www.FoodStrategy.com.au continues our discussion with invited industry professionals on the topic of Pop Up restaurants.Catering Equipment & Fitting out the Kitchen with Curtis Eastwell (Chef & Representative at JL Lennard Food Equipment)
Curtis Eastwell loves the concept of a pop up restaurant, but has concerns about logistics and business profitability. While it’s a great way for chefs to showcase it may be difficult to be financially viable says Eastwell, chef at JL Lennard Food Equipment.
Dining tables, chairs and a bar could be set up relatively easily, just about anywhere. But the biggest challenge in setting up a pop-up restaurant would definitely have to be the kitchen. The Zanussi accessory of an integrated exhaust canopy which sits directly on top of the 6 and 10 tray combi ovens by JL Lennard is a good consideration. This hood collects the fumes from the exhaust valve on the top of the oven as well as heat and steam which escapes when the front door is opened. The hood is equipped with a fan which can expel the exhaust through ducting to the outside.
A temporary grease trap can be set up through a cleverly designed fat separator stand for a combi oven. The liquid waste from the combi drops into a collection pan full of water, which is integrated into the combi stand. The fat and grease rises to the top of the water, which then gets trapped in a separate chamber allowing clean water to run out the back into a drain or bucket. All grease is then emptied out of the fat separator at the end of the day and thrown in the bin (not down the sink).
Controlling the heat in a pop-up restaurant is a major factor to consider. Zanussi induction cook tops are a very efficient cooking method which do not expel much heat into the cooking environment, unlike gas cooking appliances. The heat is generated only on contact with the base of the pan or pot. The 2-plate induction top with a total 7kW power which should be acceptable without an exhaust canopy.
Another great cooking option, which is most underutilized in kitchens, is XLT conveyer ovens. While traditionally used in the pizza industry, conveyor cooking can be utilised for so much more, as it is just a fan forced convection oven with a conveyer running through it. Steaks, seafood, breads, grilled oysters, desserts etc. Due to the way in which these ovens heat and re -circulate the hot air they do not expel excessive heat from the chamber. These are generally run on gas, so could happily be hooked up to a nearby LPG bottle
The Henny Penny humidified holding cabinets are a very efficient method of holding hot food while maintaining optimal food quality. In a scenario where chefs have limited cooking equipment and have to juggle many items through minimal cooking appliances, a heated holding cabinet would be a necessity.
For the prepping side of this style of restaurant, a HFE vacuum packing machine would give significantly longer shelf life, cut down on prep time and provide a hygienic sealed method of storing foods either fresh, cooked or frozen.
After desserts are eaten - it’s time for an espresso. Consider a coffee cart which has a built in water pump and drain collection integrated below. The Brasilia espresso machine from JL Lennard requires power supply to extract a perfect espresso every time. It would also run quite happily on a generator to become a self contained, lean, mean , bean machine!
Our conclusion to the Pop Up Restaurant series on this blog:
It’s all very do-able, and there is only ONE rule – it must comply with the health codes. Everything else comes second. Now what’s your purpose? Where’s your venue? Let’s talk popping-up.
It’s all very do-able, and there is only ONE rule – it must comply with the health codes. Everything else comes second. Now what’s your purpose? Where’s your venue? Let’s talk popping-up.
Interesting thoughts!
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