Charming Suffolk medieval pub-cum-deli installs gourmet Scotsman ice machine for bar AND kitchen

Taking its name from the ancient De La Pole family of Suffolk, The De La Pole Arms in Wingfield is a 16th Century pub recently adopted by husband and wife Frankie and Cathy Aspin. The Aspins’ rejuvenation of the pub is already creating a buzz in the East Anglian countryside. Within months of acquiring the business, The De La Pole was named one of the top 20 places for Sunday lunch in Suffolk.

The pub features three distinct and different sections; a drinking bar, restaurant and a shop-cum-deli. The bar section is strictly just for drinking.  Meanwhile, if customers using the restaurant are impressed with the food offer, made using locally sourced ingredients and products such as Suffolk Salami Co. chorizo and Suffolk Blue cheese, they can pay a visit to the De La Pole Deli, which is inside the pub.

“We’re creating what is a shop and a pub all in one unit,” says Frankie.

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What a difference a filter makes: Hubbard’s water demo lets visitors taste-test that difference

Stand 2250, Hotelympia 2018, London ExCel, 5-8 March

Hubbard will launch Scotsman’s new, greener ice machines at Hotelympia on stand 2250 in the Professional Kitchen Show area.  The EcoX range delivers less impact on the environment and lower running costs.  All models use either hydrocarbon R290 or carbon dioxide R 744 refrigerants, so they have almost zero impact on the environment in terms of ozone depletion potential or global warming potential.  They are fully compliant with the F Gas Regulations.

The EcoX range includes models that make gourmet ice cubes, dice ice, cubelet ice and flake ice – so there’s an EcoX for every foodservice application, from posh G&Ts to bottomless drinks, from cocktails to iced coffee, and from fish displays to fast food soft drinks.

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New management structure will help ensure continuing success

HTG Trading, which owns Hubbard Systems and Taylor UK, has announced major changes to its senior management structure.  Simon Aspin, currently commercial director of Hubbard, will become managing director of HTG from January 1^st 2018.   At the same time Taylor’s commercial director, Pete Gray, becomes managing director of Taylor.  Meanwhile Martin Wood will step down from his role as chief executive of HTG Trading to become non-executive chair of the company.

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UK distributor Hubbard Systems hails ground-breaking design

Scotsman’s latest icemaker, the NW 1408, has won an Innovation Award.  The model breaks new ground by delivering a massive 700kg of ice per day in an ‘industry standard’ footprint just 760mm (30”) wide.  The innovation gong was given to Scotsman in the annual FEJ (Foodservice Equipment Journal) equipment awards.

“We are absolutely delighted that Scotsman’s innovative design has been recognised in this way,” says Simon Aspin, commercial director of Hubbard Systems, the main UK distributor for Scotsman.  “Ice consumption is growing, but so is pressure on back of house space.  The NW 1408 is a direct response to customer demand for bigger ice production from a smaller footprint.”

Judges also noted that the NW 1408 benefits from Scotsman’s market leading technologies, such as the one-touch cleaning system, which makes it easy for staff to maintain day-to-day hygiene.

The NW 1408 is one of Scotsman’s vertical evaporator range of products.  A modular machine, sitting on top of a separate ice bin, it makes either full-sized 12g dice ice cubes or 6g half dice ice cubes.  It is available through Hubbard’s authorised dealer network.

Rob Baughan to develop business in East Anglia and North London

Following its appointment by The Ali Group as UK distributor of the Comenda ware washer range, Hubbard Systems is expanding its sales and customer support team. The latest recruit is Robert Baughan, whose role is Business Development Manager for East Anglia and North London. He will look after both the Comenda and the Scotsman brands.

Rob is a sales professional who has spent most of his career in the media. “The focus there is to drill down to find out exactly what the customer wants, then to provide a solution to match,” he says.

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NW1408, available through Hubbard Systems, combines compact design with an unrivalled output

Hubbard Systems has launched a new Scotsman ice machine capable of producing almost 700kg of ice per day, yet able to fit into the industry standard 760mm (30”) wide format.  This latest member of the NW Series, the NW 1408, is known as the Slim Fitter.  It breaks new ground in being the market’s only 30” machine capable of producing such a high volume of ice.

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New ranges from Scotsman and Comenda to be launched

Hubbard Systems has signed up to take its biggest ever stand at Hotelympia for the 2018 show. The company will use the exhibition to launch new products from both Scotsman and Comenda.

Full details of the new models are yet to be revealed. However, Scotsman is likely to show the latest developments for its upcoming range of icemaker systems using ‘greener’ technologies. Meanwhile Comenda is developing several new lines, including a smart, chic and ultra-efficient undercounter ware washer.

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Ice is ice is ice, right? Wrong. Here’s the low down on SCALE ICE from Hubbard, the ice experts. 

Scale ice is the coldest type of ice, because it is very dry, having just 2% residual water content.  Many scale ice machines use salt water, which is one of several reasons scale ice is not appropriate for popping into your average G&T or Scotch on the rocks.  Scale ice is used in industrial situations, for example, in the fishing industry.  It’s even used on trawlers in the high seas, to store fish catches.  Marine grade scale ice machines need to be tough enough to survive extreme conditions – which calls for a Scotsman!

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Hubbard Systems offers advice on ice hygiene for the festive season

Christmas puts pressure on staff, but when it comes to ice for all those Christmas cocktails they need to keep cleanliness in mind; especially with media scare stories highlighting the problem of dirty ice.  Ice is a food and looking after it hygienically is a food safety issue.  However, the ice experts at Hubbard Systems, UK distributor for Scotsman icemakers, say keeping ice clean is relatively easy. 

Here are their tips:

• Keep hands clean – staff should always wash their hands before and during service.
• Keep the machine clean – by following the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. Make sure you empty, clean and sanitise the storage bin on a regular, weekly basis.
• Don’t pick up ice with your hands – use a scoop. Consider using a Guardian scoop, which will further protect the ice.
• Have a maintenance schedule for the components that need regular cleaning: it will help keep your equipment in peak condition.

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For top drinks presentation, The Commission goes for ice variety

Airedale uses Hubbard’s ice expertise for enticing bar

Airports can be nerve-wracking places for travellers.  What they need is somewhere to relax.  That’s why The Commission, the new restaurant and cocktail bar at Heathrow’s Terminal 4, is so popular.  A Drake & Morgan site, it’s operated by hospitality and food service company Delaware North and provides upscale casual dining and cocktails – the perfect ‘de-stress’ combination.  When it came to specifying ice machines for the new kitchen, the Airedale Group, the company project managing the installation, chose Scotsman, which is marketed in the UK by Hubbard Systems.

“This is a premium site and it needs premium icemakers that deliver premium ice, reliably,” says Richard Greasley, national accounts development manager at Airedale.  “The cocktail bar is a key feature of The Commission, aimed at enticing potential clients into the open-plan venue.  We designed the bar utilising the expertise of our partners, including Hubbard Systems.”

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