Fagor Industrial presents the principal trends of the hotel and catering sector for 2013

Oñati, Guipúzcoa, 20 February 2013. Fagor Industrial, a Spanish company leader in integral solutions for the hotel and catering and laundry industries, claims that specialisation and equipment that permits work to be carried out in advance and with precision will be the principal trends of the sector in 2013.

During 2013, the Spanish hotel and catering sector will face a large number of challenges, derived from the drop in purchasing power of the population and the need to better manage the resources of each establishment in order to obtain maximum performance at the best price. "It is necessary to offer the same quality without affecting the profit and loss accounts. Restaurants need good equipment, to shop carefully, prepare food in advance, reduce and regenerate", claims Oier Biritxinaga, Corporate Chef at Fagor Industrial.

With these requirements in mind, Fagor Industrial has presented the principal trends in the hotel and catering sector for 2013:

1. Precise uniform cooking. The gastronomic trend in the catering sector this year will be the preparation of food without complications. Efficiency while cooking will become the principal trend in the kitchens of Spanish restaurants, as the central theme behind the preparation of the best product using the most simple processes and at least cost. In order to achieve this, machines designed specifically for each task in the cooking process will be required, making it easier to prepare food in advance and maintain the exact cooking point in ready prepared food. "Following on from the trends of 2012, this year combination ovens will play a leading role in the kitchen as a key factor for obtaining maximum profitability for the business while optimising installations thanks to their vertical layout", indicates Oier Biritxinaga.

2. Indulge in vacuum-packed raw materials. This is already a consolidated trend in Spanish kitchens, but 2013 will see its popularity increase thanks to its success in the daily chores of the kitchens. Vacuum cooking is a method of preparation that allows caterers to carefully work the products and maximise organoleptic qualities, allowing food to be pasteurised, sterilised or cooked, and extending its shelf-life by days or months.

3. Specialised cuisine. It is becoming more and more common to find restaurants specialising in food from certain countries, products, textures or cooking techniques. In 2013 Spanish catering is moving towards specialisation in the kitchen so that those who decide to go out and pay for a meal are able to do so in the best restaurant offering the speciality they have chosen for that day. In this respect, Fagor Industrial is able to offer both a standard product for those seeking traditional fare, and a tailor-made product for those opting for specialisation.

4. State-of-the-art conservation. The speed with which Spanish kitchens are becoming accustomed has created the need to cook products in advance and preserve them at their exact cooking point, keeping properties such as flavour, aroma and the supply of nutrients and vitamins intact. To achieve this, food conservation equipment such as chill blasters are used more and more frequently, as these allow food to be cooled and frozen in just a few seconds, thus fully complying to health regulations. In 2013 Spanish restaurants will adopt this equipment as the perfect ally for saving time, without affecting the quality of food on offer.

5. Separated refrigeration. Keeping products in good condition involves the clear separation of cooked products from raw products and of the different types of raw material. In 2013, the refrigeration zone in restaurants will be divided even further with the introduction of separate refrigeration chambers to prevent the risk of cross contamination. The space will be divided according to the temperature required by each product to avoid mixing odours or flavours and to obtain an end product of higher quality. "In a restaurant it is most important to know what possibilities are offered by the space in each kitchen and to adopt a suitable approach in terms of its use. It is necessary to find a layout that is convenient and helps in the organisation of tasks while keeping products in perfect condition", states Oier Biritxinaga.

6. Tailor-made kitchens. New restaurant formats and specialised cuisine will result in the increase of demand for tailor-made kitchens in 2013. Support for the Simphony type of kitchen will be greater in 2013 with blocks adapted to each space, designs to suit every taste, a choice of materials, etc. "Chefs open their restaurants with the idea of creating the cuisine of their dreams; this is why tailor-made kitchen blocks are so successful, because they allow spaces to be adapted to suit any need", confirms the Corporate Chef for Fagor Industrial.

7. Energy efficiency. Savings and sustainability go hand-in-hand, both with respect to the trends of the sector, and in the regulations governing the sector, as the caterer does not want these policies to affect the efficiency of the equipment they purchase. "At Fagor Industrial, as is only to be expected, we have spent years working on and improving the energy efficiency of our products, reducing energy expenditure, maximising water use, and accelerating washing and drying processes in order to reduce operating times. These improvements have led to a reduction in consumption levels of 20 %", concludes Oier Biritxinaga.