Moffat’s new hospital foodservice trolley delivers flexibility, energy efficiency and food quality

Developed with hospital caterers, latest Vgen also sets new standards in ease of use

Moffat’s new hospital foodservice trolley created waves when the prototype was shown at HEFMA and the HCA conferences earlier in 2018.  That’s because it provides what the company believes is the most flexible and practical solution on the market.  The latest incarnation of the British manufacturer’s Vgen series, the trolley is now in production and is the result of two years R&D during which Moffat’s designers consulted with hospital caterers to develop a solution that not only meets today’s needs but is also future-proof.

The trolleys are compatible with cook-serve, cook-chill and cook-freeze systems. Stand-out features include a multi-zone oven that can hold different foods at different temperatures in one cabinet – typical of the trolley’s energy saving features is the fact that individual heated zones can be switched off if not required.  Meanwhile the refrigeration units combine finless condenser technology, the latest high-performance insulation and eco-friendly, thermally efficient R290 refrigerant.  Together they reduce energy consumption and running costs while minimising maintenance requirements.

The new Vgen is available in a variety of configurations.  It can have one, two or three compartments.  Each compartment can be either for regen, refrigeration, ambient or warm storage.   Thus a single trolley could have both a regen and a refrigeration cabinet.  All are designed to maintain food quality.  For example, the refrigerated model is fan-assisted to ensure rapid pull down times.

A key design criteria was ease of use.  The new Vgen sets new standards here, with a colour touchscreen controller that’s user-friendly and simple to program or for downloading HACCP information. The controller can be used in fully-automatic, semi-automatic or manual mode, providing full flexibility to suit any catering requirement.   Bright LED strips on the end and top of the gantry look attractive but also serve a vital role, showing staff the trolley’s status at a glance.  If the lights flash, it means that action is required; for example, flashing red LEDs indicate the oven door is open.  .

The trolley’s good looks are designed to enhance food presentation and, in turn, encourage patients’ uptake of meals.  Moffat can supply the facia in a variety of finishes and colours, to suit the hospital’s preferred décor and style.

“Currently the hospital foodservice trolley sector is dominated by models that are made overseas,” says Donald Reid, sales manager at Moffat.  “Our new trolley is designed in the UK, manufactured in the UK and has been developed with the blended input from many different industry stakeholders, to meet the needs of caterers.”

E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house.  Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment and runs a full nationwide after-sales service team.  E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2008.  For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk