Kitchen Helps Trailblaze Towards Michelin Award Whilst Improving Operating Efficiency

One of the UK’s most promising chefs is setting his sights on the highest accolade and believes his new kitchen can help him deliver.

Chef/patron Steven Smith of The Freemasons at Wiswell is aiming to win a Michelin star, combining his skills with innovative techniques he has had installed in a new kitchen designed and fitted by CHR Equipment.

Steven is one of a growing number of top chefs adopting the sous-vide process, which helps deliver consistency and quality by removing oxidation reaction within the food, increasing flavor intensity. Steven has taken the technology further, wanting it integrated it into a cooking suite adjacent to a multi cooking vessel on which he can finish several different dishes simultaneously without risk of cross contamination of flavours and ingredients. The Freemasons already had an MKN sous-vide set in the existing kitchen, but Steven felt the overall design of the kitchen could be improved to enable efficient delivery of even better dishes, consistently.

CHR purpose-designed and built the kitchen, on budget, utilizing some of the existing, state-of-the-art MKN equipment- used by the top restaurants in the world- and adding new elements to deliver Steven’s requirements, including a combination oven with integrated hood half the size of the one already in situ, a built-in draw refrigeration system with blast chiller giving flexibility to store ingredients at appropriate temperatures from -22° up to +4°, a central pass fitted with induction, choosing energy-efficient equipment to reduce latent heat in the kitchen, and relocation of compressors to the old cellar. The central equipment is all fitted into blocks of bespoke stainless steel cabinetry, with each block specific to the production of that section.

The re-designed and bespoke kitchen to Steven’s brief means working space has been released and thus workflow improved, energy consumption and the ambient temperature in the kitchen reduced, cleaning time after service cut by 80% to just 30 minutes, and provision and washing up of approximately 100 pans eliminated! And to minimise impact on the business, and address the listed building status of the pub, CHR delivered innovative strategies enabling the kitchen to be installed and operational within two weeks.

“We have only just had the new kitchen installed, so we know we can take it to the next level: we have already won one of only 26 Bib Gourmand awards given in the 2011 Michelin Guide, and been chosen as one of only five Inspector’s Favourites in the NorthWest in the latest Michelin Eating Out in Pubs with our old kitchen.

“Even so, that kitchen just didn’t meet our needs in the way I want to cook, and where I want to take us to. CHR listened, and turned what I wanted into reality,” says Steven. “I can now deliver consistently and much more efficiently.”

Paul Neville, CHR Sales Director, comments, “Our philosophy is that we can help any chef deliver consistency, which is paramount, whatever style of cuisine, be it a patient meals in a hospital, a café bistro, through to dishes in a Michelin star establishment. Our team prides itself on keeping up to speed with technological developments, and applying and adapting them to help our clients achieve what they want.”

A family-run business, CHR’s portfolio to date includes projects such as several Michelin star restaurants, Cadbury World, a new 35-cover restaurant in a Lancashire village, and staff restaurants for Next; the company has won CEDA (Catering Equipment Distributors Association) national awards for its work, two years in succession, demonstrating its consistency and quality.