While the quality of food is paramount, a trip to a restaurant should be a total experience. Every detail should help to create a unique impression and the right refrigeration can help set the scene and provide a point of interest for diners.
Based in the North Norfolk village of Burnham Market, No.Twenty9 bar and restaurant has established a reputation for the quality of its menu and its relaxed, yet buzzy atmosphere.
Wood-fired flame grilling plays a key role in the cuisine at No.Twenty9, with an Asado grill taking pride of place in the open plan kitchen that allows diners to see the cooking process. Executive head chef Jeremy Parke combines the skills he learned working in a range of Michelin starred restaurants and his knowledge of the Argentinian Asado grill to create menus that showcases high quality, locally sourced ingredients. “A lot of the main and side dishes are cooked over wood fires,” says Jeremy. “It imparts a beautiful smokey flavour to everything, and diners love to watch it being prepared for them.”
Flame grilling produces a lot of heat, so ensuring his refrigeration was rock solid was Jeremy’s main consideration. “We need the refrigeration to be able to maintain consistent temperatures,” he says. “In the past we had inferior brands that were always running hot, which used more energy.”
The kitchen and dining area at No.Twenty9 has been undergoing a major modernisation project recently, and choosing the right refrigeration equipment has been a central consideration for Jeremy. He chose equipment from Williams Refrigeration because of its reliability and adaptability.
As well as being reliable, No.Twenty9’s refrigeration needs to look good as it plays a central role in the dining experience. “We have a meat fridge next to the grill so diners can see what they’re about to eat before it’s cooked,” says Jeremy. “It’s a bit of theatre, and a lot of people are fascinated by it.”
In order to provide the chefs with access to a range of ingredients right where they need it, No.Twenty9 also has three sets of William’s Varitemp Drawers. “It’s much better than rushing around trying to get everything out of the main fridge,” says Jeremy. “We can fit everything we need for an evening’s service in the drawers, and they’re easier to access than cabinets with doors. “They are wider, which means we’re making the most of the available space,” he says.
Different products require different conditions for correct storage. As well as meat, Twenty9’s menu includes a lot of fish. In order to keep it in perfect condition the kitchens have a Garnet fish refrigerator. “The Garnet gives us a way of keeping a good stock of seafood,” says Jeremy.
As well as keeping a wide range of ingredients close at hand during service, No.Twenty9 also needed a coldroom for bulk storage. Williams’ modular coldrooms can be designed to fit in precisely with the available space and can be fully customised with different temperature zones. “We have two separate coldrooms, one refrigerated and one frozen,” says Jeremy. “Williams were able to make it so it fits into our layout with no gaps, and were able to customise it with features like self-closing doors. It means there’s one less thing to worry about, it helps to keep the temperature at the right level no matter how many times you’re going in or out of it.”
Williams can customise most of the products in its range to meet the demands of specific sites. The meat fridge next to the grill is a customised Ruby cabinet, which has a remotely sited cooling system in the roof space above the kitchen. “Once we decided to have the fridge next to the grill it became obvious that keeping it at the right temperature would be an issue,” says Jeremy. “Putting the cooling system outside the unit stops it adding to the heat of the kitchen. It can be 40°C in the cooking area, you open the fridge and lovely cold air comes out! We certainly know our food’s being stored correctly!”
“We also had hanging rails put in at the top and drawer runners beneath so we can hang meat and have shelves for pre-cut steaks.”
Jeremy is extremely happy with his new refrigeration equipment. “Williams are known for the good quality of their equipment,” he says. “The service is also second to none, if we’ve got a problem someone will come out as soon as possible, and they’re always very professional.”
“I would definitely recommend Williams to anyone, you get what you pay for in terms of quality!”