Catering to a crowd

As New Zealand's biggest stadium, Eden Park can also take credit for awarding this country's largest tender for a kitchen and bar fit-out. The tender for the design of the food and beverage facilities was won by Wildfire Commercial Kitchens and Bars, a company with extensive experience in the design and supply of catering facilities to stadiums and other large commercial venues.

Wildfire director Nils Danielsen and his business partner, the late Michael Carter, were the consultants employed by the Eden Park Redevelopment Board to work alongside Jasmax architects and specialist stadium design firm Populous.

Danielsen says Wildfire's experience in supplying restaurant systems to Jade, Wellington and Waikato Stadiums helped Wildfire secure the design contract, and subsequent fit-out contract for the Eden Park project.

The design part of the project took more than a year, and involved meetings with the client, Jasmax and Populous architects, and the onsite caterers to discuss the different options.

"We established an operational brief that led to the design, development and final construction drawings," says Danielsen. "As both designers and subcontractors, it was a real bonus for us to work with Fletcher Construction, whom we have worked with on several other projects, including the Wellington Stadium."

As well as running the contract to fit out the kitchens, Wildfire oversaw the delivery, installation and commissioning of the equipment and organised training for staff.

"We always had personnel on site, and a separate team of fabricators and manufacturers as required. The project came together in stages, with the coolrooms going in first."

Wildfire worked closely with a large number of suppliers, using New Zealand-manufactured products where possible.

"As well as providing world-class equipment made to international specifications, being manufactured in New Zealand minimised the risk of exchange rate fluctuation," says Danielsen.

Cooking equipment was supplied by Moffat, including the signature line Waldorf Suite, comprising grill plates, fryers, char grills and hobs. Moffat's German-manufactured Convotherm combi ovens were also specified, together with Crown braising pans and kettles. These 120-litre kettles are used to prepare stocks, sauces and casseroles.

Wildfire sourced high-volume heated food chutes from US manufacturer APW Wyatt. These were modified to suit the local menu, and include a flat bottom shelf for tall hot-chip cups.

Refrigeration units, supplied by Skope, include two Tecnomac blast chillers for the main kitchen.

"These are roll-through units, which means food can be passed through and chilled as it goes," says Danielsen. "The blast chiller freezers can chill bulk food from room temperature down to 2°C in 90 minutes to meet HACCP food safety guidelines."

Other Skope equipment includes numerous high-volume vertical refrigeration units for beverage merchandising and dispensing.

White Refrigeration was commissioned by Wildfire to build and install the 42 coolrooms and freezers onsite, the largest of which is 72m².

"We chose White Refrigeration for several reasons," says Danielsen. "The company has a huge amount of experience, and a particularly good reputation for after-sales service and long-term management of the coolroom plant. The Eden Park coolrooms include bulk holding rooms, as well as larger, more complex beverage dispensing coolrooms. Throughout the project, White Refrigeration showed great attention to detail and provided a high-quality product."

Danielsen says long pipe runs to the coolrooms increased the difficulty of the project, but every effort was made to streamline the design to minimise difficulties for staff. For example, the coolrooms all feature recessed insulated floors, which means there is level access for staff using roll-in trolleys.

Danielsen says a BMS system, incorporating an alarm, was installed to ensure all the refrigeration is kept at the correct temperature.

Stainless Kitchens manufactured all the stainless steel tables and benches for the kitchens.

"More than 90% of this equipment was custom built to an especially high standard to meetinternational hotel and stadium specifications," says Danielsen. "The tables feature 2mm-thick stainless steel, which has the durability needed for this application. The site-measuring accuracy and finishing detail reflect Stainless Kitchens' focus on delivering a high-quality solution."

To ensure cleanup is just as efficient as food preparation, Wildfire specified Washtech dishwashing equipment. This includes three rack conveyor systems and pot-washing machinery in the kitchens, with under-counter and pass-through dishwashers in the bars.

"These units are scattered throughout the stadium," says Danielsen. "The under-counter machines are used to wash individual glasses, while the hood-style pass-through machines are used for larger volumes."

Halton extraction hoods were supplied by Ravenscroft's. "These canopies feature an engineered system, which provides a more efficient extraction rate, along with several other benefits," says Danielsen. "The ducting, fan and plant are smaller than alternative systems, therefore take up less room. The hoods are technically advanced, featuring a Capture-Jet system, which acts like an air curtain around the perimeter to significantly improve functionality. The system is also cost effective, and quieter than standard units, so it is more comfortable for kitchen staff."

Other equipment supplied by Wildfire included FWE hot holding carts, which hold hot food at the correct temperature to comply with food safety regulations.

For more details, contact Wildfire Commercial Kitchens and Bars, PO Box 56358, Dominion Rd, Auckland 1446, phone (09) 360 2933. Email: sales@wildfire.co.nz. Website: www.wildfire.co.nz.

To contact Moffat, phone 0800 Moffat (663 328). Email: sales@moffat.co.nz. Web: www.moffat.co.nz.

For more details on Skope Industries, phone 0800 947 5673. Website: www.skope.co.nz.

To contact Stainless Kitchens, phone (09) 636 9763. Email: stainlesskitchens@xtra.co.nz. Website: www.stainlesskitchens.co.nz.

To contact White Refrigeration, phone (09) 376 5680. Email: info@whiterefrigeration.co.nz. Website: www.whiterefrigeration.co.nz.

To contact Washtech, phone (09) 829 0930. Email: info@washtech.co.nz. Or visit the website: www.washtech.co.nz.

For information on Halton extraction hoods, contact Ravenscroft's, phone (03) 389 2231 (nationwide), or (09) 533 0311 (Auckland). Email: info@ravenscroft.co.nz. Website: www.ravenscroft.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas