In light of the latest advice from the UK Government and the recommendation to avoid all but essential travel, we want to advise you that we are still here to help customers wherever possible. We are fully contactable as usual, by phone and email and will be on hand to assist wherever necessary throughout this difficult time.

Please be assured that we will continue to operate as normal, within the constraints of government and Public Health guidance, in respect of stocks, service, deliveries and Head Office administration.

May we take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and business and we remain committed to assisting you in any way possible during the period of the Coronavirus containment measures.

At this stage we are aware that you may well have to close your business until such time the government say you can reopen. We recognise how difficult this will be for you and your staff. We are all in this together and hopefully we will all pull through when the disease is fully tackled.

We sincerely hope that the interruption to our industry is limited and swiftly resolved, however should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Wishing you every continued success and please stay safe.

Yours faithfully,
Steve Mooring
Director
Caffe Society and CS Catering Equipment Ltd

The post COVID-19 Update from the CS Catering Equipment team appeared first on CS Catering Equipment's Blog.

The well respected catering equipment publisher Catering Insight keeps the catering world up to date with the latest products, news and industry changes. We’ve featured in their articles before, however for 2019 we’ve been nominated for the Catering Insight Awards Digital Initiative of the Year category.

The award is described thus:

The Catering Insight Awards Digital Initiative of the Year category, sponsored by Hoshizaki, honours a distributor, either traditional or online, who has really embraced the digital medium – whether it is for sales, service, technology, showcasing their capabilities or an innovative social media campaign. This can encompass everything from BIM, virtual reality technology, website design and function or utilising the Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn etc tools at their disposal.

You may have noticed we’ve been rather busy over the last year or so, improving our website and adding new features; as well as useful guides, sections and information that all helps to make things more understandable. We’ve been making it much easier to find the products you need and any associated accessories.

We’re always aiming to improve our website; ensuring that it’s regularly updated, fast and smooth to use is a key part of our daily operations.

This blog has also been instrumental in reminding catering businesses about useful dates, events and seasons where certain types of products may sell better than others.

We are very pleased to have been nominated for this award, and we excitedly await the results at the end of the month.

The post We’ve been nominated for distributor digital initiative of the year! appeared first on CS Catering Equipment's Blog.

Our ‘Caffe in a Box’ area showcases our bespoke counter system, incorporating chilled and heated display units, a panini grill, water boiler and coffee machine, and is an example of the fully bespoke service we can offer to new businesses, or those customers looking to redesign their front of house service counter.

This allows visitors to get hands-on with some of the equipment they might want to test out or that they are considering, in a realistic Coffee Shop layout.

As well as the Caffe in a Box mock-up, we also have various pieces of standalone catering equipment to view, including some of our best-selling ranges of Cooking Equipment, Fridges, Dishwashers, Glasswashers, Ice Machines, Water Boilers, Fryers, Juicers, Dough Mixers, Boiling Tops and more.

We have tried to ensure that we stock an example of each key piece of catering equipment you may need. And it’s not just heavy duty appliances, we also have Ambient Display Boxes for front of house display, Crockery, Cutlery, Racking and Utensils.

Being able to see equipment in person can sometimes help visualise a space, a layout or the type of equipment you should go for, making your decisions easier and more informed.

Our showroom is constantly being updated, and we do offer the option of purchasing ex-display units if you need to take something away that day.

If you are unsure as to the best equipment for your needs, please get in touch with our experienced sales team, who can guide you through the process and ensure you get the most suitable equipment for your requirement and budget.

Whilst our showroom includes a host of our key products, customers are advised to call in advance to confirm that we have specific products on display. Customers are also reminded that many items will be unable to ‘take away’ on the day, so please call to confirm in advance of showroom visits.

Unsure on exactly what you need?

Get in touch with the CS Catering team and we can help: 01977 687 665

The post Our new revamped Catering Equipment Showroom appeared first on CS Catering Equipment's Blog.

Food should be served on a plate, in a bowl or in a takeaway wrapper. Anything else is simply a gimmick.

One restaurant has taken stupid serving practices to new heights, with food being served on iPads. Yes, iPads.

An Italian restaurant in Spain have been at it for a few years — since 2013 — using the iPads to make what they refer to as ‘digital plates’.

It’s a surprise we hadn’t seen this earlier, but we’d still be slightly bemused as to why it has ever been considered a good move!

We were confused to hear that they were using iPads as plates, but thankfully, the plate is used in a window format for the iPad underneath.

So they’ve got one thing right by not putting the food directly on to the display of a tablet, but it’s still a ridiculous method to serve a dish.

Although conversely, you could argue that this adds another element of flair and presentation to the somewhat ‘standard’ plates and bowls.

The food is served over the iPad on a clear plastic — which allows the screen to be on and for ‘interaction’ with the dish via video and sound.

One big problem is the shape of this clear plastic, it’s literally just a flat layer. How would you stop sauces from spilling over the edges? What about soup?

What about portion size? Does this mean I get a piffling little slice of meat and some salad garnish? I can’t imagine a Sunday Roast working in this format.

In the video above, a Lobster dish is served with a video of waves playing underneath. To be honest, what is the purpose of that? It’s possibly one of the most pointless additions to a dining experience I’ve ever seen.

This needs to stop.

One upside to this though, at least between dishes you can play some Candy Crush Saga…

The post Food is now being served on iPads — yes, really appeared first on CS Catering Equipment's Blog.

Haute cuisine is more often than not a one way export from mainland France to our direction here in Britain.

We’ve got a bad reputation worldwide for the quality of our food, wrongly we should add, but our reputation definitely proceeds us.

But in a minor victory against our centuries-old continental neighbour, Paris has it’s very own bastion of British grub.

L’Entent, Le British Brasserie in the French capital allows Parisians (and tourists) the chance to order a full English breakfast, a classic Scotch egg or even steak and chips!

The L’Entente steak frites. 300gm Rib-Eye steak, Triple Cooked Chips and a watercress salad – served with either Horseradish sauce or Anchovy Butter… #parisfood #steak #steakfrites #brunch #parisbrunch @lentente.paris

A post shared by L’Entente Le British Brasserie (@lentente.paris) on Feb 24, 2018 at 8:10am PST

For dessert, you can even order a custard tart with stewed Rhubarb – which unfortunately isn’t from the famous Rhubarb Triangle.

The major caveat is that all of these British delicacies are created using French ingredients – cheese and the Scottish salmon being the only exceptions to this rule.

Good ‘ol fashioned English Custard Tart with stewed Rhubarb on the menu tonight. #parisfood #lentente #custardtart

A post shared by L’Entente Le British Brasserie (@lentente.paris) on Jan 29, 2018 at 12:07pm PST

The restaurant is owned by an Englishman, Oliver Woodhead, who has lived and worked in Paris for a number of years.

L’Entente describes themselves on their own website as: “Liberally inspired by Traditional British Cuisine, but focused entirely on French Terroir Produce,
except the cheese… ”

By all accounts, the French public love the food on offer, maybe Mr Woodhead has started a revolution of classic British grub that will spread around France at an alarming rate…or maybe not.

I personally can’t see the greasy spoon or ‘chippy’ taking off on the continent in quite the same way it has over here.

Either way, we’re conquering France at something yet again. They should probably give up and bow down to our superior culinary skills.

The post The French restaurant that only serves British food appeared first on CS Catering Equipment's Blog.

Could future food businesses manage serving solely Vegan (or at least Vegetarian) dishes? Well, if one prominent American plant-based chef is to be believed, we could all be facing a plant-based future from our favourite eateries.

Whilst many are fans of meat if you have ever had the inclination to try and decrease your meat consumption and try a more plant-based diet, the health, cost and environmental benefits are abundantly clear.

But inflammatory article titles aside, the fruits of many chefs labours are actually starting to come to fruition.

Environmentally, it makes sense for our growing population to move away from our reliance on intensive animal farming for our main source of sustenance.

