A new innovation that allows operators to alternate between hot and cold buffet service throughout the day while using exactly the same plate has been engineered by Hoeller Manufacturing, the international designer and manufacturer of bespoke buffet systems.
The new technology overcomes one of the biggest challenges facing operators in selecting a new buffet system: how many hot plates do they need; and how many cold. Getting that balance wrong restricts the service they can provide to the guest/diner.
With Hoeller Manufacturing’s innovation, however, operators can have the best of both worlds: all hot plates, all cold, or a mixture of the two depending on the service of the day. It means that a buffet system with a particular lunchtime option can be easily transformed to accommodate an evening menu, and vice versa.
The flexibility comes from the plates themselves that can operate in the range between +140°C (hot) to -5°C (cold). They are also extremely fast to heat up or cool down, taking minutes not hours, thus again giving chefs flexibility in service. They take 30 minutes to go from hot to cold and less than 15 minutes for cold to hot. In addition, the buffet counter and cabinet, and the lighting and the heat bridge can also be further customised.
Joachim Hoeller, Founder of Austrian-based Hoeller Manufacturing, says his business pursues a mission of ceaseless innovation: “We aim to take the consultant’s and owner’s perception of a buffet system to another level, where we innovate and engineer solutions that are practical, meaningful and flexible.
“When space is limited, giving chefs and operators the flexibility of being able to create either a hot or a cold buffet system, virtually at the flick of the switch and using the same plates, removes a major headache and delivers greater choice.”
Hoeller Manufacturing delivers customised systems from its facility in Amstetten, Austria to any size, design, material, colour and function, often within very tight budgets. A feature of its systems are low profile cooling and heating generators that are not only very quiet but also take up less space under the counter, leaving more room for a better customer/operator experience.
Its systems are all produced to the highest (H3) hygiene standards and can accommodate 304 stainless steel, Dekton, Gorilla Glass, ESG glass and a range of other quality, yet cost-effective materials. Standard products in GN sizes are also available.