Summer hospitality challenges and solutions

With summer finally in full force, festivals of all sizes, outdoor events and anywhere we can enjoy a day out eating and drinking is at the forefront of plans for most of us over the coming weeks and months.

But how do hospitality specialists and outdoor caterers ensure they are keeping customers safe and well when providing food on the move and often from remote locations?

One of the many operational challenges is managing dishwashing to be able to accommodate high volumes of customers and consumers quickly and efficiently, keeping the queues down and the food moving.

Efficient and portable solutions are essential for caterers of all sizes to ensure they can handle high volumes of dishes whilst ensuring they are adhering to proper sanitation at the hygiene standard demanded.

Key Considerations

Power and water supply: The first consideration for any food operative when taking their wares to an outside location is to consider the power and water supply at public event locations of all sizes. In often remote locations, this can be the biggest challenge when considering logistics, factoring in the volumes of food that will need to be served and presented to hungry customers.

Sanitation standards: Outside catering presents many challenges to food producers, not least the essential full compliance with the UK’s strict health and safety regulations.

Portability: A large amount of equipment can be needed to transport goods to often remote and more difficult to reach locations. Setting up can also be a challenge with often restricted space and room to manoeuvre. To combat this, sanitation and washing solutions need to be as portable and lightweight as possible.

Capacity: Any dishwashing solution needs to take into account the potential volume of dishes generated at events of all sizes, from smaller specialist events to large music festivals. Another consideration in this needs to be the volume of dishes needed to be available at any one time, along with the equipment needed to produce the goods.

Speed and efficiency: Any event demands a quick turnaround time for washing and sanitising dishes and anything used to produce and serve food to customers.

Portable commercial dishwashers are a must to keep business moving, supplying demand and ensuring the safety of consumers at all times.

These compact, mobile units are specifically designed to cater for the need for a quick set up after easily being transported.

For larger events, a rack conveyor dishwasher is more efficient for high volumes but less portable.

Portable sinks and hand wash stations are essential for full compliance with health regulations and ensuring proper sanitation practices. For large-scale catering operations, a fully equipped mobile dishwashing trailer might also be necessary.

For all types of outside catering, the right dishwashing solution balances portability, capacity, and efficiency. Portable commercial dishwashers, mobile sinks, and dishwashing trailers are excellent options depending on the scale of the operation. Whatever the choice, proper planning and investment in the right equipment will lead to happy customers, smooth operations and ultimately, compliance with essential health standards and regulations.