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SERVICELINE NEWS

Serviceline launches FM4Kitchens - dedicated kitchen support for facilities managers

An essential first step in the process of ‘benchmarking’ a kitchen, monitoring allows chefs and managers to understand how the kitchen uses energy and water resources and to develop ways of working to reduce consumption and cut the carbon footprint.

Find out more at the website: www.fm4kitchens.co.uk

Developed from tried and tested software and components, the monitoring package from FM4Kitchens identifies energy and water consumption by the kitchen and provides comprehensive reports online. Full reporting software provides cost x menu and per meal served and the system also helps legal compliance by identifying health & safety and equipment performance issues early.

For most caterers this will be the first time such information is available, as most commercial kitchens are not separately monitored and therefore cannot be accurately measured.

These two charts show energy and water consumption for two separate kitchens, both serving lunch to a similar number of people to the same standard of cuisine. Note the major difference in power and water consumption.





Monitoring identifies potential waste and areas for savings. Creating benchmarks of consumption will help understand the pattern of energy and water usage and plan future savings.

Kitchen monitoring: -

* Measures the electric, gas and water consumption in the kitchen 24/7
* Identifies peaks and troughs in demand and how staff interact with the utilities
* Analysis software generates regular reports (select daily, weekly, monthly), highlighting areas for improvement
* Reports provide data for ongoing comparison (for example, how different menus impact energy consumption)
* Understanding the pattern of consumption helps to set energy targets, giving kitchen managers more power, especially when in negotiations with the contractor or in-house team
* Building owners reap the benefits of having a more marketable property. Tenants enjoy lower energy bills and everyone benefits from a healthier environment, demonstrating they run an efficient and sustainable operation.

The hospitality industry is one of the largest users of energy in the commercial marketplace. Estimates state that the total energy consumption of Britain’s catering industry is in excess of 21,600 million kW/h per year.*

Caterers use approximately 2.5 times more energy per square metre of floor area than the average commercial building, with the kitchen being one of the highest areas of waste.*

Creating better energy efficiency for commercial kitchens will result in improved economic health whilst meeting vital social responsibilities.

* Source: Food preparation and catering. Increase carbon savings without compromising on quality. Carbon Trust. CTV035. Mar 2008.

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