A single-tray service trolley launched by E&R Moffat aims to address “a problem for all hospital caterers” – how to serve a piping hot main meal on one half of the tray, and keep the other half (for example salad and dessert) properly chilled simultaneously.
Moffat’s new Versigen singletray trolley system is built around its own large-capacity tray, divided into two sections, one side for hot food, the other for chilled. The tray slides into the divider between the hot and refrigerated sections, ensuring good isolation between the two temperatures, and allowing hot and chilled storage simultaneously on a single tray. One early adopter is the 300-bed Withybush General Hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, whose old pellet-based trolley system was nearing the end of its life. Catering manager Sue Evans said: “Finding Moffat’s latest trolley solution a great advance in trials, we switched our entire ward catering to the system – a total of 13 trolleys, in 24-tray and 30-tray versions, for the entire hospital.” After inserting the trayed meals the trolley gets “a fast boost” on 3-phase power in the kitchen. This raises the heated side to hot-service temperature, while keeping the cold section chilled. “With the old system, if there was any delay the food would start going cold,” explained Sue Evans. “However, when the Moffat single tray trolley arrives on the ward we can plug it into a standard 13 amp socket if staff are busy, and it will keep hot food properly hot, and cold food cold.”
