Energy-saving ovens – is electric best right now?

ELECTRIC EDGE?

“Finding ways to reduce energy consumption is a big concern for many restaurants. Choosing the right equipment is a key part of this. Switching from gas powered or wood fi red pizza ovens, for instance, can have a signifi cant eff ect on energy costs,” says David Rees, marketing manager at Hubbard Taylor Trading Group, exclusive distributor of the Taylor, Frigomat and Pratica ranges in the UK, and a preferred supplier of ISA, TurboChef and Perfect Fry equipment.

“Modern electric pizza ovens like the Artisan Fire from Turbochef, for example, can get up to operating temperature far more quickly than gas and require as little as 750W to maintain temperatures between batches.

“You should look for features like catalytic convertors that recirculate hot air back into the oven. In the Artisan Fire this not only helps to improve energy effi ciency but also reduces the need for dedicated extraction systems, further reducing energy consumption. Choosing appliances that don’t require supporting equipment can signifi cantly reduce running costs.”

“Electric pizza ovens are more energy effi cient, taking less time to heat up than conventional ovens, requiring less power

In addition to everything else that is impacting the hospitality sector right now, the rise in fuel costs is set to become one of the most signifi cant. Are electric pizza ovens a better, all-round solution to their costlier, often more skills-intensive, rivals right now?

Come visit us on stand (A39) at

The European Pizza & Pasta Show, London, Olympia, October 22nd & 23rd 2022.

and cooking food in half the time. As they are invariably more compact and portable than a traditional wood-burning pizza oven too, they also allow operators the fl exibility to re-arrange their kitchen to adapt to diff erent circumstances,” agrees Mark Hogan, commercial director, FEM (Foodservice Equipment Marketing).

“The secret to great pizza isn’t just about ingredients – you need to consider preparation, proper baking and ensuring it’s delivered piping hot. To this end, you cannot off er authentic Italian pizza without a commercial pizza oven. It’s also worth considering that electric pizza ovens can be used for other dishes like omelettes, frittatas, pancakes, fl atbreads and more. This versatility makes expanding the menu simple.

“There is no doubt that some of the best manufacturers of pizza ovens are Italian companies. The country is justly proud of the food and its impact on the world, and there are a number of manufacturers who work to provide authentic ways of preparing it with the latest technology.

“Sirman, for instance, are a leading Italian manufacturer, off ering a range of pizza ovens which balance technology, dependability and innovation to meet the demands of restaurants, pizzerias and bars.

“Sirman’s Stromboli pizza oven is designed to be hard wearing and hygienic. It features a strong, easy clean stainless-steel exterior and shock-proof heating elements to guarantee durability and performance. The Stromboli double deck is able to cook up to four 9” pizzas at a time, and each deck can be individually controlled allowing operators to reduce costs and energy consumption during quieter hours by using a single deck. A pizza oven will also require a stone or brick base to allow for both radiant and contact heat to work on both sides of the pizza at once.”

Blue Seal Commercial pizza ovens are traditional Italian style, stone base deck ovens, designed for cooking deep base or thin based pizzas, and for everyday professional use, cooking at high temperatures to ensure fast service and consistent cooking results. As with other electric ovens, they off er an attractive alternative to wood burner stoves or gas ovens, which are often higher maintenance and require more specialist and costly extraction systems to take away smoke and fumes.

“Our ovens accommodate 4 x 12” pizzas per deck, they are compact, versatile and very operator friendly,” explains Blue Seal’s David Chesshire.

“These fast, effi cient ovens are ideal for restaurants with outdoor seating areas too, and who are wanting to off er quick but delicious pizzas for alfresco dining to their guests as the warmer summer months come and the trend for eating outdoors become ever more popular.

“We appreciate that restaurants need uncompromised, consistent quality results from the equipment they use. That is Why Blue Seal Pizza ovens use accurate thermostatic temperature control, eco-compatible material for thermal insulation and high quality refractory stones which provide excellent heat retention. Each chamber has top and bottom temperature control, so the pizza chef can adjust the performance of the chamber to suit baking pizza either in pizza pans, or traditionally straight onto the stone.”

