Aspers Casino is open 24 hours a day, offering a variety of fast food, including pizzas, which are served in the casino’s restaurant and to players at gaming tables and slot machines. Speed of service and cooked food quality are the driving factors in the Aspers operation and it was these criteria that influenced the specifi cation of the Ovention ovens and the heated holding units.
To meet the high demand, pizzas are cooked in advance with the Ovention ovens providing the capacity to cook two pizzas in less than fi ve minutes. Once cooked, the pizzas are boxed and sliced, before being placed in the heated holding units. The holding units are then wheeled to satellite kitchens on the gambling fl oor and pizzas are served to order, reducing the amount of time spent by valets collecting food from the central kitchen. Aspers Casino has seen a 14% increase in pizza sales since the introduction of the Ovention ovens.
The Ovention oven uses precision impingement technology, delivering over twice the volume of hot air and better air concentration than conventional conveyor ovens. Food is cooked in a closed cavity, minimising the escape of hot air, for reduced energy consumption. Multiple catalysts break down grease into moist hot air, which is used in the cooking process, for improved quality and healthier product, whilst eliminating the need for costly kitchen ventilation systems.
Aspers Casino’s Head of Hospitality, Paul Taylor, reported
that the Ovention oven delivers consistently high standards of cooked pizza. He
stated that the holding cabinets’ accurate control of temperature and humidity
keeps the pizzas at optimum freshness for up to four hours. He added:
“Cooking time and temperature are pre programmed and food is automatically loaded into the cooking chamber with a tap of the user friendly touchpad. 24 hour operation means that there is potential for a large number of kitchen staff to use the ovens and the fact that they
are so easy to operate simplifies training and maximises kitchen efficiency.”
- Court Catering Equipment Ltd’s Managing Director, Nick Howe“We looked at various options to speed up service and improve the quality of pizzas before coming to the conclusion that the Ovention ovens and FWE heated holding units were the best solution for this application. The Gamble team went the extra mile in helping us with this project, including product demonstrations and installing the equipment at Aspers Casino for a trial period.”
