How to get the best out of your commercial cold room

A commercial cold room is a brilliant investment for many businesses. If you’re struggling with trying to manage your produce in multiple commercial fridges or freezers, with stock in the wrong place, use-by dates getting overlooked and tempers getting frayed, then consider a cold room.

Cold rooms give you easy-to-manage, simple-to-access storage over an efficient space-to-footprint ratio. If you’re thinking of investing in a new cold room, upgrading your older style cold room to a more modern and efficient version, or have recently done so, then make sure you’re getting the best out of it by following these tips.

Organise your cold room for maximum efficiency

Organisation is key to running a successful business. If you’re managing a busy food establishment, you’ll know you need to be quick and efficient to ensure you have happy customers, who will return. Long waits for food and drink are a guaranteed way to generate bad feedback from customers. Arrange your cold room cleverly. List which items are needed most frequently and make sure they are the easiest to reach, usually on the middle shelves nearest the door. Items that are used less frequently need to be stored on the top or bottom shelves and towards the back of the cold room. Make sure everyone is disciplined about dates, and that items are always stored using the first in, first out system. Make sure that different types of produce are stored in different areas, with gaps between them. Not only are the gaps better for food hygiene, but they also help the airflow in the cold room.

Investing the time in ensuring the cold room is organised will pay dividends in the time saved by your employees. No more frustrated searches for produce in cramped spaces, instead a smooth and easy-to-use system, where everyone can just put their hand on the very item they need.

Maintenance is always better than replacement

Having invested in your cold room, make sure you look after it. A cold room is an investment that will last for many years. But, like all equipment, it requires maintenance to ensure it’s working to its optimum. Regular maintenance will help to extend the life of your cold room and identify problems as they arise, so they can be easily dealt with. Your cold room will come with recommended service intervals, or speak to the experienced and helpful team here at Fridgesmart for advice on how frequently your cold room should be serviced.

Cold rooms are a brilliant investment for busy businesses

Successful businesses need to be able to streamline their operations and increase their efficiency.

Greater efficiency will give you more sales, without needing to employ more staff. Anything that will help to streamline your operations will help you build a sustainable business for the future. Carry out time analysis of your employees and look for bottlenecks or time lost in operational processes. If you can see this occurring with employees looking for produce in poorly organised fridges or freezers, then it’s time for a change.

Once you’ve converted to a cold room, you won’t ever want to switch back to just using fridges or freezers. Cold rooms give you space, making it easier to manage your stock. They hold their temperature consistently. In the event of a power cut, your cold room will maintain its temperature for far longer than a standard commercial fridge or freezer, making it less likely that your food will spoil. The footprint of a cold room will give you more usable space than the equivalent footprint of individual commercial fridges or freezers.

The benefits of investing in a commercial cold room

Investing in a commercial cold room offers numerous advantages, including:

• Efficiency and cost savings: Cold rooms provide a consistent temperature, ensuring reduced energy consumption compared to multiple smaller refrigeration units, leading to lower utility bills.
• Space optimisation: Cold rooms can be customised to fit the specific space available, maximising storage capacity.
• Extended product shelf life: A controlled environment ensures perishable products remain fresh for longer, reducing wastage and associated costs.
• Bulk storage: Businesses can buy in bulk and benefit from economies of scale, storing large quantities with ease.
• Enhanced organisation: With adjustable shelving and dedicated zones, it’s easier to organise products systematically.
• Improved safety: Commercial cold rooms often come with built-in safety features, such as temperature alarms, ensuring products are stored safely.
• Flexibility: Cold rooms can be designed to cater to specific business needs, whether it’s for storing delicate items or for heavy-duty usage.
• Professional image: A dedicated cold room reflects professionalism and assures customers and clients of your commitment to quality.

Come to Fridgesmart for your cold room

Here at Fridgesmart, we’ve helped many businesses over the years convert from using multiple commercial fridges or freezers to cold rooms. We understand businesses and the challenges that they face, and our team is here to help you. Take a look at our range of cold rooms here. We also have a good variety of both fridges and freezers so you can choose the best fit for your business. If you’d like help and advice on the best cold room for you, whether you’re looking to make the move over to a cold room or wish to replace an older style cold room with a more modern and efficient version, then contact our experienced team here at Fridgesmart on 01792 677169.