UNIVERSITY HALL OF RESIDENCE
Why an MT Series conveyor dishwasher is the perfect solution for a university hall of residence: Sarah Cook, House Manager at »Carnatic House«, Liverpool University, and her decision to opt for Winterhalter.
A modern British university is far more than just a place for study. And none more so than Liverpool University, whose principal student halls of residence - Carnatic House - is full during term time. However, Carnatic House not only accommodates up to 1,400 live-in students but also hosts a thriving business in conferences and events during the student vacation.
For House Manager Sarah Cook, dishwashing has always been the unsung but essential support issue.
"We generate a huge amount of dirty dishes here," she says. "Most students have breakfast and dinner.” On top of that, with the conference and banqueting trade, we are working - and washing - seven days a week, throughout the year. There's hardly a day off, certainly during term time."
"Like every educational site our budgets are under pressure, but we wanted to make sure the replacement was going to be good value"
Carnatic House installed its last flight-type dishwasher over 20 years ago, and this worked well, long beyond its expected lifespan, she says. "That's mainly because we looked after it so well. The staff know how to look after equipment, and we are careful to clean it properly, use all the right chemicals and water treatment, and train new staff properly in its operation."
In recent times, however, while the old machine had continued to wash adequately, it had started to break down, maintenance was taking longer and spare parts were getting hard to come by. Sarah and her team knew they had to consider a more modern replacement. We looked at all the major large-scale dishwasher brands and drew up a shortlist, and they all came and gave us presentations."
When Winterhalter's project specialist Douglas Graham was called in to tell them about the latest Winterhalter MTF flight dishwasher, he was amazed to see how well Sarah and her staff had looked after the venerable old dishwasher.
"The staff at Carnatic House were well organised and obviously know how to use and maintain kitchen equipment, which is why it's lasted so long," he said. "But time has moved on, and I was able to show them that the MTF was going to give a faster wash, giving better quality results at the right price, and that running costs were lower too."
Sarah adds that Winterhalter also seemed best aware of the needs of Carnatic House, and how to install and commission the new system without disrupting service. "That was something that really gave us confidence," she recalls. What's more, she felt they offered the best aftercare deal and training.
Each of our customers has their own specific reasons for choosing Winterhalter for their commercial warewashing needs. These are Sarah Cook's main ones:
It can handle the expensive crockery and glassware for special banquets as well as the everyday ware for student meals. It's very easy to operate and to clean, and it makes good use of the space in our kitchens