But, for most people, a completely plant-based diet is either an uncomfortable thought, undesirable or unattainable.

There is a growing number of people that are forgoing the meat in favour of purely veggie intake, but what does it take to be a Vegan?

If you didn’t already know, a Vegan forgoes all animal products altogether, which as an exercise in altruism towards animals is a noble one, but over the past few years has become a more palatable decision.

Much like coeliacs and those with strict dietary requirements due to health complaints, Vegans are now seeing a growing number of options available in the retail and foodservice sectors.

This is proving profitable for a number of chains, independents and pop-ups that can cater for the tastes and dietary restrictions of a wider range of clientele.

But, it does pose problems for many kitchens, as preparation methods and recipes need to be tweaked or scrapped to be truly Vegan.

That means no ‘traditional’ core ingredients such as cheese, milk and eggs. Instead, plant-based alternatives need to be utilised to replicate the taste, flavour and texture of these animal byproducts.

Most beers and wines are Vegan-safe, but that isn’t the case for every single option – it’s definitely important to check that this is the case for what you plan on offering!

What does a vegan diet consist of?

• Beans and pulses
• Grains, rice, seeds
• Nuts
• Fruit and vegetables
• Substitute milk – soy, rice, oat, the list goes on!

So, with all this in mind, the comments from American chef Matthew Kenny stating that: ‘the future of food is Vegan’ whilst surprising, might not be the pipedream many are thinking it is.

Firstly, the margins on vegetarian and Vegan food can be massive.

If you choose to play it safe and serve only standard, everyday vegetables – no outlandish ingredients – the cost drops even further.

With clever cooking, preparation and real seasoning, a chef can create unbelievable dishes that don’t rely on meat for texture or flavour.

Many curry dishes can be made completely Vegan-friendly without forgoing the exceptional flavours and spices you associated with the Asian food.

You really don’t need to lose the flavour by offering a range of foods for your diners, just being clever can add yet another clientele you hadn’t even anticipated.

What have you got to lose?

The post Is our food future heavily Vegan influenced? appeared first on CS Catering Equipment's Blog.

CS Catering Equipment has updated, improved and enhanced to meet the needs of the modern caterer.

With the revamp of our online shop front, if you’re in the business of food, then we are sure you’ll love our new look website.

Find exactly what you’re looking for within seconds, the entire storefront has been shaped to make getting what you want, when you need it, even easier than ever before.

Beyond the obvious facelift, we’ve tweaked, tinkered and generally adapted our web experience to help aide your entire shopping experience.

Catering Shops

Say hello to your new storefronts.

Simple, dedicated shops to suit your specific catering business or sector.

No more scouring the web for specialist products, we’ve listened to our core customers to create these collections for a range of common businesses.

Get everything you need in one space and at a great price.

VISIT OUR SHOPS NOW

Mobile Friendly

Whether iOS or Android, you’ll be able to search, browse or place an order right there from your phone.

We’ve revamped our mobile web experience to make it even easier to get what you need when you need it most, using the most important piece of technology you carry everywhere.

Don’t be bound by having to sit at a desk and buying from a box and screen, use your phone and get what you want instantly.

Get a Direct Quote

Built for speed and simplicity, our new ‘My Quote’ system allows you to get a direct quote for any number of products you’re looking to buy.

Simply add items to your quote basket, fill in your details and let us do the rest.

Designed to allow you to get the best deal possible, our team will do the legwork so you don’t have to.

GET YOUR QUOTE NOW

We hope you enjoy using our new look site as much as we have enjoyed creating it for you! Should you have any problems, questions or would like to speak to a member of our team, then please call 01977 687 665 to get started.

The post Come and see the new look CS Catering Equipment! appeared first on CS Catering Equipment's Blog.

Google Reviews, TripAdvisor, Yelp, FourSquare. As diners or customers, we can literally lay into our food then destroy a businesses reputation without ever having to fear the consequences.

But without the kitchen being able to truly go toe-to-toe without potentially causing further fury, some of the nations top chefs are sharing some of the biggest grievances they have with the restaurant goer.

