One of the most important facilities in every catering establishment is the hot shop. The place where most of the technological processes necessary for preparing the main dishes are carried out has several variations of its device, which depend on the format of the enterprise itself.
Thus, the equipment of the hot shop in the restaurant is very diverse and makes it possible to cook at the same time a wide range of dishes. The dishes are served in a small (or even single) quantity, based on the wishes of each client. Whereas the kitchen of a large public dining room assumes the uninterrupted delivery of complex lunches of several varieties and in large volumes, which, of course, determines the special specificity of its arrangement.
general characteristics
In the kitchen, cooking broths, sauces, cutting and mixing salads, heat treatment of semi-finished products, frying and stewing meat and vegetables. Hot Workshop Inventory in a large institution should also provide the possibility of baking bread, rolls and confectionery, brewing hot drinks and the issuance of other gastronomic delights. In addition, it usually processes ingredients intended for a snack or dessert.
The layout of the hot shop and its location in the building relative to other rooms primarily depends on the volume of dishes produced. An institution with several dining rooms can include several kitchens, as well as one large one, located on the same floor as the hall with the largest number of seats. At the same time, the hot shop should have free access to the warehouse, the procurement shop, washing and, of course, fit perfectly into the distribution system.
The device of the kitchen includes the assembly of equipment for heat treatment, as well as the connection of electrical and mechanical devices, electronic scales, tabletop mechanisms for preparing complex dishes with a large number of ingredients.
Location requirements
The layout of the hot shop directly depends on its strategic location. In addition to all of the above, in the immediate vicinity of it should be a spacious and comfortable washing with a large number of sinks for cleaning kitchen utensils and tableware. The medium temperature refrigerated cabinet is strategically located opposite the window for delivering food to the kitchen.
The height at which the ceiling of the room is located must exceed 3 meters. To cover walls and other surfaces, light-colored paint is often recommended. In addition, panels with ceramic cladding are often installed at levels up to 1.7 m from the floor. The materials used for finishing the hot shop should have sufficient water resistance, be easy to clean and have a structure that protects against slipping.
Organizing his workplace, the cook of the hot shop should use the equipment installed in sections, which can significantly save the work surface and combine cooking processes.
Workspace organization
In accordance with the facilities of the institution and the dimensions of the kitchen, the equipment of the hot shop can be located in different ways. In rooms with a small area, it is placed along walls equipped with strong forced ventilation. In parallel, a line is often equipped: a stainless table, as well as surfaces for inspection, cutting, processing and preparation of products. In large premises, as a rule, there is not one, but a number of jobs for existing cooks. In such cases, zoning of space occurs depending on the specifics of the activity. One cook in a hot shop is preparing soups. The other is main dishes, etc.
As a rule, a cooking boiler, pans of various capacities, pans, a table and other equipment from the category of small mechanization are equipped with a special bath and other devices in the area for preparing liquid dishes.
Particular attention in restaurants is given to the speed of delivery of ready-made portioned dishes. Of the equipment in the dining room kitchen, there is usually a medium-temperature refrigerated cabinet for cooling products. As well as cutting boards, containers for spices, digesters and shelving.
Hot shop equipment
The main requirement for the equipment of the workshop for preparing hot dishes is the efficiency of the workspace and the creation of the most productive balance that fully meets the professional needs of the kitchen, depending on its specificity. In this regard, in such premises are used:
- cutting table;
- refrigerating cabinet;
- electronic balance;
- cooking pot;
- whippers, etc.
The most productive work of the staff is helped to optimize frying surfaces, grills, devices combining steaming and high temperatures, ovens, billets based on dough, etc. In general, the scheme of the hot shop includes all sorts of features, depending on:
- type;
- area;
- frequency and saturation of visits.
In a maximally optimized cooking room, both table scales and large floor scales with a dial should be present. Not so long ago, the main heating equipment of the kitchen was gas or electric stoves. Today, professional steam-based boilers for cooking all types of dishes, electric surfaces for frying, special ovens for making barbecue and more are becoming increasingly popular.
Hot Shop Safety
Since the greatest honor of working in the kitchen is the use of high-temperature appliances, special attention, in addition to the usual sanitary standards, is given to safety measures. The most common of its rules are the following:
- dismantle, clean and lubricate the equipment is allowed strictly after it is turned off and when disconnected from power sources;
- in a container with hot fat (for example, a cooking kettle), only dry products are loaded, while laying is carried out only in the forward direction (“away from you”);
- containers with boiling liquid, the mass of which exceeds 15 kg, it is recommended to remove from the stove only in pairs.
Knowledge of these rules is subject to regular verification, as well as the scheme of the workshop, as well as compliance with fire safety standards. The latter is one of the most important working conditions in a hot shop. For this purpose, everyone who enters the kitchen receives special training. An unscheduled test of knowledge of fire safety rules is carried out in each individual case, when the production technology changes and new equipment is purchased.
