MOFFAT FIXES IT FOR SIR JIM
Saviles Hall in Leeds Uses Hi-Tech Banqueting Technology
The UK's newest banqueting venue, Saviles Hall, was opened on 27th June 2007 by Sir Jim himself. Named in honour of the famous DJ and 'Fixer', the Hall features uninterrupted sightlines making it ideal for conferences of up to 1,000 delegates, as well as for banquets and events.
The catering facilities need to be able to serve up 1,000 meals at any one time and have been designed around high tech banqueting trolleys made by British company Moffat. They combine a rapid chiller, fridge, regen oven and hot cupboard in one 'box'. The trolley's multi-tasking abilities have won awards for Moffat, including the FCSI Manufacturer of the Year.
Head chef Neil Moore-McCarthy is a big fan. "I've used the Moffat Chillogen trolleys before and they are absolutely brilliant," he says. "They take a lot of the stress out of large-scale banqueting."
On the opening night diners were treated to a sumptuous banquet. The hot meals were cooked the day before the event, then plated up and loaded into the trolleys. "Basically, that was a lot of the job done for us," says Neil. "Once the plates were loaded, we moved the trolleys to the back of the banqueting area and plugged them in. They chilled the meals down, stored them, at the right temperature, and then regenerated them just before it was time to serve up. At which point, the waiting staff took the plates to the table."
Catering will be a vital ingredient in the success of Saviles Hall and the quality of the food is paramount. "The trolleys have the ability to deliver fantastic results," says Neil Moore-McCarthy. "They cope with all sorts of recipes including delicate foods such as fish. They will be invaluable in helping us create a reputation for catering excellence."
Leeds County Council Tourism Manager Nicky Lockwood said: "This excellent new venue will help establish Leeds' position as a popular destination for conferences and events, helping Leeds City Council's ambition to 'move up a league.'"
Meanwhile Sir Jimmy Savile commented: "This is an ideal venue for a whole host of activities and one that we hope will attract lots of new business to Leeds."
To mark the launch of the Hall Sir Jimmy Savile presented one hundred charities with a signed limited edition poster. The poster depicts the pop icon’s celebrity lifestyle, including rare pictures of him with Elvis Presley and the Beatles, and is designed to be used to auction at any charity ball / fashion show / exhibition / conference or event.
E & R Moffat is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality foodservice equipment, designing and manufacturing in-house. Based in Bonnybridge, Scotland, the company manufactures standard and bespoke servery, regeneration and storage equipment with a full nationwide after-sales engineering team. E & R Moffat is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 and many of the products have gas approvals and are EMC tested. For more information on E & R Moffat visit the website on www.ermoffat.co.uk