Blue Seal off er single deck and twin deck ovens, which operate up to 400°C, giving optimum cooking temperatures for decks of their size. The single deck can be stacked onto the twin deck very easily creating a triple deck, maximising the output from the fl oor space. The oven chambers all function independently, they point out, allowing the pizza chef to control temperatures and bake more types/sizes of pizzas at once, therefore reducing serving times for busy restaurants.

The fact these ovens are only singlephase power supply has made them very versatile and suitable for dark kitchen takeaway sites and certain mobile kitchen operations, that may have limited power supplies, they add. Due to the electric power supply, the ease of installation is simplifi ed as there are no complex regulations regarding interlocks/ ventilation and extraction requirements, as associated with gas powered or solid fuel type ovens. The ovens can be used in professional temporary and portable kitchens as long as there is adequate air circulation and any vented heat/steam can be dissipated into the atmosphere or directed outside, to maintain healthy and comfortable HSE working environment tolerances, say Blue Seal.

ONLINE CONNECTIVITY

As a fundamental, upgrading from traditional equipment to modern cooking systems can have huge benefi ts for reducing energy usage in professional kitchens without compromising on results many suppliers now feel. Energy use is becoming an important part of kitchen design, although customers are not

always aware of what it currently costs them or how much they waste.

Multi-functional equipment takes up less space in the kitchen than a bank of separate appliances, and this means a smaller kitchen footprint, savings on extraction systems and overall running costs, confirm sector supplier, Rational. For example, say a kitchen is equipped with a kettle, boiling pan, deep-fat fryer, pressure cooker, convection oven and a hob. Replacing all these appliances with their iCombi Pro and iVario will save up to 40% in space, the company claim – and together the pair will cover 95% or more of all conventional cooking applications (the iCombi Pro combi steamer offers up to 50% higher productivity, 10% shorter cooking time and 10% lower energy consumption compared to its predecessor – which was already a market-leading model, they also claim).

Rational appliances have been designed to be significantly more energy efficient than conventional appliances, say the company, by featuring systems with ‘intelligent assistants’, such as those in the iCombi Pro which provides control over every step of the cooking process and can even replace traditional pizza ovens, they claim.

Online connectivity and data capture is an increasingly important consideration, they emphasise, having primarily been driven by larger operators, but this demand for visibility and accurate data collection can help all businesses to improve energy use too, they suggest. For example, the Rational ConnectedCooking platform helps to develop efficient kitchen management routines. By ensuring appliances are working to optimum efficiency and minimising downtime, ConnectedCooking allows kitchens to reduce energy use and develop in a more sustainable way.

At present, the only available energy efficiency database for the confirmation of energy efficiency in prime cooking equipment is the HKI certification, which Rational says it is on. The HKI Cert database is an unbiased platform for catering equipment manufacturers to provide those that are buying or specifying modern commercial kitchen technologies with access to comparative energy usage figures that are based on set guidelines, giving stakeholders what they want – fair and square comparative consumption figures.

LIFE CYCLE COSTS

“The Carbon Trust reckons that around 85% of the lifetime cost of a piece of commercial catering equipment will be the energy it uses in operation. The initial purchase is probably only around 15% of the lifetime cost. Often it’s less. Which means that buying on price is not the cheapest option. It’ll cost you in the long run. On the other hand, buying a more efficient machine that saves you, say, 30% on energy costs is the right thing to do if you’re trying to save money,” says Keith Warren, CE of the FEA (Foodservice Equipment Association).

“It’s a win-win if you’re trying to save the planet, too. Connected appliances which are connected to the internet can save energy (and thus reduce the carbon footprint) by monitoring how equipment is used – and highlighting practices and misuse that lead to unnecessary energy consumption. Connectivity will also allow managers to calculate the cost of running a kitchen. Where multiple sites or outlets can be compared, it will show if one site is using more or less power than another, so that managers can investigate the reasons and thus minimise energy consumption.

“Because connectivity will highlight service issues too, such as a failing component, it will allow service providers to fix issues early, before the appliance breaks down. Keeping equipment working at optimum efficiency will also save energy.”

