Buffetware and Service Flair NAFEM 2009 Noteworthy Products and Vendors
BIA CORDON BLEU Going green with bamboo trays.
New to NAFEM at the BIA Cordon Bleu booth was its collection of small bamboo serving trays. “We can do multiple shapes, and it's all natural and renewable, so it's a green product. These are the first in production, and they’re great for appetizers, desserts, sauces, soups, dips, and more,” says BIA’s Gerald Green. Also new at BIA’s booth was a plate design that takes the raised edge around the underside of the rim and puts it on top for added elegance.
Buffet Enhancements' New Bone™ china by Luzerne brings something new and exciting to dinnerware. New Bone china is more durable than bone china, plus it is affordable, oven- and dishwasher-safe, scratch- and chip-resistant, and thermal shock resistant. New Bone china contains no bone ash but still displays a refined, translucent quality that resembles bone china.
GOURMET DISPLAY Versatility for banquets and meeting breaks.
Gourmet Display’s angular, eye-catching products were easy to spot at NAFEM, and under the spotlight were the company’s tiered serving stands, with the option of porcelain, acrylic, or glass containers. These come in several design lines, including the all-white Vine Ribbon Tier, the rotating 360 Tier, and the bowl-friendly Coupe Tier. Also on display at the company’s booth was its three-step LED liquor staircase, illuminated underneath by energy-efficient LED lights.
Kold-Draft was touting testimonials from Tony Abou-Ganim and Dale DeGroff at their display. Becky Standley, national account manager, told us about the big, slow-melting cubes produced by their machines. Beside her was an ice bucket filled with the barely melted cubes that had been there since 9:45 a.m. (we visited around noon). The company positions itself as a provider of culinary bar ice, not plain old hotel floor ice. Those serving upscale beverages won’t disappoint guests purchasing premium spirits and handcrafted cocktails, since Kold-Draft believes that a great ice cube is an essential ingredient in a fine drink.
LOCKWOOD MANUFACTURING Room service cart with thoughtful details.
Lockwood Manufacturing's new CA36-RR5-PT-SD Room Service Cart features pass-through doors on the front and back, an all-aluminum enclosure, and five levels of four-inch pan supports on five-inch centers. The doors are secured with heavy duty magnetic handle latches, and the cart also features an ergonomic top-mounted push handle and perimeter bumpers for fixture and wall protection.
NOR-LAKE Refrigerated merchandisers and cabinets for grab 'n’ go.
Niche F&B is a staple at many properties, but along with a boutique concept comes a limited footprint. Nor-Lake showed us its flexibility with limited space, showcasing a variety of shapes and sizes of its refrigerated multi-shelf merchandisers and its reach-in ice cream cabinets on display. Nor-Lake’s Kevin Baier told us the ice-cream merchandisers, dipping and topping cabinets, and novelty freezers are also ideal for walk-up gelato kiosks and outlets.
Christian Jarry of Sambonet Paderno showed us some examples of what customers expect to see when they eat at buffets today. “These enamel Dutch ovens used to be sold retail for home use, but now you’ll find them in brunches at hotels and casinos. It reminds the guest of meals with their friends and family,” said Jarry. Paderno’s enamel Dutch ovens come in several sizes, shapes, and colors to fit any size buffet or action station where small batches are cooked.
Every hotelier wants beautiful design combined with user-friendly practicality for front-of-the-house equipment. When we stopped by the Rosseto booth, we saw this in action with their EZ-SERV dispensers. “It's more than just the look. We've made a smaller footprint, we’ve added a plate in the front for labeling cards, and it's ergonomically designed so the handle reaches out to the customer,” said Rosseto’s Chelsea Stuck, adding that the EZ-SERV dispensers are ideal for breakfast cereal, salad toppings, and ice cream toppings, and much more.
RUBBERMAID COMMERICAL PRODUCTS Safer ice handling.
