Sunday Roast

The warm weather is finally coming and you can be sure that a whole host of flying insects will follow. Everyone knows that flies in kitchens and catering establishments can become a major problem if not dealt with properly. It’s the extra influx of customers also brought out by the warm weather that often mean these important pest control measures get forgotten.The key to reducing flies in and around your establishment is to ‘think basic’. When this topic comes up it would fair to say most people think straight away ‘fly killers’, although an important tool in the fight against flies, prevention should be top of your list.

Although stating the obvious, extra effort needs to be made to ensure that your establishment is clean. An extra push should be made to reach those ‘forgotten corners’ inside and out. Rubbish can be the main attraction to flies, we can’t avoid it, but we can keep the flies out. ‘Pedal’ style refuse sack holders help keep flies out, care must be made not to over-fill bags though, a burst sack can be a nightmare!

With all the best efforts in the world, flies will always appear. This is where a fly killer comes into play. Electric UV units are standard for almost all kitchens now, models available vary enormously. Most units give a coverage rating, a fly killer shouldn’t be chosen by these criteria alone though. Factors such as airflow (windows and doors), people traffic and any extra sources of flies can mean larger coverage ratings or multiple units are required.

Many people also make the mistake of placing fly killers just inside doors and windows. As the units are designed to attract insects this can actually draw more flies into your establishment! Units should also be sited away from food preparation areas to avoid contamination. The ideal height is between 2 and 2 ½ metres above the floor. Fly Killer bulbs should be changed at least once a year for maximum effectiveness.

Geoff Kennedy – April 2008

BuyCatering.com - Catering Equipment Online

0800 652 2779

Original Source: The Flies Are Coming - BuyCatering.com 

With all-out war being declared on binge drinking and high-alcohol drinks there is much debate on how the 2008 budget will affect the Catering and Hospitality Industry.

What rises were expected?

A rise in tax on alcohol above the rate of inflation was inevitable, but on which drinks and to what extent was unsure until today. The obvious targets were super-strength lagers and ciders, but with alco-pop’s also in the firing line, there was worry these tax hikes could spread to products more important to the industry.
Tax on wine was also predicted to rise due to the recent worries about middle classes over indulging at home, therefore gaining the ever increasing ‘binge drinker’ title.

What did we get?

At midnight on Sunday, duty rates on Alcohol are to rise by 6 per cent above inflation. Beer is to go up by 6 pence a pint, cider by 3 pence a litre, wine 14 pence a bottle and spirits 55 pence a bottle.

In the future it is planned that the tax on alcohol will rise at 2 per cent above the rate of inflation each year.

So how will this affect the industry?

The challenge of predicting how the British consumer will act is always a daunting one.

The rise on alcohol in the shops could help break the ‘home drinking’ trend and drive people out into pubs, bars and restaurants. If it is indeed the cheap supermarket drink that started this trend, then it is a fair assumption to make. However the recent smoking ban is also a strong contributing factor, and one that certainly won’t change anytime soon.

The opposite worry is that rising taxes on wine and beer will drive people out of bars and restaurants. Although it is the high-alcohol products which are being targeted, this coupled with other factors could see price rises across the board in drinking establishments. With the hops and grain prices at an all-time high, producers are set to raise prices on beer and ale, with one of the main brands rumoured to be planning a 9% rise.

Geoff Kennedy – 12th March 2008

BuyCatering.com - Catering Equipment Suppliers

KitchenAid 5KPM5 Mixer 

Everyone knows KitchenAid is the big name in food mixers. They’re been around for years and have gained a reputation for being the no nonsense workhorse in the kitchen. Some may think this reputation has been somewhat tarnished by the domestic products they have introduced such as the Artisan range. Who would want a Pink mixer anyway?!? Don’t be fooled by the fancy colours though, KitchenAid still produce some of the best commercial appliances around.

The 5KPM5 mixer, otherwise known as the K5 is certainly no exception. Staying true to KitchenAid’s commercial roots the K5 mixer is available only in white; no unnecessary fanciness here! That said, you can’t deny the KitchenAid’s understated style which has been voted an icon many times throughout the years.

Now to the working’s of the beast! The K5’s direct drive motor uses all of the 325W power. This is transferred to one of 3 included attachments; the Dough Hook, Flat Beater, or Wire Whip. A massive range of extra attachments and gadgets are also available; from Sausage Stuffers to Can Openers. The KitchenAid’s bowl is stainless steel with a 4.8 litre capacity, this comes with a plastic cover included. All this is brought together in an all metal construction to give a truly robust machine. Just to be safe though, KitchenAid also throw in a 1 year Commercial Warranty.

KitchenAid is certainly no stranger to the bright lights either. The K5 model can often be seen as the choice for many a TV chef. Just yesterday I saw the 5KPM5 doing its thing on ’something for the weekend’ and Gordon Ramsey often calls on his KitchenAid (or one belonging to the chef he’s shouting at).

