
The main reason your business requires refrigeration is to keep you within the law. The Food Standards Agency details all the regulations with which a business must comply.
In short, you need to ensure that the products you are selling are safe to eat, labelled correctly and that you keep records that prove your due diligence or show that you have taken every reasonable precaution to adhere to the regulations.
If you’re selling food directly to the public, you are also required to display your food hygiene rating.
Types of commercial refrigeration
There is a plethora of types of equipment on the market, ranging from a catering fridge and a chest freezer to a bottle cooler and a display fridge. Companies like fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/catering-equipment supply a wide range of options.
When choosing the type of refrigeration for your business, there are a few factors to consider, including the type of food you’re preparing or selling and the freshness of your ingredients. You will also be limited by the amount of space you have available in your premises. Do you have space for a freestanding appliance, or does it need to be under the counter?
Are you serving directly to customers from the appliances, or are they simply for your prep areas? If it is the former, you need to consider display refrigeration with glass doors so that customers can see what they’re getting.
In preparation areas, you might want to consider specific refrigerated prep tables that allow you to keep the ingredients on hand but still chilled while you’re preparing finished products. This type of refrigeration is also good for saving space as you still have a work surface on the top.
If you have enough space and the amount of stock you hold warrants it, you could consider a walk-in appliance. They come as a refrigerator, freezer or combination of both.
Finally, take a look at your medium- and long-term plans and make sure what you buy now will last.