Football clubs and stadiums use a wide range of catering equipment for day-to-day operations.
From hospitality suites to the stadium bar and training ground kitchens to on-site event venues, a host of reliable and efficient catering equipment is critical.
If you are looking to sub out substandard, old or inefficient equipment, then this guide can advise you on the next steps. Alternatively, if you are undertaking a full kitchen refurb or new-build project then consideration should be made for an effective use of the space in your kitchen.
Ovens
The heart of many professional kitchens, a commercial oven covers every professional kitchen need, from combination steaming and convection cooking to traditional range options and pizza baking solutions.
Generally speaking, gas ovens are seen as heavy-duty appliances and they are also more responsive when adjusting heat levels than electric ovens. However, installation can be costly and not all kitchens have access to a gas supply.
For smaller kitchens, a combi oven is ideal for versatility whilst maintaining quality. This is because these ovens are multi-functional and can save you from buying extra equipment.
Fryers
Chips are a staple food at British football matches so you are likely require a commercial fryer. A fast and efficient piece of equipment, a fryer can cook large volumes of food without taking up much space.
Depending on the size of your hospitality suites, venues or on-site restaurant, and the amount of food you need to fry, you can choose between single basket or twin-basket options. Light, heavy duty, countertop and floor standing variants are also available depending on your specific requirements.
While free-standing fryers can cook a large quantity at any one time (up to 36kg of chips per hour), countertop fryers are an ideal space-saving alternative for smaller volumes of fried food.
Grills
In a commercial kitchen, salamander grill tops are in constant use. Perfect for cooking, baking, browning, toasting, grilling or even flash cooking, these practical pieces of equipment allow you to create a range of dishes quickly and easily.
Commercial grills are designed for continuous heavy use and are an ideal solution when providing multiple different meal options in hospitality suites.
They are available with smooth and ribbed surfaces and can be freestanding or positioned on a countertop. Available in gas and electric, they’re ideal for dishes like crème brûlée, cheese-topped sandwiches and the rapid grilling of meats and fish.
Griddles
A commercial griddle is a great piece of equipment for any kitchen that needs to turn around large quantities of food quickly.
Electric griddles are often viewed as more convenient alternatives to gas griddles, and both countertop and freestanding models are available. Especially handy for cooking eggs, meat, fish and vegetables, these appliances come in several different sizes and suit the needs of a broad spectrum of environments.
Fidges and freezers
In a busy football stadium with thousands of people being served in a limited time period, then you may find that a full walk-in fridge, freezer or cold room is best for your needs. An upright refrigerator or freezer are also ideal solutions for handling large quantities of fresh food.
Offering a vast internal capacity, they are ideal for professional kitchens, particularly on match days where demand is likely to be very high.
Available in single door, double door, or slimline options, upright fridges are highly efficient and ingredients are kept fresh even when ambient temperatures reach 32ºC.
If space in your kitchen is limited, then counter fridges and freezers are the perfect solution. When you opt for counter models, you can either integrate your fridges in an undercounter capacity or install a 2-in-1 refrigerator-worktop solution that provides you with additional surface space for food preparation.
Dishwashers
A commercial dishwasher is vital for any part of your football ground where food and drink is served.
If space is limited, undercounter dishwashers are a great option. These compact machines are front loading and fit into the same footprint as a domestic machine. However, they’re boosted by the enhanced cleaning performance that’s offered by their purpose-built commercial design. They also feature time-saving cycles and water-saving programmes that are perfect for use during a busy service.
If you’re expecting a high turnover of plates and crockery, then you’ll require a dishwashing ‘workhorse’. In these instances, a passthrough dishwasher is ideal for the job as it can wash hundreds of plates per hour.
Glasswashers
For many years, a pint of beer has been tradition at many football matches across the UK, but wine, soft drinks and hot drinks are also served in bars, restaurants and hospitality boxes.
Due to this, a commercial glass washer is a vital piece of equipment if you want to ensure that you have clean glasses readily available.
Providing reliability, speed, quality and efficiency, commercial glass washers will not only make sure that you have enough glassware available at all times, but they will also ensure that your glasses always have a sparkling finish.
Utensil washers
Finally, consider whether a utensil and pot washer is required to keep your pots, pans, gastronorm trays and other equipment sparkling clean. With cycle times as low as two minutes, these pieces of equipment allow you to process everything quickly and efficiently so your cookline can keep moving along smoothly.
How JLA can help
We hope our football stadium catering equipment guide has helped you to tackle the different considerations required and the various solutions that can help you improve output, efficiency and quality.
Contact our catering experts for more information.
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