Moffat’s discreetly upmarket designs for five-star conference suites
Most specifiers of foodservice counters want them to stand out and deliver a bit of a ‘wow’ factor. But then, most places aren’t like Celtic Manor. The whole resort delivers a spectacular five-star experience, from the striking architecture and decor to the service and facilities. So when conference and banqueting director Nancy Mollett was specifying counters for her conference and convention suites, she needed them to blend in with the existing surroundings. Luxurious and upmarket, certainly, but discreet, too.
For such specialist, bespoke counters Celtic Manor went to Moffat Catering Equipment.
Catertech Services Ltd, based in Pontypridd South Wales, oversaw the upgrading of the conference suite catering facilities. Alun Cole of Catertech says: “The project was to create a catering suite where conference or convention guests could come for meals and breaks. As well as the main conference hall, the resort has twenty smaller meeting rooms that were catered for individually, which was complicated and tied up too many staff. The new catering suite gives a choice, so the hotel can offer a group individual service or multiple groups can take refreshment breaks and meals collectively.”
Moffat worked with Catertech and Celtic Manor to develop designs that would meet the resort’s strict specifications. The counter tops are manufactured to look like a solid block of granite. LED lighting offers clear but discreet illumination – it hits the front laminated panels in a way that creates an optical illusion that the facia is bevelled. Hot plates and refrigerated drop-ins fit flush with the surface. Underneath the counters are storage areas which accommodate roll-in hot cupboards and refrigerators.
The large island counter in the centre of the suite is mobile, so that it can be moved out of the way when the room is required for other events.
“Moffat were very responsive to our needs and the counters are everything we wanted them to be,” says Nancy Mollett. “They fit in perfectly with the surroundings and have an opulent feel. They’re also very effective and easy to use.”
Moffat’s ‘Green Thinking’ initiative has developed a range of technologies that feature on the Celtic Manor counters. For example, as well as being energy efficient, the LED lighting is cool, so the counters’ refrigerated sections are not having to work against it as they would with conventional lighting. Similarly, the hot cupboards use Moffat’s Sahara multi-fan system, which saves energy by heating more efficiently – it’s also up to 50% faster than conventional elements.
“The counters’ energy efficiency is an important criterion for us,” says Nancy Mollett. “They have to conform to Celtic Manor’s commitment to developing an environmentally responsible business.”
E & R Moffat Catering Equipment is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house. Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment and runs a full nationwide after-sales engineering team. E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2008 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested. For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk