Starting a Commercial Catering Business
A list of what kitchen equipment you will need to be Successful
The Essential Commercial Equipment List
So, you’ve made the exciting decision to start a commercial catering business – firstly, congratulations! Your food skills are looking great and you’re moving to the next step – understanding what exactly you’ll need to start a successful commercial catering business.
Rest easy, though, Coles Refrigeration is one of the largest suppliers of catering and food service equipment in Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and Central Coast and we know what we’re taking about when it comes to catering equipment.
What Commercial Equipment Will I Need to Start up A Business?
We have fully qualified chefs ready and on hand to help deliver our expertise and advice so that you can get your kitchen up and running or up to date. The many different options available can be tailor matched to your needs by calling our sales engineers our sales engineers. Also, to help you get started, we have compiled a list of all of the kitchen equipment you will need to drive your success and food into the future. Here’s what you’ll need (we have gone into more detail underneath the following list):
- Cooking equipment
- Keeping your food at the right temperature
- Appliances
- Storage and Bench space
- Cleaning Up
- Set yourself up for Success
Cooking Equipment
Probably the most important kitchen equipment will be what you cook your food with. There are many different styles of catering businesses, and Coles Refrigeration knows every client’s needs are different. Some of the options available are listed below:
- Bratt Pan
- Pizza ovens
- Pasta cookers
- Grills and Deep Frying
- Asian cooking
Bratt Pan
Since you’re new to this industry and just starting out, you may not be familiar with the term “Bratt Pan”. A Bratt pan is a versatile appliance that can perform up to eight cooking functions with only one machine. It can be connected to either gas or electric, can cook huge volumes of food in one go, and is suitable for commercial scale levels. Our most popular selling Bratt pan is the Baron Queen, which is an Italian made 80l, medium line commercial cooking piece of equipment which features a marine grade stainless steel pan bottom and stainless-steel construction. A Bratt pan’s versatility is clear when you consider they can Steam, Poach Stew, Boil, Roast, Braise, Shallow fry AND Deep fry!
Pizza ovens
If you’re going to be making Italian, our most popular pizza oven is a Goldstein. Featuring a refractory tile hearth to ensure even heat distribution and optimum baking, Goldstein pizza ovens are Australian made, have stainless steel face and doors, and are stackable to minimise floor space requirements.
Pasta cookers
Cooking large amounts of pasta for catering can take up a lot of space. The top-of-the-range pasta cooker Q70CP/G400 by Baron is a 26 litre gas pasta cooker which is high quality and reliable. It has a Safety pressure switch in the tub, so you’ll never have to worry about it continuing to cook once the water has evaporated.
Grills and Deep Frying
The Anets Silverline range offers a wide selection of fryers which are designed to give you great value for money. The 70AS has stainless steel construction and a High temperature safety limit switch, ensuring consistency and safety. It comes with optional extras including fry basket alternatives.
Asian cooking
Asian cooking requires equipment that is designed with specific needs in mind, including some of the following:
Noodle Cookers
The B&S Combination range can be used for noodles, warming soup, as a rice pastry steamer and a dumpling steamer. These appliances are energy efficient and provide consistency in cooking temperatures.
Stock Pot Cookers
B&S excel here again, and their range of Stock Pot Cookers meet the vigorous demands of Asian fast food kitchens and restaurants, and are suited for large pots and great for stocks and soups.
Wok Ranges
Another common piece of Asian commercial kitchen equipment is a wok range. Goldstein CWA Wok Ranges have the flexibility of 1-3-hole wok ranges and have side burner options available. Made in Australia, they come with a 10-year parts warranty.
Keeping Your Food at The Right Temperature
To maintain your position in the competitive business of commercial catering you need to be able to serve your hot food hot and your cold food cold. This topic can cover so many different products and options, for example, do you need a display fridge, commercial freezer, or ice machine?
Refrigeration
Our most popular upright foodservice fridge is the UC1300SD by Bromic, which is a 1300ltr stainless steel solid door upright. Designed for increased energy efficiency, this unit provides consistent internal temperatures, and features self-closing lockable doors.
Bain Marie
You’ve no doubt seen different versions of this common piece of kitchen equipment in restaurants. The Hatcho HDW-3 Warmer draw will keep your food fresh and warm until it is served. Available in up to 3 drawers, built from rugged stainless steel with durable nylon drawer rollers, each drawer can be individually turned on or off to allow for maximum efficiency.
Appliances
Depending on the style of catering business you are starting, there are several counter-top appliances that will be necessary to be successful.
Coles Refrigeration stock a large range of appliances to suit every need, including:
- Vacuum packing machines
- Microwaves
- Contact toasters and conveyor toasters
- Blenders
- Milkshake Makers and mixers
- Pie warmers
Every kitchen’s needs differ, so take advantage of our experienced chefs’ knowledge for what you will need.
Storage and Bench Space
You’re going to need somewhere to work, and something to store the product of your hard work in, since not all food is served immediately. Best to keep cost in mind here as the wrong brand selection can result in a big hit on your entire establishment budget.
Shelving and Stainless steel benches like the SS01 Island Work Bench are customisable and supplied flat packed ready for assembly. Design your dream preparation and storage space with our design team to meet your exact requirements.
Cleaning Up
Commercial-sized dishwashers like the UC25NG Eswood Glasswasher will save you hours of washing up once your guests have gone home. It has 3 wash programs to match the degree of soil, an ecofriendly cold rinse and can wash up to 1200 glasses per hour with an automatic water temperature interlock that ensures correct sanitization. Take a look at some more of Coles Catering Equipment’s ware washing products by clicking here
Set yourself up for Success
If you have come up with a list of what kitchen equipment you will need to start your Commercial Catering Business, you’re well on the way. Coles Refrigeration & Air Conditioning is one of the largest suppliers of catering and food service equipment.
Making custom refrigeration and stainless-steel benching in-house, through our own manufacturing service, allows our prices to be competitive. If you would like to discuss your exciting new venture into starting a commercial catering business, just call our sales engineers on 02 4044 0846 to discuss the correct equipment set up to be successful. Alternatively, please visit us at colesrefrigeration.com.au to view our full product range or click here to send us an online message.