It’s often said that the customer is always right, but we know that isn’t always the case.

The Independent got a hold of some of the best chefs the country to pick their brains, you might be surprised what they found the most frustrating things that diners do!

Helen Poulakka – Executive Chef at London’s Nordic-French restaurant Aster

A post shared by Aster (@astervictoria) on Oct 6, 2017 at 3:56pm PDT

Asking for Tabasco in a fine dining restaurant is just blasphemy.

Richard Bainbridge – Chef and owner of British restaurant Benedicts Norwich

A post shared by Richard Bainbridge (@chefbainbridge) on Sep 6, 2017 at 10:06am PDT

Putting salt and pepper on food before a guest tastes it.

Taking photos of food is also a new trend that could do with disappearing.

Lee Skeet – Owner of a self-titled pop-up restaurant Cornwall

A post shared by Lee Skeet (@leeskeet13) on Oct 13, 2017 at 7:37am PDT

Rude or dishonest customers are the worst.

Catering to dietary requirements is difficult unless it’s prearranged at the time of booking (due to the nature of their business).

We had a guest tell us on the night they were coeliac (gluten free) and couldn’t eat three of the six set courses, and wanted substitutions, which we didn’t have.

This customer then proceeded to tell us that they chose the gluten free menu when booking online, which was a lie, and in fact we have never offered any such option.

Ani Arora – Head Chef at London’s Asian fusion restaurant Nirvana Kitchen

A post shared by Nirvana Kitchen (@nirvanakitchen61) on Aug 11, 2017 at 10:26am PDT

Arriving late for a reservation is annoying.

As is making up your mind then placing your order and sending back a dish you don’t like but have eaten more than half of!

Also being rude to your server.

Daniel Fletcher – Head Chef at London’s Fenchurch Restaurant in Sky Garden

A post shared by Dan Fletcher (@danielfletcher1) on Sep 30, 2017 at 3:30pm PDT

Being rude to staff. I have so much respect for my colleagues and find it hard handling this kind of behaviour.

Eric Guignard – Head Chef at London’s The French Table

If a diner asked me to prepare a dish with no salt.

Andrew Dargue – Head Chef at London’s Vanilla Black Vegetarian restaurant

A post shared by Vanilla Black (@vanilla_black_uk) on Oct 12, 2017 at 9:48am PDT

Turning up (without prior notice) with a list of things they can’t eat and assuming that it can be done for them in the middle of service.

Then – when it comes to dessert or otherwise – ordering something which contains one of their problem foods and proceeding to eat it.

Simon Rogan – Chef at Cumbria’s L’Enclume and Rogan & Co

A post shared by L’Enclume (@lenclume) on Oct 2, 2017 at 9:39am PDT

Going to the toilet when you know your food is coming.

Hari Ghotra – Chef at Indian restaurant Tamarind of Mayfair

A post shared by The Platinum Palate (@the.platinum.palate) on Aug 23, 2017 at 3:17pm PDT

Eating and paying for food that they are not entirely happy with.

Speak to the staff, they will help.

No chef wants to serve food that is not enjoyed.

Well, if there is one thing that this ‘research’ has found we can all agree on that!

The post The worst things diners do according to the UK’s top chefs appeared first on CS Catering Equipment's Blog.

Dirty Bones, a London-based restaurant that serves NYC-inspired food has decided to tackle our poor attempts a food photography by introducing a ‘Foodie Instagram Pack’ to help improve the quality of our gastro-fueled social media posts.

The ‘kit’ comes complete with a portable LED camera light, multi-device charger, clip-on wide angle camera lens and a tripod selfie stick for overhead table shots, the pack had been put together to provide Instagrammers with the toolset to capture the perfect food-shot every single time.

With Instagram playing such a pivotal part in the national and international ‘foodie-culture’ it probably should come as no surprise that a restaurant has decided to potentially enhance its own image on the photo sharing platform.

Dirty Bones’ menu has been curated with picture-sharing in mind, with the establishment citing their Fish Tacos, Mac Daddy Burger and Cheeseburger Dumplings as big performers online.