Surprisingly the 5KPM5 is available at BuyCatering.com cheaper than the domestic Artisan model. So if you’re looking for a hardworking commercial mixer for the kitchen, or just a stylish home appliance that will last for years; the KitchenAid K5 is definatly worth a try!

BuyCatering.com are currently offering the KitchenAid 5KPM5 for only £249 (+VAT) with Free Delivery! This is the cheapest I’ve found on the Internet so far. Due to price increases from KitchenAid this price is likely to go up very shortly though.

Use this link to get more details about the KitchenAid 5KPM5 Mixer at Buycatering.com.

Easycut Kebab Knife 

Easycut has long been the dominating name when buying a kebab knife. Now they are offering an economy version of their popular stainless steel kebab knife. The newcomer features all the quality and durability of the original but with a plastic construction.

The Easycut kebab knives are simplicity itself; with “pull & twist” manual adjustment and easy disassembly for cleaning means you are free to deal with customers instead of adjusting your kebab knife!

The Plasic Easycut kebab knife is priced at £155 at www.buycatering.com with the Stainless steel version still available at £199. Both come with Free Delivery and a 1 year warranty.

Thinking of getting into the world of Kebabs? Why not try out your new Easycut kebab knife alongside one of the Newscan DK4 Kebab Machines! At only £654 for a kebab machine and knife you’ll be ready to start knocking out those donner’s in no time!

For the full range of kebab machines and accessories go to BuyCatering.com

Newscan DK4 Four Burner Gas Doner Kebab Machine

BuyCatering.com are now offering this commercial kebab machine for only £499 with free delivery!

With a high quality stainless steel construction you can be assured that this kebab machine is robust, reliable, and often as important; easy to clean!

The featured kebab grill has the option of being used with LPG or Natural Gas. This is one of the many features the Newscan machine can boast of. To top things off it also comes with a year’s full warranty!

For more info on this great kebab machine or one of the other products available go to BuyCatering.com or kebab machines.

RU-21

Everyone knows the story of the legendery RU-21 pills! They didn’t work so well keeping KGB spies sober, but we can still benefit from their hangover curing effects! Well maybe ‘cure‘ is too much of a claim, but they certainly make the next morning a lot more bareable!

Rather than trying to deal with a hangover after the damage is done, RU-21 aims to avoid it all together. The suggested dosage is 2 tablets before your first drink and 2 more after your last drink. This helps reduce enzymes produced by the body, which in turn reduces the symptoms of a hangover.

At www.youknowit.com packs of 20 tablets are available for only £4.73 Thats enough hangover relief for 5 big nights out. Ideal for the christmas period!

Hangover Cures

cheap christmas trees

usb turn table

New Classic USB Turn Table only £89.95 at www.usb-turn-table.co.uk

The new Classicaly styled USB Turn Table has all the functionality of the original Contempory USB Turn Table but at a greatly reduced price!

USB Turn Table

USB Turn Table

Every fancied listening to some of your old records on your i-pod? Or maybe you want to share that new white label vinyl over the net. Well this is for you!

With a USB Turn Table you can transfer vinyl records to electronic format on your PC or Laptop in no time. Once you’ve done that it’s up to you! You can transfer them to your i-pod or MP3 Player, edit and mix tracks, burn them to CD and listen on your HIFI, or simply listen to them on your computer. 33s, 45s and 78’s are all supported so you can transfer your whole collection.

These stylish turntables made by Numark come packaged with Audacity software so you’re ready to go. The software has lots of great features allowing you to do things such as change sampling rates and separate tracks on albums. The belt-driven turntable itself has features including Anti-skating control, adjustable gain and a high-speed vinyl recording function.

The process involved in transferring a record to digital format is simple:

1. Install the Audacity software provided. Connect the Turntable via a free USB port.
2. Prepare your vinyl on the turn table.
3. Press ‘record’ on the software then ‘play’ on the turntable.
4. When the vinyl is finished just press ‘stop’ on the software and you’re done.

A few more clicks in the Audacity software and your MP3 or WAV files will be ready to go!
If you want to take things further you can manipulate the audio in its digital format. Common uses for this include removing background noise and crackling which is often caused by dust and scratches on old vinyl.

USB Turn Tables are increasingly being used by DJ’s. Many are swapping the traditional decks and vinyl mixing for digital alternatives. CD mixers have been around for some time now, and mixing software packages are becoming increasingly advanced.  A USB Turn Table allows DJ’s to transfer classic tracks and brand new white labels from their vinyl format into the electronic format of their choice.

As an extra feature, the USB Turn Table also has an input socket which allows the user to connect a cassette player or other analogue audio device. By doing this you can use the USB Turntable as a soundcard and transfer cassette tapes etc in much the same way you would a record.

For more info, reviews, photos, and great deals go to www.usb-turn-table.co.uk