BEST PRACTICE // Kitchen automation
Kitchen technology Is automation the solution to the skills shortage? WORDS Ken Burgin
THE SHORTAGE OF skilled
Consider a conveyor oven
work of three, and everyone
If you have the volume, work
kitchen staff won’t end anytime
It’s hard to go wrong with a
goes home earlier. The same
your space 20 hours a day with
soon, and wages will never
conveyor oven and they can be
applies with reverse osmosis or
a special 4am production shift
come down. So stop waiting
used for a lot more than just
self-polishing glass washers.
that gets all the slicing, cutting,
for miracles and change the
pizza. Consulting chef Paul Rifkin
If you’re doing large numbers,
desserts and baking done before
way your kitchen operates.
says they are his number one
the latest conveyor dishwashers
the day shift arrives. The service
How can two cooks do the work
recommendation for handling
include a pre-rinse setting to
shift can arrive fresh and ready
done by three? Or two kitchen
a busy kitchen with semi-skilled
help lift stubborn stains.
to serve food without having to
hands handle the work of four?
staff. Bear in mind that menu
You’ll also need to take a hard
items will need to be designed
look at your menu and redesign
around the equipment.
laborious processes. Here are
worry about prep — different
Control workflow and timing It’s time to make the POS
Invest in a speed oven
ordering process visible in the
These ovens create hot meals
kitchen and say goodbye to
Utilise your combi oven
from cold ingredients at the
paper dockets. Large screens
With different sizes available,
touch of a button. You’ve seen
that show orders together let you
combi ovens increase the quality
speed ovens at work toasting
track the flow and production
of roasts, function menus and
rolls at Subway — they’re a
time — the whole process is
all the food you serve on a busy
combination of a microwave and
available in one view. Individual
shift. The combination of heat
a convection oven. The timer
screens can be made available
and moisture cooking reduces
makes ensures nothing gets
for different sections. Data
waste and provides total
burnt and most food is ready in
shows where managers should
control when it comes to time
30 seconds.
make roster changes and
some of the options.
and temperature. Plus, pre-set
identifies bottlenecks.
controls mean almost anyone
Clean smart
can use them. Ask the supplier to
Cutlery polishers will halve
send out their chefs who will be
the time it takes to dry and
Separate preparation and service
able to show you the maximum
polish knives, forks and spoons.
Do you still expect prep to be
potential of the machines.
One staff member can do the
done during the morning shift?
14 | Hospitality
skills for different tasks. ■