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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Scotsman ice machines installed in top London hotel

The London Marriott Hotel Regents Park is a luxury 4-star hotel with 311 rooms based in the heart of North London. Recently it has undergone extensive modernisation, with a new spacious lobby and each floor being upgraded to meet the expectations of modern travellers, with smart technology and stylish design inspired by the local area.

One of the recent trends in upmarket hotels has been to provide guests with more opportunities for self-service. As part of this, Scotsman DXG35 ice dispensers from Hubbard Systems have been installed in the public areas on each floor, allowing guests to have access to ice whenever they need it.

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Hubbard calls for industry to crack down on hygiene practices

BBC’s Watchdog programme has found bacteria from faeces in ice in three top coffee shop chains.
Hubbard Systems, which markets the Scotsman range of ice machines, says it’s about time the industry cracked down on the poor hygiene practices that lead to the issue.  “It’s not like we haven’t seen this before,” says Mark Stebbings, technical and aftercare manager at Hubbard Systems.  “Every year for as long as I can remember the issue comes up.  And every year ice machine suppliers point out the simple measures that need to be taken to sort it out.”

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All ice is ice, right?  Wrong.  Here’s the lowdown on NUGGET ICE CUBES from Hubbard, the ice experts. 

She may not be the prettiest in the glass, but nugget ice sure is fast! The original “chewable” ice, its versatility, speed and relatively low cost makes it a popular choice for a wide range of applications, from fast food outlets to hotels.

Because it’s made from compacted flake ice, production is super-fast.  Nugget’s compact size also works well not just for chilling drinks but for food display and blending, too. While it’s not as attractive as its dice ice cube and supercube siblings, it’s a delight to bite!

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Hubbard Systems is pleased to announce that it will become the exclusive distributor for Comenda products in the UK.

The appointment comes following a recent strategic review by ALI Group of the Dawson business and the decision to reposition and refocus the UK distribution of its Comenda warewash products, along with the other brands currently traded by Dawson.

“Hubbard Systems and the ALI Group already have a strong commercial partnership with the exclusive distribution of Scotsman ice makers, and we welcome this exciting opportunity to further develop our position in the UK market,” says Simon Aspin, commercial director of Hubbard Systems.

From 5^th June 2017 all Comenda products and spare parts will be distributed by Hubbard Systems. All products which are still under warranty, or were bought with an extended service package, will be managed by Hubbard, in conjunction with Service Line who will fulfil the service obligations to ensure there is no loss of continuity during the transition.

Comenda has an exceptional reputation, with a full range of machines from small under counter glasswashers right up to special-build rack and flight machines, selling several thousand units per year globally.

Hubbard aims to build the Comenda brand in the UK by working closely with the Comenda factory on larger schemes, and taking the same approach with Comenda as with the Scotsman brand, maintaining high levels of customer support and product availability.

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

Dice ice is a bit of an all-rounder. We’re talking about the classic six-sided rectangular or square ice cubes – they come in dice (typically about 10g), half dice (6g) and large dice (17g).

Because they’re made on a vertical evaporator, dice ice cubes are quick to produce (not as quick as nugget, but quicker than a gourmet supercube). They’re quite good looking, too (better looking than nugget, not as good looking as gourmet); are decent for quality drinks (slower melt rate than nugget, faster than gourmet); and quite kind to blender blades (softer than gourmet, but harder than nugget).

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Hubbard launches compact undercounter icemaker that can produce ice all day long

The demand for ice is growing across all sectors of the hospitality and catering industries.  Trends like self-service “bottomless drinks” in the fast food sector mean that operators need economical and reliable sources of ice in large amounts. Simultaneously, increasing pressures on space mean they need equipment to be as compact as possible.

The Scotsman Ice Tower 56 from Hubbard Systems is an undercounter unit measuring 539mm(w) X 664mm(d) X 720mm(h) with a counter top dispenser. Despite its compact size it’s capable of producing 500kg of nugget ice in a 24 hour period – which means it can dispense a virtually endless supply, on tap.

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First ever ice machine configurator app puts power in chefs hands Full story here

Scotsman launches ice machine configurator app for iPhones and Android

For operators and specifiers who don’t know which ice machine they need, there’s an app that can help.  With the Scotsman Ice app, the user simply goes to the ice machine configurator, selects what sort of ice they want from a scrolling menu (gourmet cube, dice ice, flake ice, nugget ice and so on) and then selects how much ice per day they want, again from a menu.  The app shows them which Scotsman ice machines are suitable for their selections.

“The app is a great tool for operators, buyers, dealers and consultants,” says Simon Aspin, commercial director of Hubbard Systems, which markets the Scotsman range in the UK.  “I’m not aware of there being anything else quite like it in the ice machine world.  It’s dead easy to use and navigate, and it’s packed with useful information.”

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