
In 2015, when the procurement team from Dubai World Trade Centre’s (DWTC) industrial kitchen visited an exhibition looking for a good pot washing solution to replace their soaking tanks, they came across the No Pre-Washing™ solutions from GRANULDISK, which have proven to be quite a boon for industrial kitchens the world over. From London, to Sweden and even the Middle East, customers are quite bowled over by the ease with which pot washing now takes place, with long-term savings on their costs, lesser manual labour and a consistent performance. By using Granule Technology, a GRANULDISK pot washer manages to remove even tough cases of dried in or carbonised food stuffs in a few minutes using PowerGranules mixed with water and only a tiny amount of chemical – no manual preparations like pre-soaking or scrubbing are needed.
After a quick trial, the local supplier for GRANULDISK supplied and fitted two machines at the DWTC kitchens. Two years into use and the staff is quite pleased. Clean Middle East caught up with Ashokan CG., Sr. Supervisor, Kitchen Mechanic, FM-Engineering Venue Management Services, DWTC, to understand how the machines have helped improve his kitchen operations. Ashokan says, “Before we bought GRANULDISK’s pot washing machines, we were facing several issues including waste of space, increased manual labour, longer durations for pot washing and inconsistency in washing. To top that, our dishwasher was not ideal for washing such big pots. After a two-week trial with GRANULDISK, we purchased the two machines that have since then supported us with consistent washing and reduced manpower.” The kitchen at DWTC can serve a maximum of 10,000 persons in a day; although, this is not the case on a daily basis, he emphasises.
He adds, “In general, we have 48 people in our staff, out of which a majority is assigned to dish/ pot washing, and this has now reduced with our machines.” The Granule pot washing machines can accommodate about 4-6 pots at a time – depending on size - or 8 GN food pans. Across a day, the process is continuous and consistent. The entire procedure is then recorded in the machine and can be downloaded on a USB drive, which is then used to maintain monthly reports of the quality of pot washing at the kitchen.
These reports are then submitted during Dubai Municipality’s audits. Training is carried out every month. From the chef to the operator, everyone is well versed in the usage of the pot washing machines. The engineering team is also equally involved in understanding the machinations of the machines. When it comes to regular maintenance, the service contractor is involved and replaces and repairs any parts.
Above all of this is the quality of washing that puts a happy smile on the kitchen staff’s faces. Ashokan says, “Our main aim was to maintain a high standard of hygiene that was consistent and saved costs and resources, and that is what we have achieved with these machines.”
*GRANULDISK machines are now distributed by Natronic International Inc. in the UAE.
