Chef's Play

Chefs play is the first official B2B and B2C online platform for Food & Beverage.

[chefsplay]

Chef’s Play Top Tips for Food Displays

It’s early morning and you’ve just opened your doors. As the first potential customers of the day begin to drift down the street, the enticing aromas emanating from your kitchen are floating out to greet them, inviting passers-by to sway their eyes your way . . .

This is it; this is your first chance to make a good impression and your only chance to make a first impression. At this moment you want your potential customers to see the very best you have to offer and choosing the most suitable display case is a massive step in achieving this.

There are four main considerations when looking at display cases:

· Functionality

A display case must be suitable for keeping your products in – eg to keep them warm, chilled or ambient – as well as providing the necessary display option.

· Accessibility

For both working and cleaning purposes, the display unit should be accessible to staff and visible to customers.

· Cost

Although a very important item, the cost of the display unit should be within the means of the business.

· Aesthetic

The others factors mentioned are extremely important but aesthetic should not be overlooked. Matching your display case to your product or branding can enhance the look of both and might be the difference between a buyer and a passer-by.

The Hoshizaki model sushi display unit currently supplied by Chef’s Play is a brilliant example of the benefits of aesthetic.Providing the perfect sushi-serving temperature in a sleek, chic and compact display, the design of this unit tells customers what is in there even if they are too far away to see inside.

We’re not saying that new ideas shouldn’t ever be tried out but using the traditional associations and ideas that people already have (such as ideas about Japanese design for Sushi displays) is a really easy way to say what you have.

Try it yourself. Imagine yourself buying things like popcorn and nachos. What does the display you imagine look like? Most people will be seeing the tall, square, glass displays and this association works both ways, letting the display unit do the talking for you, even from a distance.

So make some plans and have a think about what you have and how you envision it being displayed and don’t forget the accessibility factor – a pretty display is no use if you can’t get into it.

[chefsplay]

The Coffee Blend Bible

The large majority of the modern world runs on coffee. It might be the morning jump start, a lunch break top-up or keeping the chitter chatting with friends, coffee is the most popular hot beverage in the world today.

As more and more people jump on the coffee revolution, distributers of caffeinated cups of comfort are becoming ever more diverse with their beans and blends. From flavours to grades of grinds, the market has been booming, partially due to the availability of coffee machines for the home, and partially because … mmmm coffee.

Our adventures into coffee turned up some interesting information so if you’re baffled by blends, here’s a quick guide to the greatest grind.

Bean or Ground?

The obvious answer to this question will nearly always be beans. The fresher the coffee reaches your cup, the better. The beans contain an oil coating that add serious flavour to the finishing taste, this can be lost over time      with ground coffee.

That’s not to say you should just write the ground coffee off though. Meticulous packaging and short shelf lives will open up your options and still produce a good cuppa.

Creating a Successful Blend

Blending coffee is a contentious issue. Some people will tell you it’s in aid of covering the tracks of a weak variety. Whilst this may be true in some cases, for the coffee enthusiast and his home machine, it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Creating a successful blend is all about trial and error. If you’ve got a sharp palette, you may be able to pick flavours that will blend well with ease. If not, its about working out that balance. Take a nutty variety, counter the nutty with some chocolate undertones, there really aren’t many more rules than that.

Experimenting is the key. It’s always handy to note the amounts you’re using in each blend so when you find a winner, you can replicate it when you finish. Don’t be afraid to mix more than two varieties, some roasters mix five, six or seven blends to find their own special taste.

Machine, or Not Machine, that is the Question

Much like the beans or ground coffee, I think we all know the answer. Every coffee lover should have a machine. The benefits are almost endless. You save money, you enjoy better coffee, you can whizz up some exceptional blends and be the envy of all your friends.

With almost as many types of machines as there are beans, you’re spoilt for choice. Finding one within your budget shouldn’t be too difficult. 

[chefsplay]

Kitchen wares – Our Top 5 Technologies for Commercial Kitchens

Nowhere is safe from technological advancement. Kitchens are certainly not excluded from this sentiment. In the last twenty years there have been countless gadgets, machines and utensils become available at reasonable prices aimed at improving what is achievable in the kitchen.

From improvements to the more traditional, to all-new pieces of equipment, keeping your kitchen up to date can save you time and save waste. Making sure all your kitchenware is compatible and work well alongside each other can also make for a harmonious kitchen.

Without further ado, here are our top five additions to your kitchen to up your chef game.

Thermal Mixer

A thermo mixer is a powerful blender that not only mixes your food, but cooks it at the same time. They can be used to kneed dough, keep sauces moving, cook soups or pretty much anything else that requires blending, stirring or heating.

With RPM speeds of up to 10,000, a thermal mixer can obliterate the grittiest of ingredients to a smooth pulp. With huge variations in temperature and speed, they work great in the background much like a slow cooker, reducing the effort you need to put in and ensuring a thorough job.

Gravity Slicer

Exceptional for cutting meats, cheese or even fruit and veg, these high-carbon, steel-bladed, table-top appliances make quick, accurate work of slicing just about anything. Making use of the downward force of the food, the weight draws it into the spinning blade. With the depth of the cut set between mere millimetres and centimetres, they produce the perfect cut every time. Perfect for preparing buffets.  

Automated Sushi Machine

As people search for a healthier diet, sushi has become ever more popular across the globe. The art to making sushi dates back to the middle ages. This Japanese dish is now eaten all over the world, in such quantities that in some dedicated sushi restaurants it is delivered by conveyor belt.

To meet the demand, a quick turn around on these little rice and fish parcels can be aided by a sushi machine. These machines can produce over 2000 rolls an hour, taking the bulk of the work out of your hands.

To see our range of Sushi machines, click here.

Sous Vide

‘Sous Vide’ is French for ‘under vacuum’. This cooking technique involves vacuum packing your food and then cooking at a steady temperature in a water bath. The method produces evenly cooked food from the centre to out the edges, whilst retaining all juices. Popular in steak houses, it allows chefs to get the perfect finish to their medium to rare steaks.  

Mastering the technique is made simple with a sous vide machine. The water bath maintains the optimum temperature for as long as you set the timer giving you perfect results, time and time again.

Pancake Machine

Our ‘Popcake Pancake Machine’ offers the coice of regular pancakes or pockets which you can fill with different ingredients. Dependent on the mix you use, this machine can turn out close to 400 pancakes in one hour.

A world first, at the push of a button you can have delicious pancakes by the bucket load. Using a pancake mix, you can just add water, fill the machine and away it goes.

Click here to view the Popcake.