Pressure cooking takes the pressure off banqueting at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole
FRIMA VarioCooking Center Multificiency is ‘a world apart’ from conventional equipment
Events, conferences and banquets at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole vary in number from 6 to 1,400. The main kitchen, where food for the events is prepared, has just replaced its bratt pans with a FRIMA VarioCooking Center Multificiency – and it’s made a world of difference, says Executive Chef Paul Taylor.
“It’s versatile, it’s fast, it saves energy, it gives us absolutely consistent results, and it reduces wastage and shrinkage,” he says.
The model Paul chose is the biggest in the range, the VarioCooking Center Multificiency 311+, a single-pan unit with a working capacity of 150 litres. “We got it specifically for large banqueting events,” he says. “It’s a truly multifunctional appliance and we use it for all sorts of processes. It’s excellent for all wet cooking, including stocks, sauces, soups and curries.”
The FRIMA at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole can be in use 24 hours a day. “It heats up in just a few minutes, and retains its temperature even when you load it with meat for searing. Once you’ve finished one batch, it’s very easy and quick to clean and turn around for the next one. Down-time is minimal, so we cook with it pretty much constantly, throughout the day. Plus we use it overnight, for example to make stocks or braise beef.”
The programmability and precision of the FRIMA controls ensure consistency. “It’s very accurate, time after time, batch after batch, and the processes are often automatic. Take pasta: we just load it into the basket we let the FRIMA get on with it. The machine automatically lowers the basket once the water is boiling and raises it once the pasta is cooked.”
Paul says that sustainability is a key buying criteria and the FRIMA’s efficiency is second to none. “It ticks a lot of boxes.” He is especially enthusiastic about the FRIMA’s pressure cooking feature. “It must cut cooking times by about 50%,” he says. “The results are excellent and we’re making big savings, not only in time but also on energy costs.”
With a modern, hi-tech appliance like the FRIMA there is the worry that chefs may be reluctant to adapt. “It’s so simple to use, the touchscreen is easily understandable, the chefs took to it very quickly,” says Paul. “They’re really interested in its capabilities, they want to experiment, it’s stimulated their creativity and, of course, its ease of use and time saving have made a huge impact on their day.
“The FRIMA is a world apart from our old bratt pans. You can do so many different things with it, faster, more easily, and with absolute control. And the cooking results are excellent.”
FRIMA at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham
The VarioCooking Center Multificiency VCC311+ has a 150 litre pan and three manual cooking modes, pan-frying, boiling and deep-frying, as well as pressure cooking. The automatic VarioCooking Control mode has seven process groups: meat; fish; vegetables and side dishes; egg dishes; soups and sauces; milk and desserts; finishing and service.
Its VarioBoost® heating system heats the pan to 200°C in two and a half minutes. The special FrimaTherm contact layer means heat is transferred quickly and uniformly all over the base of the pan, without heating the sides, so there is no scorching or sticking. The fast searing action reduces seepage, cutting the use of raw ingredients by up to 10%, and water consumption is cut by 70%. The Varioboost system makes the FRIMA up to 96% efficient at heat transfer, reducing direct energy needs and also reducing the amount of kitchen ventilation required.
Because food never sticks, the VarioCooking Center doesn’t need a self-cleaning system. Manual cleaning is easy, effortless and fast, allowing operators to clean the unit and have it ready for the next cooking process in just two minutes.
For information and brochures, or to come to a free Cooking Live demonstration, call FRIMA UK on 0845 680 3981, email info@frima-uk.co.uk or visit www.frima-uk.co.uk
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Hilton Birmingham Metropole.docx – Jun-14
Press Enquiries:
Toni Turner at The Publicity Works
Tel: 01263 761000 Email: frima@publicityworks.biz
For more news about FRIMA visit the press office at www.publicityworks.biz
Graham Kille, FRIMA UK: 0845 680 3981
Benoît Gourgues, FRIMA International: +41 71 727 90 14
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Links:
Hilton Birmingham Metropole www.birminghammetropole.com
FRIMA UK www.frima-uk.co.uk
VarioCooking Center is a registered trademark of FRIMA International
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