American bakery’s Winterhalter Bistro washes cups, plates and glasses, all at once
When it comes to cupcakes, The Hummingbird Bakery wrote the book, literally. It’s the longest-established American-style bakery in the UK, with six outlets, all in Greater London. The Hummingbird Bakery was the first company to bring American cupcakes to British consumers and founder Tarek Malouf has written three cookbooks, the most recent of which resides in the hardback non-fiction chart. It sells in the region of 1.25 million cupcakes a year – not to mention all the other popular cakes and desserts made, to eat in or take away. Success has brought increased business, and increased business has brought more crockery to wash, so the company installed Winterhalter UC Bistro undercounter warewashers in all its bakeries – the most recent has just gone into its new Richmond branch.
The Hummingbird Bakery’s success is based on an ethos that cakes taste best when freshly baked, using exactly the same ingredients and techniques as those used in home baking. Consequently everything is baked on site, at each of the bakery’s branches. This attention to detail extends to every aspect of the operation. “We look for equipment that’s reliable and durable, from brands that are respected in the market,” says Andy Goss, purchasing manager. “It’s not just about initial cost, these are busy outlets, the warewasher has got to last and be able to do the job.”
In peak times, speed and ease of use are obviously critical elements. The UC can wash a rack of dishes in as little as 90 seconds and its one-button control panel means it’s a cinch to operate. However, a key reason for choosing the UC Bistro was its ability to wash a variety of different wares, all at the same time. “We needed something that could handle everything at once,” says Andy. Whereas most conventional commercial warewashers need to be set for glasses or dishes, the Bistro can handle both. Its smart programming means everything comes out sparkling clean.
Being London-based, water quality is a key issue. Another advantage of Winterhalter machines is that each one can be tailored to local conditions by the installation engineer, to take account of water hardness, pressure and even the type of food being prepared – so that the washing parameters are set to deliver the best possible results.
Best results aren’t just about the machine and the water quality, they also rely on the right chemicals. The Hummingbird Bakery has switched to Winterhalter’s own range of chemicals and seen a significant improvement in results.
The UC has a variety of energy-, water- and chemical-saving features. For example, each washing program has an optional ‘Eco’ mode that minimises resource consumption while extending the washing cycle, saving up to 11% in running costs.
“Being a company that focuses on quality, a lot of thought and planning goes into the products we make, sourcing the best ingredients and so on,” says Andy. “We’re also very mindful of our corporate social responsibility, so we certainly look to purchase equipment that is as green as possible. It’s not just about doing what’s right for the environment: choosing a warewasher that uses less energy is the right commercial decision, too.”
The UC Bistro is available in four different sizes, small, medium, large and extra large, with racks ranging in size from 400x400mm in the small model to 500x540mm in the extra large. UC Bistro machines handle up to 40 racks per hour.