Showing posts with label Sustainability. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sustainability. Show all posts

Sunday 25 August 2024

Why pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels, nursing homes and hospitals should NEVER use eco settings on dishwashing machines

Is your dishwashing machine a health risk?
In today’s world, where sustainability and energy efficiency are at the forefront of many business decisions, it’s tempting for pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels and nursing homes, etc to opt for the lower eco settings on their dishwashing machines. 

After all we have had the ideal of "saving the environment" rammed down our throats for the past several decades.

These settings are often marketed as a way to reduce energy consumption and water usage, which can be appealing both from an environmental perspective and in terms of cost savings. 

However, when it comes to maintaining cleanliness and high standards of hygiene, choosing lower eco settings can be a costly and potentially dangerous mistake.

Hygiene Should Always Be a Priority

The primary purpose of a dishwashing machine in any food establishment is to ensure that all dishes, glasses, and utensils are thoroughly cleaned and sanitised. 

This is not just about removing visible dirt but also about eliminating harmful bacteria and pathogens that can cause foodborne illnesses. (Lower temperature dishwashing often leaves lipstick marks on glasses and particles of food stuck to cutlery or plates.)

Lower eco settings typically use cooler water temperatures and shorter wash cycles, which may not be sufficient to kill these harmful microorganisms.

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) sets out clear guidelines for the temperature and conditions required to sanitise food contact surfaces effectively. 

For most commercial dishwashers, this means reaching temperatures of at least 82°C during the final rinse cycle. Lower eco settings often fail to meet these requirements, leading to the risk of inadequate sanitation and potential health hazards for customers and staff alike.

Reputation and Customer Trust

For any pub, restaurant hotel or nursing home, the trust of its customers and service users is invaluable. Patrons expect a high level of cleanliness, and any lapses can quickly damage a business's reputation. 

Instances of food poisoning or even minor cases of stomach upset linked to your establishment can lead to bad reviews, loss of customers, and even legal action. 

Maintaining high hygiene standards by using the appropriate dishwashing settings is a fundamental way to protect your reputation and ensure customer safety. After all, it's not rocket science, it's just good hygiene practices. 

The False Economy of Lower Eco Settings

While the immediate cost savings of using lower eco settings might seem attractive, the long-term consequences can be far more expensive. Health issues stemming from poor hygiene can result in hefty fines, compensation claims, and a loss of business. Furthermore, the costs associated with dealing with a health and safety violation can far outweigh any savings made on energy bills. 

Additionally, the potential need to rewash items that aren’t properly cleaned or sanitised on the first pass also negates any initial savings. Inefficiencies like these can lead to increased water usage and energy consumption over time, defeating the purpose of the eco settings in the first place. And could cause blockages in drains and sewers helping to cause so-called fatbergs.

The Role of Proper Maintenance

It’s also worth noting that a well-maintained dishwashing machine is more efficient, even when operating on higher settings. Regular maintenance and servicing ensure that the machine runs optimally, preventing breakdowns and ensuring that it cleans effectively at the necessary high temperatures. 

This further underscores the importance of investing in proper care for your equipment rather than cutting corners with lower eco settings.

A Balanced Approach to Sustainability

Sustainability is undoubtedly important, and pubs and restaurants can still take steps to reduce their environmental impact without compromising hygiene. Investing in energy-efficient appliances that still meet health and safety standards, training staff on efficient dishwashing practices, and reducing overall water and energy use elsewhere in the business are all effective strategies.

Ultimately, the health and safety of your customers should always come first. By ensuring that dishwashing machines are used on settings that guarantee proper sanitation, pubs and restaurants can maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, protect their reputation, and promote long-term sustainability in a responsible way.

Wednesday 7 February 2024

Trewithen Dairy Tells You How To Make The Perfect Latte At Home

With Trewithen Dairy's justifiably renowned Cornish Barista Milk now available nationally in Ocado and regionally in SPAR and Lidl branches, the leading Cornish dairy is spilling the (coffee) beans on how to create the perfect latte at home with their award-winning barista milk that produces a genuinely superior milk froth.

According to recent research by Mintel, the market intelligence agency, consumers are entering a 'fourth wave' of premium home-crafted coffee. 

