Moffat makes Stylish Counter
When Western Blueprint Limited - one of the UK’s leading catering design and installation companies - won the contract from LTSB to refurbish the Scottish Widows staff catering facilities, it wanted a high quality counter that would act as a centrepiece to the whole facility.
“We worked closely with the Central Properties Design Team of LTSB who were very careful to tell us what was required”, said David Canham, Managing Director of Western Blueprint. “Every good counter requires contractors who can follow instructions exactly, while not being afraid to offer ideas based on their own experience.”
Perhaps the most striking visual feature of the Scottish Widows installation is the stylish range of fibre optic lights in the fascia of the counter, underneath the tray slide.
When it came to select a fabricator, Western Blueprint didn’t hesitate – they selected E&R Moffat. “We’ve worked with Moffat on many counters, and they’ve always built to our specification, while being willing to make suggestions to suit the individual sites.”
Moffat’s Sales Director Gary Allen says the design presented one unusual challenge. “The client had the idea of a strip of low fascia lights facing outwards to create a sort of ‘theatre’ feel”, he says.
“Once it passed the concept stage, the designers had a fairly tight idea on how it should look, and we had to conform to that. But we came up against the problem of the heat these lights would generate – especially around the refrigerated storage area – and solved it by supplying fibre optic lighting.”
“The installation was tremendously challenging”, David Canham adds. “There wasn't a straight line in the final design and we provided very accurate templates. But Moffat built everything exactly to specification, just as we had visualised it. All systems were installed easily, including the fibre optic illumination, and the effect is very stylish and attractive.
The new counter and servery at Scottish Widows has helped turn what was previously a rather dated design - over 30 years old - into something thoroughly modern and extremely attractive. Just as importantly, it’s working perfectly for contract caterers Eurest, and the staff at Scottish Widows Client Services now have one of the most modern catering facilities in Scotland.