Most foodservice walk-ins have stacks and stacks of food storage containers and pans from top to bottom of their shelving. While stacking pans is the most space-efficient way to store them, chefs need to dig through the entire stack to get to the container at the bottom. This wastes valuable time and creates extra handling.
Joe McBeth, executive sous chef at the Woodstock Inn, knows this scenario all too well. Located in the center of Woodstock, VT, McBeth needs to store enough food to keep up with a restaurant, banquets, corporate events and more than 50 weddings a year.
The Power of Camshelving® + the Universal Storage Rack
After McBeth switched to Camshelving in the inn’s freezer, he requested it again when he had the chance to redo their produce cooler. Previously, they had multiple sizes of metal shelving that weren’t consistent throughout the room. With Camshelving Elements XTRA Series as a foundation, McBeth added the Universal Storage Rack to create “drawers” with food pans to hold their herbs and mushrooms.
“That’s why I wanted it for the herbs, because before they were in the same Cambro container but stacked on top of each other. This way, they’re clearly labeled. You just slide the drawer out, pull the product out. You don’t have to move and you don’t have to waste time.” said McBeth. “I like it because it makes it like there’s a home for everything.”
In addition to the food pans of herbs, McBeth was able to stop stacking boxes of mushrooms and hold them on sheet pans instead.
“[The mushrooms] come in and they go onto a sheet pan. It’s more organized and you don’t have to move around as much and rip through a box for five mushrooms,” said McBeth. “If you keep them in the box for too long, the moisture builds up in the center and you’ll get mold in the center of the box. [Now,] when you bring them out and you have the air going through them, they last a little longer and they stay fresher.”
Benefits Only Provided by Camshelving
With their new setup, McBeth realized that he was able to increase their total storage capacity in the cooler.
“We have about three feet on each shelf of extra space now,” said McBeth.
In addition to streamlining his processes, McBeth is very happy with how easy it is to clean both Camshelving and the Universal Storage Rack.
“It’s a lot cleaner looking and a lot more unified. When you get the metal shelving, the racks are so thin and they rust up and get dirty quicker. [Now,] all we need to do is take the Cambro container out, take the plastic shelving, run those through the machine, and then just wipe down the framework and it’s clean. The metal shelving, you basically have to take outside and power wash,” said McBeth.
When asked why he buys Cambro products, McBeth said, “I don’t know anything else. I’ve only known Cambro forever. It’s the only trusted name I know.”
Click here for our Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Storage Organization.
Contact your local Cambro sales rep for how Camshelving accessories can transform your storage spaces.
AUTHOR: ADRIANA DESIDERIO IS THE DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AT CAMBRO.