The creation of this pack reinforces the value to caterers and food service professionals of using visual mediums such as Instagram to promote our very own gourmet dishes and culinary creations.

If your lunch doesn’t look like this you’re doing it wrong. : @wrapyourlipsaroundthis

A post shared by Dirty Bones (@dirtyboneslondon) on Jun 23, 2017 at 3:35am PDT

By allowing the customers to do the promotion, we forgo the requirement to put our own pictures directly in the eyes of our potential diners – because they do it for us!

This photo care package is a way of helping Dirty Bones ensure that when you dine in their restaurant, should you wish to take a picture, they will do their utmost to ensure it’s up to their standards.

Although it does make us think of the ever-popular culture-dissecting Black Mirror, with the photo kit being available to use upon request at the Soho eatery — unfortunately it is on a loan basis, no kit to keep we’re afraid.

A spokesperson for Dirty Bones, which offers diners their own brand of New York-style American comfort food, explained to Mashable: “People love to share what they’re eating on social media, so we wanted to put together something that made it easier to get that perfect shot regardless of the lighting or time of day.

“More and more people are also using Instagram to help them decide where to eat, so as a restaurant group it’s key for us to make sure that people are getting the best possible shots of all our dishes and drinks.”

We can’t fault their reasoning, but we have now officially reached peak Instagram.

The post London restaurant offers diners ‘Foodie Instagram Pack’ for better food photos appeared first on CS Catering Equipment's Blog.

Tipping culture is not something that we’ve had to grapple with here in the UK, be that lucky for the customer or unlucky for the waiting and bar staff of these British Isles.

The premise is one that incentivises good service, but with strict minimum wage laws and safe working conditions for waiting staff, tipping is seen more as a sign of exceptional service in most restaurants, cafes and bars.

How much should you tip? Well it’s not always as simple as just a set % of the cost of your meal.

A big problem with tipping is that you personally will not know how the company deals with this process. Is it a direct bonus for the staff? Does the management dip their hand in and skim off a large portion of the ‘donation’ you’ve made?

Unfortunately, there are businesses that have worked a loophole in contracts to give staff a base wage of £0 – yes zero. Nothing. Zilch.

London-based Tuttons Brasserie does this. This is not a practice that should be condoned, instead of paying staff a basic minimum wage, they are instead expected to work for the ‘tip’ which makes up their hourly rate. Of course, this could be considered a misnomer as Tuttons is perfectly placed in the tourist hotspot of Covent Garden, where hundreds of diners are served throughout the day.

Whilst this is rare, a somewhat more common practice was that of chains such as Carluccio’s, Giraffe, Jamie Oliver’s and a few select others, who would pay a basic salary below the minimum wage and use service charges and credit-card tips to top-up the take-home pay of their staff.

These chains eventually scrapped this after public and MP pressure, but these are just a few of the well-known chains who operated in this manner.

Of course, this can mean many of their staff exceed the minimum wage quite handsomely, there is no guarantee that staff will receive a tip at all for most meals.

A loophole in the minimum wage legislation means that this is all perfectly legal and above board, while a flick through HM Revenue & Customs’ document E24 makes it clear why the practice has become so widespread. It reads: “If customers have a genuine option as to whether to pay the service charges, it is accepted that they are not consideration (even if the amounts appear on the invoice) and therefore fall outside the scope of VAT.”

Essentially, this means that, as long as your bill states that such charges are either “discretionary” or “optional”, the restaurant itself doesn’t have to pay VAT on the money.

100% legal. But we think this is shady practice as the money we choose to leave is not for ‘good service’ but in fact paying the waiting staff’s basic salary.

It’s important to ask what restaurants are asking when they list ‘service charges’ on your bill. Simply ask your waiter if they can explain who is receiving what to make sure that the money you give goes where it is intended to go.

The government has produced detailed ‘Best Practice’ guides on service charges, tips, gratuities and cover charges here.

The post How much should I tip? The truth about tipping appeared first on CS Catering Equipment's Blog.