The FEA (www.fea.org.uk) has developed a five-point plan on achieving Carbon Net Zero, and which the Association presented to the cross-party Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum. It has been designed to help the industry reduce its carbon footprint through the use of energy saving equipment, by incentivising operators, manufacturers, resellers and consultants, and covers the following.

Manufacturer tax credits – based on the number of energy efficient models sold.

A net zero equipment recycling scheme – to encourage operators to replace old appliances with new, energy efficient versions.

Giving energy efficient equipment BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designs) certification points – to foster consultant and specifier engagement.

Incentivising dealers and resellers – by paying them extra commission when they sell energy efficient equipment.

Developing a new Energy Technology List (ETL) – to make it easy for operators and specifiers to select sustainable and energy efficient equipment.

Papa John’s working with Haven to make the great British seaside holiday even more special

At the end of 2021, Blackstone, the biggest private equity company in the world, acquired Bourne Leisure, the owner of the UK holiday park operator, Haven.

PARTNERSHIP

As one of Britain’s leading family holiday companies Haven owns and operates 40 award-winning family holiday parks throughout England, Scotland and Wales. They offer a full programme of activities and entertainment alongside being located next to some of Britain’s most beautiful beaches meaning the brightest resorts are a great base for exploring the local area.

Lucy Greene, brand opening & development manager, Haven confirms: “Our goal is to make Haven ‘bigger and better’ for our guests and the recent acquisition by Blackstone will enable investment across many of our sites to achieve this.

“As well as looking to acquire more parks, we are enhancing our existing resorts, expanding their capacity and adding further facilities for the benefit of our visitors. For example, Wild Duck near Great Yarmouth is unique as it’s our only woodland park. We’ve recently extended the resort facilities adding more accommodation which can sleep between four to eight people. All accommodation includes ensuite, mini kitchen lounge, TV and heating for that special home-from-home staycation.

“The facilities at Wild Duck are extensive too and include entertainment venue, bar, supermarket, amusement arcade, bike hire, archery, Segway, peddle cart hire, outdoor play and nature trails, all designed for families to make the most of their holiday. However, with only our own brand fish and chip takeaway on site, our food offering at Wild Duck was limited.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Papa John’s which has gone from strength to strength over the years, with stores now located on 28 of our popular seaside holiday parks around the UK. We knew adding a Papa John’s would complement the choice for our guests as freshly cooked hot pizza to share with friends and family is perfect after a long day enjoying all the activities the resort has to offer.

“In March 2022 we opened our new Papa John’s at Wild Duck. We put the outlet in the same building as our fish and chip takeaway to provide guests and owners with both takeout options. The family pizza meal deals now work really well for guests to share, and they can order instore, ‘click and collect’ or have their meal delivered right to their accommodation via e-bikes! It’s real treat for all the family throughout the season.

“As you would expect from a worldleading brand, the Papa John’s build team have been amazing to work with and the store has only taken around eight weeks to construct from start to finish. We collaborated with Papa John’s construction manager to realise our plan for both our fish and chip takeaway and the new fresh pizza offering to share the same delivery area. This meant we didn’t need a new building and ensured completion of the unit was a swift, smooth process.

“The past year has been incredibly busy for Haven as the public have fallen back in love with the Great British seaside holiday. We put activities, entertainment, and food all in one place to make the staycation experience special. We now look forward to welcoming returning guests and new holidaymakers to our parks for 2022 across our resorts and with Papa John’s now at Wild Duck as well as many of our other parks, we can ensure their stay is even more special.”

MORE PLANNED

Amit Pancholi, business development director, Papa John’s UK confirms: “We aim to open up in new locations across the UK, so our customers can enjoy Papa John’s where and when suits them. Often our customers’ first taste of Papa John’s is while they are on holiday. Therefore, we continue to expand and grow our presence on the high street but also in ‘non-traditional’ locations such as holiday parks, sports stadiums and other leisure venues. It’s about being where our customers are for their maximum convenience and to add to the fun of any occasion.

“Haven offers some stunning locations and quality staycation holidays for all the family. We are currently working with Haven to open further stores at their leading holiday parks. Papa John’s is proud to be able to add to that experience with fresh pizza for everyone to really make the most of their holiday.”

For further information visit www.papajohns. co.uk/franchise (for further information about Haven please visit https://www.haven.com/).