CONVENIENCE & QUALITY
It’s an exciting time for the café sector, with menus continuing to expand around changing habits. Fast-paced lifestyles are dictating this pattern, with more convenient, high-quality food & drink options available. Fresh and appealing are key watchwords.
Therefore, operators must deliver efficiency while maintaining high standards, putting greater focus on equipment solutions.
“The best products balance convenience and quality,” said Andrew Whyte, category marketing manager – Professional Kitchen, Panasonic. “Favourites such as toasted sandwiches, sausage rolls and pastries perform strongly, as they offer comfort, portability and quick satisfaction. By focusing on reliable, quality menu staples, operators can create a strong grab-and-go offer.”
Equipment wise, speed, consistency and versatility are essential. “Panasonic’s NE-SCV3 High Speed Oven is designed to deliver all three, combining microwave, convection and grill technology to cook and bake a range of breakfast and brunch items,” continued Whyte.
“From bacon and cheese flatbreads to paninis, pastries and more, it supports fast turnaround during peak periods. The compact footprint and easy-to-use interface make it ideal for contract catering environments.”
Panasonic Professional kitchen works with a wide range of independents and chains.
“We recently supported the team at La Chouquette Bakery with the launch of Piqniq by La Chouquette. It’s a compact grab-and-go concept, across food and speciality coffee for breakfast and lunch. The focus is on freshly prepared sandwiches, pastries, weekend specials and hot snacks. In such a small and busy site, operational efficiency and consistency were critical.”
To meet these challenges, Piqniq turned to the Panasonic NE-SCV3 high-performance oven. Manager, Elliot, explained: “The idea is that if someone pops in for lunch, they don’t have time to wait 15 minutes for a sandwich. We need a fast, simple solution.
“The main seller through the NE-SCV3 are the toasties, with a range of fillings from beef birria and Cajun chicken to veggie options like brie and chilli jam and jalapeno popper. The oven allows us to heat toasties in just one minute and consistently cooks everything to perfection.”
HIT THE ACCELERATOR
Grab-and-go is particularly well suited to environments where time is limited and convenience is a priority. Workplaces are a natural fit, as employees increasingly look for quick, flexible options. Similarly, travel kiosks such as airports, train stations and motorway services benefit from grab-and-go. Education settings, including universities and colleges, also present strong opportunities, alongside leisure venues and gyms, healthcare sites and event spaces.
“All of these businesses understand that microwaves and accelerated ovens are core pieces of equipment,” continued Whyte.
“In kitchens where head count is low, a compact machine so caterers can easily transition from ordering to service is ideal. Panasonic’s high-speed oven, the NE-SCV3, fits onto any small worktop. Additionally, the capability to stack units is a huge advantage where space is at a premium. And thanks to a unique design, capabilities are doubled by stacking a second oven for greater space optimisation.
“Ease of use is central to the NE-SCV3, with multiple languages and a colour touchscreen that provides operators with the ability to update and modify up to 100 recipes and menu settings rapidly via Wi-Fi/LAN. Pre-programmed settings and a simple interface means staff can operate with confidence. While a full-metal door and easy-clean cavity make it low-maintenance and hygienic.
“Incorporating the latest technological developments, the NE-SCV3 operates with an innovative, multi-platform app. The cloud-based SCV Control Hub app allows secure updates, without the need for Wi-Fi. The app gives improved functionality and flexibility, allowing a central hub – HQ – to create recipes and inform a network of sites, ensuring 100% compliance,” concluded Whyte.
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