Rubbermaid Commercial Products introduces the Safe Ice Handling System, a suite of integrated ice management tools designed to increase operational efficiencies while reducing food safety concerns and improving employee safety conditions. Developed to address one of the most common issues within the commercial kitchen—the transfer of ice from ice machine to end destination throughout the operation—the Safe Ice Handling System integrates the newly designed Ice Tote with Bin Hook Adapter, Scoop with Hand Guard and Holder, and the first-ever scoop-shovel hybrid, the Scovel™.
Scotsman’s new Prodigy Nugget ice machine was showcased in NAFEM's "What’s Hot, What’s Cool" new product area. At the booth itself, we sampled the machine’s output, as both nugget and flaked ice were being served in drink recipes such as Café Dulce de Leche and Blue Raspberry Lemonade. The nugget ice is wonderfully chewy. It adds an experiential component to any recipe, as customers usually love both the drink and the ice. Scotsman flaked ice is softer and produced in smaller pieces than the nuggets. Traditionally used on buffets for cool foods, it translates well to cocktails. We judged it perfect for a frozen margarita.
SICO Incorporated Room service with stylish carts.
Room service carts don’t always have to be generically skirted units that simply transport food from the kitchen to the guest’s room. They can make an impression all by themselves. At the SICO booth, Heidi Niesen showed us their latest all-black room service table and warming box. “We’re trying to do something more contemporary and more upscale. You don't actually have to skirt it. We have some customers that use it with a simple placemat setting instead of a tablecloth,” said Niesen, adding that SICO will soon offer other colors in addition to black.
SPRING USA Fashionable and functional for buffets.
Spring USA showcased several new and versatile products as we toured the booth with Marketing Director Julie Gorges. The first is a cool chafing dish with an electronic eye. It automatically opens when a guest steps up and closes as the guest moves away. Besides the “wow” factor, it looks great and reduces hands on the buffet, always a good thing.
We saw the new carving station. The heating unit with upscale granite top is sold separately from the lamp so you can customize the look. The unit heats to 160 degrees—the optimal warming temperature without cooking the food. Another convenient feature is that four of these units will plug into one standard 20-amp outlet, great for hoteliers who enjoy using stations all over the property. Additionally, you can remove the surface unit, flip it over, and place in the freezer. When fully chilled, it will display chilled food for up to three hours.
Finally, there are the company’s signature SmartStone buffets. These mobile induction buffets, including the new zebrawood console which has a unique sleek look, still attracted the most attention. Hoteliers have the option to buy only the induction unit to drop into any cabinet of their choosing.
As the saying goes, sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. When we stopped by Tomlinson’s booth, Louis Castro showed us his company’s latest products, including their new 10.5-quart, stainless steel Glenray Kettle, perfect for soup warming. “With stainless steel, you don't have to worry about the coating getting scratched, like with enamel,” said Castro, adding that stainless steel is easier to clean and looks great wherever it’s displayed.
Terri Mayer at Vollrath showed us the creative strides the company has made. In this tight economy, Vollrath is stressing smallwares that add flair and make food look and taste great. First is the new signature server line with steam pans that are curved and shaped, for both the buffet line as well as chafers. Also on display was the inset cookware, stainless steel inside, stainless steel outside, with aluminum in between so the heat is evenly distributed.
For the back of the house, we saw a frying pan representative of their new cookware line. The new design features ventilated, slightly curved handles that are easier on forearms. For warewashing, there’s a new plastic rack, designed so employees can easily reach in and grab glassware without having to dig into or flip over the rack. We compared it to a competitor’s, and the difference in ease of use was significant.
There was a lot of shine at the Walco Stainless booth, and it wasn’t just coming from the array of stainless steel items on display. Under the spotlight at NAFEM was Walco’s new Joreen line of flatware, showcasing smooth curves and practical design, perfect for pairing with contemporary plates and dishes to complete a truly unique table setting. Behind the fresh look is a durable set made to withstand regular back-of-the-house washing and storage.
