Catering equipment what is it, well its everything that is in the chefs world or everything that surrounds the chef in the working catering kitchen, chefs will use a huge range of catering equipment in the kitchen. When setting up a catering kitchen the catering equipment which is chosen first is normally stainless steel tables and wall shelves, this will give the outer shell of the kitchen and then give the designer a better idea of where the catering equipment appliances will be situated for the chef, the chef or head chef will normally sit down with the designer and discuss his needs, this is when the catering equipment will be chosen. The first question will be do you want gas catering equipment or electric catering equipment, its up to you as there are no real savings from either piece of catering equipment they both seem to use the same energy unless advertised as energy efficient.

Energy efficient catering equipment is becoming more popular with hotels and restaurants aiming to show they are paying as much attention to a green planet than the other guy accross the road. Servicing the catering equipment should also be kept in mind, how will a catering equipment engineer be able to rapair the item, is it accessable from the front or back of the unit. A good ideal is to leave a gap or a service void at the back of all the catering equipment appliances in order that a catering equipment engineer can access it with no problems this will in the long run save time and money on catering engineer call outs, if he or she can get to the problem fast the time on site will be less in turn costing less.

Catering equipment comes in all sizes and shapes so you should be able to find the right size of equipment to fit in to the space you have left for it in the kitchen, there are slim line catering equipment cabinets available from most manufacturers, there are low and high set hight units for tall or short people, so you will not have them reaching to high, safety is a big thing in the kithen. The type of catering equipment you use in the kitchen will strongly depend on the menu or food that you are going to be serving, grills or steakhouses will concentrate on salamander grills or griddles to cook the majority of there menu where you will find chinese or mexican restaurants will cook most of there food on a range where they can open fry the ingredients. Alot of restaurants are now looking to cook there food on induction hobs or induction grills however chefs seem to prefer the old ways best.

Another big catering equipment appliance which has to be given consideration in the kithen is the extraction canopy, this is the piece of equipment which sits above the cooking range or cooking line and extracts the smell of fumes and smoke from the catering equipment out of the building, it is important to make sure you buy the right size of fan to extract the proper amount of air from your kitchen every hour. Catering equipment ventilation should not be overlooked as its the heart of the catering kitchen and if it fails the whole kitchen goes down, this is because the canopy is connected to a gas interlocking systems which needs to know that the air is being changed properly, if its not the catering equipment will not swith on, safety first as always.

When choosing your catering equipment you should consider the build you want, its a bit like cars if you want one to last long you must spend the money, heavy duty catering equipment costs more than medium or light duty catering supplies, if your openening a 500 seater restaurant and using light or medium catering equipment its not going to last long. You need to buy heavy strong or robust catering supplies if your running a large establishment. Light or medium duty catering equipment is ideal for snack bars of small coffee shops where you may anly be catering for 100 or so customers a day, most of this catering equipment will sit nice on top of a kithcen work top or stainless steel table.

Catering supplies are easy to find online so you should find a company that offers a large range of supplies for restaurant, hotels, cafes and snack bars this way you will have the option of light, medium or heavy duty equipment. These companies will offer a vast range of catering supplies including crockery, cutlery and glassware which can be delivered to your door.

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The mobile catering trailer business can be a great business to start and be a great source of income as a part-time or full -time business. When it comes to starting your own mobile catering trailer business there are many things to watch out for and starting in the mobile catering trailer industry without doing your research first is strongly unadvised.

Fortunately there are certain strategies for success in the catering trailer business that if followed can ensure your mobile catering cart gets off to a profitable start.

Here is a short action plan to follow when buying or considering any catering trailer, food cart, concession trailer or general commercial catering equipment for your mobile catering van business. I have used these very steps to start multiple mobile catering trailer businesses often with no money down

1: Plan for Success

Have a plan from the start and know where you will trade from, who your target market is going to be, the foods you will be selling and what equipment you will need. Think about preparing a business plan as it will help give you direction and also significantly help out with financing.

2: Choose

Narrow down the search for equipment once establishing your business model. Know exactly what catering equipment you will need and consider the electrical and gas supplies and requirement for that equipment.

3: Talk

Interview the manufacturer or seller over the phone and ask the right questions before going to a viewing such as:

Will they negotiate on price or terms?
Is the chassis galvanized?
Are the wheels and tyres in good condition?
Is there any rust on the unit?
Is it clean and presentable?
Does everything work?
What is the reason for selling?  and so on…

4: View

Put yourself in a health and safety mindset and know your stuff. Check that all equipment is working and legal and make sure any certificates are valid and up to date. Asses the concession trailer as a business asset and decide on the return on investment you think it will bring.

5: Negotiate

Like a pro by creating a little common ground with the seller. Express your interest (but not too much) and try to negotiate without the damaging admission trying to de-value the catering trailer too much instead come across a serious buyer with a limited budget who is concerned with a few minor details and the overall price.

6: Prepare for business

Many mobile catering businesses fail not knowing where or even how to effectively start trading and have no idea on how to make money in the concession trailer and mobile catering business.

Many People will often go in to huge debt and do things wrong because they did not know how to successfully start up and get into the trading pitches and events that count. This can often be the case in business and without learning the strategies that will lead to a successful and profitable food operation you could end up loosing money fast.

Educate yourself as much as humanly possible and try to immerse yourself in the industry. Learn as much as possible about the road ahead and prepare for business professionally by reading up on the best methods to use in this industry.

Wishing you success with your mobile catering ventures

Mike Carter

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