27th October 2024
The future of supermarkets – has changing the way we shop, changed the way we store food?
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We know that delivering exceptional care begins with delivering tasty and nutritious meals, which are a staple in care homes. To continue to deliver a high level of affordable care to residents, new efforts need to be made to cut energy costs and reduce wastage.
Choosing to be more sustainable doesn’t just have a positive impact on the environment, but can assist your bottom line too.
To help, we’ve rounded up the top ways you can make your care home kitchen more sustainable.
The care home catering sector is energy-intensive, with demand required around the clock. Delivering exceptional care begins in the kitchen and choosing energy-efficient refrigeration not only means doing your part for the environment, but also reducing your electrical energy costs.
At True, we ensure all our commercial refrigeration is built with the latest in energy-efficient components and technologies. Through a cycle of continuous development and testing, we ensure our products are as efficient as possible and can withstand the demands of busy kitchens, such as in care homes.
To help you understand and see the savings you could make by switching to more efficient refrigeration solutions, we’ve created an energy consumption calculator which gives an estimated lifetime electrical and monetary saving. You can test this out here: https://truerefrigeration.co.uk/energy-cost-calculator/
Running a commercial kitchen as part of your sustainable care home business means being aware of environmentally unfriendly refrigerant gasses. Many gasses traditionally used in cooling and heating are now banned from sale in new equipment under the F-Gas regulation.
These gasses have adverse effects on the ozone layer, and how big of an impact depends on the type, age and brand of your equipment. By upgrading to compliant units, your care home will be improving its sustainability credentials and demonstrating to residents and visitors your values.
We are committed to making contributions to the protection of our environment, which is why True has developed a sustainable product platform using Natural Refrigerant. Our environmentally friendly R290 cooling system, used across all our refrigeration solutions, provides quicker temperature recovery and significantly lower energy consumption.
We know how important it is to be able to consistently deliver a high level of care and hospitality to your residents (and their visitors). Investing in commercial refrigeration that is made from quality materials may cost more up-front, but will repay your investment in the longer term, as they’ll cost less to operate and you won’t need to replace your units as frequently.
You’ll also be benefiting the environment by not sending your old equipment to landfill as frequently.
Trusting in your refrigeration is key, especially in the healthcare sector. You want to know your ingredients are being kept at optimum temperatures, so you know the food you’re serving is as fresh and nutritious as possible.
You wouldn’t run the risk of your care provision falling short, but the danger of a refrigerator breaking down is something you can minimise.
To have additional confidence, ensure your product has warranty, as this can take the pressure off if something does go wrong. At True, we include a five year parts and labour warranty as standard with all our commercial refrigeration. This means you can be spared from repair bills and extended downtime, allowing you to continue to deliver the high level of care that is expected from you.
We know the demands on care homes are increasing, and members often have complex dietary needs, so looking for ways to reduce wasted food and ingredients is a top priority when trying to make cost-effective and climate friendly choices.
One way to do this is by labelling food correctly, especially if ingredients are moved into storage tubs. Make sure that kitchen staff know to label each storage container with allergens, date information and a product description. By doing so, it limits in-date food from being thrown out incorrectly, and makes it easier to keep track of stock.
Storing foods under the correct conditions is also important for preserving the quality and preventing food spoilage – both of which can quickly lead to wastage. You can solve this by making sure chilled food is rotated, with shorter used-by dates moved to the front, and keeping chilled food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible.
Both of these small changes help to keep your ingredients fresh, tasty and highly nutritious for as long as required. You’ll also be adhering to Food Standards Agency requirements for storing food correctly in your business.
Our TGNs are an ideal large storage cabinet option for care home caterers, featuring patented features like our RCU motor technology, which periodically reverses the direction of the condensing fan, helping to reduce debris build-up which can impact operation. This means it’ll continue to optimise the unit’s performance, while increasing energy efficiency.
How has True helped others?
At True, we have first-hand knowledge of what is important in a care home kitchen.
Recently, we worked with Signature Care Homes, who provide premium residential, nursing and dementia care across London.
We were able to provide solutions which increased their storage space and efficiency, while being easy to clean, food safe and perfect for a busy, best-in-class kitchen.
Marketing Coordinator EMEA
To learn more about our work with Signature Care Homes, be sure to visit our case study here: https://truerefrigeration.co.uk/case-study/signature-care-homes/
We know the importance of making sure your care home runs smoothly and sustainably. Our commercial refrigeration products provide the best in food and ingredient preservation, helping you to limit deliver healthy, nourishing meals while reducing food spoilage.
We know your catering staff are an essential part of the care services you’re providing. Food is care. By choosing True’s commercial refrigeration for your kitchen, you’ll be doing your part to achieve long-term environmental goals, but you’ll also have peace of mind that you can prepare meals with ease and speed.
Our vast product range has options for spaces and requirements big and small. True’s TCRs in particular have configurable doors and drawer sections, allowing you to configure your care home kitchen layout, offering both storage and preparation space to optimise operational efficiency.
Additionally, all of True’s products are easy to wipe down and sanitise, reducing the chances of cross-contamination within your kitchen – especially when using as a prep space. This allows your kitchen staff to efficiently and quickly keep on top of any spills or messes between preparing and serving dishes.
Now you’re aware of the sustainable refrigeration options available, we want to help you make sustainable choices, that benefit your care home now and for the future.
Our friendly team are here to support you and answer any questions you may have, so get in touch.
Or, visit our care catering page where you can learn about our sustainable unit’s and how our products are perfect for care homes, here: https://truerefrigeration.co.uk/sector/healthcare/
Seasonal menu changes are becoming a key trend in the restaurant industry, with Lightspeed reporting that incorporating “seasonal” items on your menu can boost orders by 26%.
At True Refrigeration, we’re always striving to provide not just the highest quality commercial refrigeration equipment but also exceptional customer service and support.