“You need to embrace new
technology to survive” says Rehan Uddin
The last couple of years have
been tough for the foodservice industry. The pandemic has deepened many of the
issues that it faced beforehand, including staff and skill shortages and the
need to reduce running costs while continuing to deliver top quality food to
customers. Rehan Uddin, owner of Torquay’s popular Bombay Express restaurant and
managing director of the Asian Restaurant Owners Network (ARON), is certain
that modern equipment, like Rational’s cooking systems, allows businesses to
meet these challenges.
“Our Rational systems let just
two people have the same output as a much larger kitchen, in a fraction of the
time,” says Rehan. “When should you introduce new technology and embrace new
ways of doing things? Right now.”
One of the big issues faced by
Indian restaurants is an unwillingness to adapt to modern practices, Rehan
believes. “Many Indian restaurants in the UK haven’t really changed in sixty
years,” he says. “They have a lot of staff, so the overheads are huge.
Traditional equipment like Tandoor ovens require specialised skills to use,
which takes a lot of training, and the old school menus often over-rely on
onion, which can leave customers feeling bloated.”
From its beginnings as a
“fairly traditional” Indian restaurant, Rehan has spent the past eleven years
refining his menu and looking for new technology that helps him work smarter
and faster. In 2017 he began investigating what modern multifunctional cooking
systems were available.
“We’ve built what we call a
smart food experience at the Bombay Express. We’re always looking for
innovative new dishes to serve that you can’t get anywhere else, as well as
providing options for a range of different dietary requirements. We need
powerful and adaptable equipment.”
It quickly became apparent
that Rational was offering the most complete and flexible solution. The kitchen
at the Bombay Express is now built around an iCombi Pro and iVario Pro, the latest
versions of Rational’s market leading cooking systems.
They have had a huge effect on
working life at Bombay Express. “As well as only needing two people in the
kitchen, the Rationals reduce the amount of time we need to do everything,”
says Rehan. “For example, preparing a day’s worth of onion gravy used to take
two and a half hours. The iVario Pro can do it in an hour and a quarter, it’s
phenomenal!”
Rational is also able to
replace specialised cooking equipment like the Tandoor oven. “Cooking chicken
in a Tandoor is quite tricky, ensuring it’s cooked the same throughout and
making sure none of it burns,” says Rehan. “With the iCombi Pro we can set it
going with precisely controlled cooking times and know that we’ll get perfect moist
and tender chicken every time. It helps take the guesswork out of it, and
diners love the results.”
Maintaining authenticity is a
big concern for Rehan and other members of ARON. “Some people think modern
equipment can’t replicate the smokey flavours of Tandoori cooking,” he says.
“The iCombi Pro’s VarioSmoker accessory is a great answer to those concerns. It
lets us get that rich charcoal flavour, but also lets us experiment with many
other flavours. It’s another thing that helps us stand out from other local
restaurants.”
This ability to experiment
lead to the creation of a new section on the menu, the Gunpowder Grill. “This
is something that no other Indian restaurants offer, and it’s all thanks to our
Rational cooking systems,” he says. These dishes combine different techniques using
both the iVario Pro and iCombi Pro. “For our Hyderbaadi Lamb Steak, the meat is
marinated in spices, then we use the iVario to sear it and cook it Sous Vide.
We can then blast chill it down until it’s needed and grill it in the iCombi.”
The ease of trying out new
recipes with Rational’s systems is a key point in Rehan’s advocacy for a modern
approach to members of ARON. “The industry needs to be pro-active about
adopting new technology,” he says. “I’m always highlighting the cost savings to
our members, and the knock-on benefits they produce.
“Rational cooking systems have
brought significant savings on our energy bills, thanks to the reduction of
prep time, and their intelligent assistants allow us to adapt quickly if we
need something urgently,” says Rehan.
Cleaning equipment can be a time-consuming
task. Both the iCombi Pro and iVario Pro are designed to be easy to clean, with
an integral hand shower in the iVario and the iCareSystem in the iCombi Pro which
automatically detects the level of soiling and set the optimum cleaning cycle.
It uses newly developed phosphate-free cleaning chemicals, which cut
consumption by up to 50%.
“It’s great to see Rational
removing phosphates from their chemical cleaning products,” says Rehan. “Reducing
our environmental impact is important to me. Rational’s commitment to improving
and optimising its systems also helps us to optimise our business.”
This ability to optimise
working practices has had a range of effects at Bombay Express. “It only takes
a day to train staff to use both the iCombi Pro and iVario Pro,” says Rehan.
“This is particularly helpful right now, with the industry facing a skills
shortage. Even with new staff we know we’ll be maintaining our high standards.
“The new generation of chefs
coming through now expect modern equipment,” he continues. “They’re looking for
jobs at places that have it, as they know they won’t be doing lots of boring
repetitive tasks, just focusing on creating great food time after time.”
This guarantee of quality also
helps front of house staff. “They are confident that they’re bringing diners
great food. Having that pride that you’re serving something exceptional helps
to give customers that wow factor,” he says. “Everyone at Bombay Express, from
the kitchen to front of house, is proud of the food that we create with
Rational equipment.”
The iCombi Pro and iVario Pro
both include ConnectedCooking, Rational’s digital networking service. This
allows operators to easily monitor and update the cooking systems remotely, via
PC, phone or tablet. “ConnectedCooking helps me to create a unified smart
kitchen,” says Rehan. “For example, if we’re cooking a dish overnight, I can
make sure everything’s going smoothly from my phone, or I can check that
everything’s being cleaned properly if I’m taking a day off. It also makes adding
and changing recipes simple, as well as recording HACCP data.
“Thanks to the iCombi Pro and
iVario Pro I have a digitally optimised kitchen, which allows me to share
recipes and setting with members of ARON,” says Rehan. “Embracing the
possibilities offered by modern cooking systems will be vital for the continued
growth of our entire industry.”
RATIONAL is the leading
provider in hot food preparation equipment and, with the iCombi Pro and the
iVario multifunctional cooking system, the company delivers 95% of all
conventional cooking applications.
Rational’s ConnectedCooking allows operators to monitor, manage and
update their Rational appliances remotely, from a PC, tablet or smartphone. iKitchen is
the combination of the iCombi Pro, iVario Pro and ConnectedCooking – iKitchen
delivers the best kitchen management and the best cooking
solutions. For information and
brochures, or to find out about free Rational Live online demonstrations, call
+44 (0)1582 480388, freephone 0800 389 2944 or visit www.rational-online.com
Press Contact:
Vanessa
Millard, RATIONAL UK Limited
Tel: 01582 480388
Mob: 07879 552017
E-mail: v.millard@rational-online.com
Web:
www.rational-online.com
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twitter.com/RATIONAL_AG
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Editor's
notes:
About RATIONAL
The RATIONAL Group is the world market and
technology leader in the field of hot food preparation for professional
kitchens. Founded in 1973, the company employs more than 1,100 people in
Germany and a total of around 2,000 worldwide. Since the IPO in 2000, RATIONAL
has been listed on the Prime Standard of the German Stock Exchange and is
included in the SDAX.
The primary objective of the company is to
always offer its customers maximum benefits. Internally RATIONAL is committed
to the principle of sustainability, expressed in its policies on environmental
protection, leadership and social responsibility. Year after year, numerous
international awards testify to the exceptional quality of RATIONAL’s work.