‘Twinset’ is a Pearl

Warewasher manufacturer Winterhalter steps in to minimise a pub chain’s carbon footprint and provide water and energy savings.

 

However you look at it a warewasher by its very nature, has to use two of the world’s most valuable commodities to do its job: and in some quantities, too. Hygienic cleaning is only possible with hot water, and energy is required to heat the water. However, the boffins at Winterhalter have, over the years, whittled down the use of these precious resources as the lower the water consumption, the lower the consumption of washing chemicals and energy.

 

Now Blackburn-based Cloverleaf Restaurants, which are believed to have the highest average (per unit) turnover pub restaurant estate in the UK, have opened their latest new build site, the 300 cover Birchwood Farm development at Glasshoughton, West Yorkshire, at a total cost of £2.2m. It is one of the first sites in the UK to install Winterhalter’s new GS500 TwinSet Energy warewasher system.

 

The Cloverleaf restaurant concept aims to appeal to all ages and occasions and offers fresh, quality, homemade food, and plenty of it. Birchwood Farm is Cloverleaf ’s tenth site and the decision to install the TwinSet is part of their drive to maximise efficiency and energy usage across all aspects of the business.

 

“We’re totally committed to the long term sustainability of our business and are constantly seeking to incorporate innovative ideas and technology into our operations to achieve this,” says Cloverleaf joint founder and director Gary Douglas. “On-site renewable energy generation, reduced energy consumption, conservation measures and operational efficiency are all vital parts of this commitment. Ultimately it enables us to both reduce our impact on the environment and give our customers the best possible value.”

 

“When we seek out new products and equipment they must totally align with our vision and strategy. There’s no doubt that Winterhalter’s Energy models have already proven they do this, in all respects.”

 

The TwinSet is a highly flexible arrangement. It links two GS500 pass through dishwashers together in a small footprint, offering the choice of single or double capacity and optimising energy usage during the peaks and troughs experienced in a high volume food operation. In slack periods, when only one machine is required, it saves 50 per cent in terms of energy, water and chemical consumption.

 

The TwinSet Energy models feature Winterhalter’s specially developed heat exchangers, which slash energy consumption by using waste heat from the warewashers’ steam and wastewater to heat the incoming cold water supply. Because virtually no steam escapes when the warewasher is opened, the Energy technology also enhances the working environment and reduces the workload on the kitchen ventilation system.

 

As well as the heat exchangers, which reduce the connected load of a TwinSet by 12kW (6kW for each GS500 machine), Birchwood Farm’s warewasher has a new rinse system that means it consumes less water, energy and chemicals. Combined, the heat exchangers and rinse system don’t just dramatically reduce the kitchen’s carbon footprint: compared to two standard pass through warewashers, Winterhalter estimates the TwinSet Energy will slash total running costs by up to £2,500 per year (at current prices).