With the rising popularity of home barista setups, Trewithen Dairy's Cornish Barista Milk is helping coffee enthusiasts bring the coffee shop experience into their own homes, resulting in a perfect barista quality coffee. Sourced from local Cornish farms and crafted with care, the quality milk is specially designed to complement the rich flavours of coffee, resulting in a velvety and indulgent latte.

Try Trewithen's top tips on how to create the perfect latte and remember that practice makes perfect!

Making the perfect foam

Trewithen Dairy's Cornish Barista Milk is perfect for creating barista style microfroam due to its ideal protein (3.5%) and butterfat (4%) combination which creates a creamy texture and silky, longer lasting microfoam.

Fill one third of your milk jug to allow space in the jug for the milk to expand and enough milk to get the required foaming motion.

Give the steam arm a quick purge before using to clear any excess steam. 

Place the steam arm just underneath the surface of the milk and after a few short 'chirps' lower the steam arm further into the milk, positioning it at the side of the jug. This should initiate a swirling motion in the milk. Heat the milk to around 65 °C and froth until it reaches a velvety consistency. 

Pulling your espresso

For any good coffee it's important to start with high quality coffee for a robust and flavourful base. Whether you're using an espresso machine or a coffee pod, you'll need around 25-30ml of espresso coffee. Start running the shot of espresso as soon as you begin foaming your milk so that it is ready to go. Ideally, you're looking for a golden crema on top of the surface of your espresso.

Mastering the pour

After foaming your milk, gently tap the jug or bump on a table to remove any unwanted air bubbles and get ready for the pour.

Starting from a relatively high position of 2-3” above the cup with a central aim, pour the frothed milk over the espresso in a slow, steady stream until the cup is nearly half full. Continue to pour whilst gradually lowering the milk and steepening your pouring angle, adding a little wiggle to your wrist. Once almost full, pick up the jug and move it forward as you go, to create your first heart pattern. 

You can enhance your latte with syrups, spices, or flavoured powders to suit your taste preferences.

Trewithen Dairy would love coffee fans to share their at-home latte creations on social media using the hashtag #trewbarista for a chance to be featured on their official channels.

For more information on Trewithen Dairy and its range of premium dairy products, please visit www.trewithendairy.co.uk.

Wednesday 5 April 2023

Ditch Disposable BBQs. Get yourself a Greener Portable Grill to Last a Lifetime

Durable, reusable barbecues are the sustainable alternative to single-use barbecues. Most disposable barbecues cannot be recycled or composted, are often responsible for scorching grass and don't retain the heat. And those of us at That's Food and Drink know of a picnic table at a park damaged by someone putting a disposable barbecue on the table. Which wasn't wooden, but plastic.

So, people who like to barbecue need to say goodbye to disposables and hello to a portable grill guaranteed to last for many years.

Kamado Joe – Joe Jr - £529. Uk.kamadojoe.com

The unique kamado cooking experience is fully transportable with Kamado Joe's innovative Joe Jr. Perfect for the beach, picnics, pool parties, camping and more, Joe Jr boasts a 377 square centimetre cooking surface – ample space for a full beer-can chicken with vegetables. 

The thick-walled ceramic body locks in heat, moisture and flavour. The heat deflector plate allows cooks to experiment with indirect heat for more flexible cooking.

Masterbuilt Portable Charcoal Grill -  RRP from £279 (£399 with cart) - uk.masterbuilt.com 

Masterbuilt's Portable Grill is made for those of us who are adventurers. The suitcase-sized grill comes with an easy to transport collapsible cart, for effortless grilling on the move. With a tough shell, it's durable enough to withstand expeditions and is designed to be hauled into the back of a car, wheeled across moors, carried across beaches and set up next to lakes and rivers.

It's as simple as cooking on gas, with all the added benefits of the authentic barbecue flavour you get from charcoal. Simply light a fire lighter under your charcoal, then turn a dial to control a fan for a consistent temperature.

The charcoal hopper can burn briquettes or lump wood for up to 4 hours from 130c - 260c – hot enough to sear steak and eggs for the ultimate camping breakfast and ideal for grilling mackerel freshly caught from the sea. You can also turn it down low to slowly cook a shoulder of lamb, the perfect reward at the end of a long hike. 

The Masterbuilt Portable Charcoal Grill is designed to last and features a lockable lid, allowing you to easily take your ashes home so you don't need to worry about disposal on site.