The Importance of Repair and Maintenance in Commercial Kitchens

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Well maintained catering equipment means better functionality and even better quality food! For these reasons alone, each piece of catering equipment in your kitchen should be properly maintained to achieve optimum performance and to continue to be effective after each service.

Some restaurants will have already experienced the financial difficulties of equipment breakdown, but also the effect it can have on even the simplest of kitchen processes. To keep food going out of the kitchen and to ensure staff can continue to use kitchen equipment without risking their safety, maintenance and repair should be carried out regularly.

Here at Swift, we have accredited technicians situated throughout the UK and work within the catering, refrigeration, air conditioning and ventilation industries. We can not only carry out emergency repair, but also ensure preventative maintenance is carried out to ensure you’re never left without fully functioning equipment.

Here are just some of the reasons why repair and maintenance in commercial kitchens is so important:

Save on unexpected costly repairs

If you don’t look after your equipment, components will wear down over time, eventually causing your equipment to break down completely. Keeping all your catering equipment in a good working condition will keep service going and keep your equipment strong. Correct maintenance can identify issues and enable you to carry out minor repairs or replacements that will, in the long run, be much cheaper than having to replace your equipment as a whole.

Ensures you have a reliable kitchen

Regular maintenance checks on equipment such as ovens, commercial refrigerators and air conditioning systems, to name a few, will keep your equipment in good working order. The last thing you want is for your equipment to let you down in the middle of a busy weekend service. It’s better to spot issues before they arise and cause all sorts of problems.

Keep your customers

If you cannot use your oven or your refrigerator because of a breakdown, you can’t serve your food. If you can’t serve your customers, they will go elsewhere and you’ll lose out on that custom. This should be the biggest wake up call for you to schedule the appropriate maintenance! If your cooking equipment isn’t working at its best, the taste and quality will be lacking, and your customers are also likely to pick up on this, especially if they’re regular customers expecting a specific level of quality.

The safety of staff and customers comes first

Every restaurant must follow strict food safety and health regulations to be able to serve food in their kitchens, and proper maintenance and repair where necessary helps to comply with these measures. All these precautions help to keep your staff and customers safe, giving everyone involved in preparing and eating food the best possible experience.

Need repair and maintenance services from the experts? Get in touch.

When your ventilation or catering equipment malfunctions, you can always rely on Swift Maintenance to get your operations back up and running again as smoothly as possible.

You don’t have to wait until your system fails. We can professionally service your equipment frequently to ensure your operations remain at peak performance, keeping your business running smoothly and also minimising the risk of disruption and potential loss of income.

Give us a call to book an appointment or have a chat with our team: 0121 505 4001

Is Catering and Hospitality Ready To Scrap COVID Restrictions?

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There are mixed views on the latest news from the government; from the 19th of July, should everything go to plan, many COVID-19 restrictions will be scrapped. For the catering and hospitality sector, this means you’ll no longer need to order food from an app, you’ll be able to go up to the bar instead of waiting for a waiter to visit your table, and wearing face coverings and carrying out social distancing won’t be compulsory. In other words, it’s looking like the country will be getting back to normal pretty soon.

A life without the restrictions we’re so used to looks daunting to many, but for others, it’s the day they’ve all been waiting for to fully embrace a life after the pandemic and keep their businesses running as they once were, getting back to a normal way of life. With COVID-19 cases on the rise, there is a divide in opinion.

We recently ran a poll on our social media channels and found that 34% of the followers that interacted were not in favour of the scrapping of many restrictions, with 66% of these people saying that they agree with the government on the easing of restrictions completely. We wanted to discuss this in further detail. Is catering and hospitality ready to scrap COVID restrictions completely?

Are restrictions holding us back?

We all want to get back to normal, and with the vaccine roll-out being successful, are extra restrictions preventing us from getting back to normal? Again, views are mixed with some believing restrictions aren’t necessary if we use our own judgement and ‘common sense’, and have two doses of a vaccine, but others still think the easing of restrictions is too soon, especially with new variants and the increase of cases.

Do we really miss the hustle and bustle?

From fighting for a table at your favourite restaurant to not getting seen at the bar, there’s certainly some advantages to current restrictions, and many people seem to prefer the calmness and safety these restrictions bring. However, this also comes with its disadvantages. For example, many people book tables in advance for those not accepting walk-ins, and it can be near impossible to get a table for the date you want, or even if you just feel like an impromptu meal out. Inconveniences like this can even put people off wanting to visit a bar/restaurant, which is bad news for many businesses.

People need to save their businesses

If there is a way people can keep businesses afloat, many will do it. They’re happy to scrap restrictions if people can continue to use common sense. Restaurant and bar owners put everything they’ve got into their businesses – keeping their establishment going is important and a way of life, so the government’s decision has come as a relief. Many believe saving a business with no restrictions and common sense can be better than losing a business with increased levels of restrictions.

Will there be a surge in cases?

It’s probably in the back of everyone’s minds (and at the forefront of others) that scrapping restrictions at this time is going to cause COVID cases to soar once again.The mingling of people in bars and restaurants at busy times in particular is likely to increase cases, but by taking the the right precautions, there should be no reason why can’t attempt a life as normal.

What are your thoughts? Are you happy to scrap restrictions?

With so many different things to think about, there are many different thoughts amongst those in the industry when it comes to scrapping restrictions. Whatever your thoughts are, ensure you still take those ‘common sense’ procedures to keep your staff and your customers safe, and we’ll be well on our way to business as we once knew it!

Can we help? Here at Swift, we have the team available to get your kitchen, bar and dining areas not only looking the part, but designed in a way that keeps everyone as safe as possible going forward. Give us a call to book an appointment: 0121 505 4001