Ventilation in the hot shop
The air exchange system in the kitchen of a restaurant or dining room is very different from the same device in industrial or residential premises. At the same time, the ventilation system in the hot shops of each catering establishment also has its own characteristics, which depend directly on its profile. So, for example, in a small cafeteria or dining room with a small capacity, where from the entire extensive list of professional equipment there is only a cutting table and scales, there is no need for abundant air circulation, which can not be said for establishments with dozens of places.
A special approach deserves the organization of a ventilation system in the restaurant’s kitchen, which has rooms for smoking a hookah or consuming tobacco in general. If, for example, in the hot shop of a pizzeria, it is enough to provide air exchange with the help of a supply and exhaust circuit for organizing outlets and sleeves, then in a large and serious establishment you cannot do without complicated special equipment. A high concentration of hot vapors, products of thermal processing of food and combustion - all this requires not just elementary air circulation, but powerful ventilation in the form of a serious engineering system.
Hot shop design
To achieve the most productive results in the design of the kitchen, due attention should be paid to the whole list of details. Since the main task is to ensure compliance with all technological standards and create maximum comfort for staff, the project must certainly include a layout of all equipment.
The kitchen is often located so that its windows are located on the north side. Equipment in this case should be installed sequentially in order to provide the most comfortable and efficient circuit through which all the processes provided for by the technology will be properly implemented. Of great importance is given to compliance with sanitary and technological rules for such premises, as well as compliance with high requirements of product processing procedures. The scheme of the hot shop includes cold and hot water supply, as well as ventilation hoses, hoods and vents.
Work Safety
The basic requirements for working on each specific equipment come, firstly, from its device. High-temperature devices that are hazardous may only be operated after appropriate instruction. Near such equipment, a fire extinguisher must always be located, which is marked on the diagram. Moreover, a fire tool kit should be located in each room of the hot shop. A drawer with enough sand is also required.
Devices involving work with high temperatures (for example, a cooking boiler) are actively used in every hot shop. In large restaurants, their operation requires the use of different types of fuel, starting from natural coal and ending with gas for heating. Which certainly involves following the relevant rules in the design of the premises and the location of such equipment in accordance with all fire safety standards.
The width of the passage corridors and the number of exits from the premises, which together constitute evacuation routes in case of fire, must correspond to very specific established standards. The scheme of such paths, as a rule, is placed in a prominent place in the hot shop, and is also included in its approved plan.
Preparatory procedures
After signing the lease agreement for the premises in which the catering establishment will be located, all the available technical documentation should be requested from the lessor. Its composition should certainly include the BTI plan, based on which, the design and drawing up the scheme of the hot shop should begin.
First you need to contact a qualified specialist who will perform all the necessary measurements. Only then can we start planning the technology by which the workshop will operate. Having a ready-made drawing, you need to decide on the choice of a construction company and suppliers of specialized equipment. Almost all firms involved in the sale of such equipment, in parallel, are engaged in the provision of project development services, focusing on the specific tasks that the customer sets for himself when planning his company.
The most common mistake of beginning restaurateurs is the construction of an institution without a ready-made technological project. In this case, the workers begin to organize wiring and a water supply system without regard to any plan, which ultimately, of course, leads to the inability to ensure that the personnel work adequately to the assigned tasks.
Common mistakes
An equally important requirement when planning a hot shop is the competent organization of the design of all construction documents. So, each version of the drawing should have a number indicating when it was approved, and the signature of the drafter. This approach will help subsequently protect the customer from all sorts of troubles. For example, from such as conducting work on an irrelevant plan that fell into the hands of builders due to a misunderstanding.
The most common mistake is the search for production technology on the Internet. An attempt to find a suitable hot shop scheme on the Web, relying on the similarity of the field of activity, leads to the fact that the future restaurateur orders it from a stranger and pays a lot of money for it. The resulting material (no matter how high-quality it may be) at the same time turns out to be completely inapplicable. The main reason for this is the fact that all catering enterprises (even those that have the same format) are individual: different manufacturers and equipment quality.
Technological project
A technological project is one of the main stages on the path to creating an enterprise of any format. His tasks include answers to questions regarding the location of the hot shop in accordance with all existing standards, the layout of the premises, taking into account considerations of convenience and economy. The technological project allows avoiding the intersection of flows of raw materials and finished products and makes the work of the hot shop the most constructive.
Industrial premises occupy more than 40% of any serious enterprise. A competent calculation of all the necessary nuances helps to avoid unnecessary costs associated with the purchase of overly productive and energy-intensive equipment, which is not needed, and eliminates the loss of customers.
A competent designer is able to solve the problem with the rational arrangement of equipment in such a way that every centimeter of the room will be used as efficiently as possible. Typically, such work involves specialists who know the features of cooking and are well versed in a wide range of equipment.