Meiko speeds service for Buckinghamshire's Hot Meal Initiative
18 May 2011
Meiko, the environmentally friendly warewasher manufacturer, has been called on to help in Buckinghamshire new school kitchens as the schools work to replace catering facilities stripped out in the 1980s.
This major project aims to provide 60 schools with new facilities to enable them to serve hot meals for the first time in more than 20 years. Carford Group, a leading catering equipment supplier to local authorities and based in Ferndown, Dorset, were presented with the opportunity of designing and installing the new kitchens and turned to leaders in the field Meiko to supply the dishwashing element.Nine new hub kitchens feeding 53 schools will now offer 14,500 children the opportunity to choose a nutritionally balanced hot meal in the first phase of this ambitious project. Using school transport (thereby utilizing all available resources), hubs at key schools will transport food to satellite schools within an eight miles radius. The first phase of 60 new satellite kitchens is now well under way, with completion scheduled for April 2011.
The school meal improvement plan is taking a whole school approach with the new hub kitchens tied into the curriculum. There is a seven-week menu cycle with a seasonal change.
Hugh MacLennan, Project Manager for School Meals Improvement at the Council, says: “The project involves installing hub kitchens in strategic areas in High Wycombe, Princes Risborough, Buckingham, Chalfont and Aylesbury, with satellite schools feeding from these hubs all around the County. It is a massive programme and the satellite kitchens have elected to go with the Meiko ECO530/EW10 front loading machine with integral softener, and for the larger sites have selected a mix of Meiko’s ECO545D and DV200.2 double basket pass through machines.
A major problem faced by the Council when it decided to reinstate hot meals was that the original kitchens had long since disappeared to make room for classrooms – so finding places to put them was a bit of a puzzle. MacLennan and Mike Bridger, Business Development Director at Carford Group found themselves investigating all sorts of nooks and crannies to find sufficient space to house the satellite kitchens. Because of these constraints it was important to keep equipment to a minimum, so it was important that the kit was super efficient and didn’t take up too much space.
MacLennan sat down with Bridger to work out and plan the optimum equipment configurations for the different sites. The schools were already impressed with the product reliability and simplicity of operation of the pass-through and front-loading machines - and having had experience of the brand welcomed the support service offered by Meiko UK. Projected annual running costs were also a major factor in the decision making process.
Mike Bridger is without doubt a leading specialist within the major projects sector and has worked on a variety of catering industry installations over the years, and has specified Meiko products on a number of these. An expert and leader in the field of green and sustainable issues, Bridger works hard to deliver savings in energy, utilities and chemicals for clients. McLennan and Bridger both ensured by choosing Meiko machines that the schools would benefit from energy savings and recouping the capital cost on running costs, well before end-of-life machine cycles.
Another compelling reason to order the Meiko front loading machines with integral water softener for the satellite kitchens was the machine’s swift and efficient 140 second cycle. As the main assembly hall in many of the schools is used as the dining room, plates can be cleared and washed up in an hour using just nine to 10 cycles – the machine can actually process up to 540 dinner plates per hour – so the hall can go back to normal service very quickly after lunch. All three Meiko models are listed on the public sector Buying Solutions framework (RM449F).
At the Buckinghamshire hubs, Meiko's double basket DV200.2 pass through machine accommodates two standard washing baskets per cycle (36 dinner plates). This provides a machine that fills the operating capacity gap between a traditional single basket pass through unit and a small rack conveyor machine. The ECO545D, the latest Meiko pass through machine earned its ‘green tick” status from the Buying Solutions because of its ease of use, economically low running costs and outstanding performance. The low capacity wash tank minimises water and chemical consumption while the Eco filter system guarantees optimal filtration of the wash water keeping the wash tank water clean and ensuring a high wash quality. The hood is constructed with double wall construction for sound and heat insulation and it opens to the rear thereby eliminating vapour emissions towards wash-up staff and making for a much pleasanter working environment.
According to MacLennan, using disposables was never a choice. “it is not a very sustainable or environmentally friendly option and was never on the agenda,” he says. “I am very pleased with how things are working out so far. The only worry I have is the take up of the new school meals is way above what we estimated. Demand has far exceeded expectations. On the first day one of the satellite kitchens went operational, we had planned for 100 meals and we actually served 150: on the second day we had a take-up of 180 meals.“
For more information on Meiko’s warewashing products and installations contact the company direct on 01753 215120, alternatively visit www.meiko-uk.co.uk.
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