Scotsman Supercuber Gets Rave Reviews
New icemakers get thumbs-up at Prince Edward Theatre
Prince Edward Theatre, in London's West End, is now staging the new production of Mary Poppins - and this family favourite is such a hit it could run for years. The bars manager of any theatre will confirm that drink sales in the bars always reflect the show's audience, so soft drinks for children are currently selling as fast as cocktails for parents.
What does not vary is the demand for ice in drinks. Soft or alcoholic, they need quality ice that matches the style and grandeur of one of London's best-loved theatres. To upgrade the ice used in pre-show and interval drinks the Prince Edward recently took delivery of Scotsman ice makers, supplied through Hubbard Ice Systems.
And Ian Clark, the theatre's bar and catering manager, says the ice cubes from their new Scotsman machines are a noticeable improvement. "The new ice is really clear, with no sign of the cloudiness from our older ice makers", he says.
The Prince Edward Theatre selected the Scotsman ACM85 models. These machines produce hard, clear cubes from spraying water into inverted freezer cups where the ice is formed. This is one of the secrets of the purity, clarity and slow melting rate of the Scotsman 'Supercube'.
The Scotsman's fast production rates are another benefit, and this is hugely important for the theatre, with a demand peak 40 minutes before a show and another in the 20-minute interval. But there are even more demands made for the ice. Champagne bottles are a popular interval order, and are served in ice-packed buckets. There are also corporate events around a show where bottles of beer, soft drinks and wine are buried into big tubs of ice. In these cases the slow melt rate of the Scotsman Supercubes is a major bonus, helping to ensure the theatre has all the ice it needs.
Such is Ian Clark's confidence in Scotsman ice machines that following installation of the first two, he says it will be the brand of choice for all future ice makers in the Prince Edward Theatre.
