Catch in Looe, Cornwall, has improved consistency and safety by installing a new Kiremko frying range with four dedicated gluten free pans replacing two standalone fryers
Perched on Looe’s picturesque harbour, Catch occupies part of the town’s former fish market. Business at the takeaway and restaurant is highly seasonal and heavily influenced by the weather, with volumes often doubling during the summer months.
In January, the team replaced its 11-year-old island range and two standalone fryers previously used for gluten free cooking. The new setup – a five pan Kiremko island range with four dedicated gluten free pans built in – brings everything into a single cook line. As a result, Catch now operates predominantly as a gluten free business, with just one pan on the range reserved for gluten-containing scampi.
A safe business
“It was a conscious decision to make the business predominantly gluten free to reduce the risk of contamination,” says manufacturing operations manager Simon Smith. “We like to be a safe business, especially as we’re seeing a real shift towards allergy awareness. When I worked in a restaurant group before, probably 60% of tickets had some sort of allergy, so the more we can do to minimise risk, the better.”
From an operational point of view, going predominantly gluten free has made the business much more efficient too. “We’re not constantly stopping to clean down, change gloves, to decontaminate or switch between areas. Product cooking just flows better,” explains Simon.
Bringing the gluten free pans in line with the frying range, meanwhile, has improved safety, with Simon adding: “With the old setup, we had pans in different positions – those on the range and some behind the range. Now everything’s in one place. You’re not turning around with hot food and fat, which makes it a safer and more time efficient environment to work in.”
In addition, each pan has its own filtration system, ensuring gluten and non-gluten oil never mix, while also allowing each pan to be drained independently for ease of use. This level of control, combined with the high efficiency Kiremko pans, has also led to a noticeable improvement in food quality.
“The food is much better quality because the temperature drop is minimal, and it’s far more consistent. With the new range, I can get up to blanching temperature – around 140°C – in about 15 minutes. With the standalone fryers, that could take 40 to 50 minutes.”
This speed results directly into energy savings. “Gas usage is about 30% lower compared to the old range. And because of the built-in filtration, the oil lasts longer as well.”
Installed in January, the range has yet to face peak summer demand, but Simon is confident, adding: “From what we’ve seen so far, it will cope absolutely fine.”
