5 mistakes to avoid with commercial kitchen shelving

Shelving can have a bigger influence on the running of your commercial kitchen than you think. Well designed shelving can reduce staff stress and frustration, create a streamlined process, save time and reduce food wastage. Overall, kitchen efficiency is improved. Hygiene and food handling standards are increased. If the hidden part of your kitchen is organised and well run, this speaks volumes about the rest of your kitchen.

Commercial kitchen shelving mistakes to avoid

1. Ordering shelving yourself

You need to maximise every millimetre of space in your storeroom. That means looking at your ingredients and seeing how they can be placed in your storage to allow for airflow, movement of staff and ease of access.

Everything from the strength of dunnage racks, corners and even the top shelves needs to be designed to suit your kitchen. Speak to Comcater about custom designing a space for your needs.

Comcater offers a free online shelving design service. Fill in the form, and they can send you a free 3D shelving layout. The software analyses the sketch of your storeroom to find the most suitable and cost-effective shelving design. What begins as a simple sketch is eventually turned into 2D and 3D renderings of your floor plan. Comcater can then turn this plan into reality.

2. Selecting the Wrong Shelving Model for the Application

There are many shelving options to choose from. So, it’s easy to miss the right option for you.

The Elements Series is ideal for holding heavyweight items of up to 910kg per bay. If you’re looking to maximise your space, the High Density Mobile Storage System can increase your storage capacity up to 50 percent. The High Density Storage System is made up of stationary starter units on each end of a raised floor track system with mobile units in between.

3. Ignoring the Hidden Costs of Metal Shelving

Metal rusts and corrodes, leaving sharp edges. So, metal shelving deteriorates surprisingly quickly in a commercial kitchen. The nooks and crannies get food and debris stuck in between them, encouraging mould and fungal growth, not to mention pests.

All Camshelving comes with a lifetime warranty against rust and corrosion. The shelves are also embedded with Camguard, an antimicrobial chemical.

Cleaning metal shelving poses its own problems, especially if the shelves are welded together. A staff member has to dedicate time to removing items and cleaning the shelves. This means downtime for your kitchen, and a staff member is unavailable for where they’re needed most.

Each individual Camshelf can be pulled apart and placed in the dishwasher. So, they’re easy to clean. Cleaning your shelving becomes part of your routine, rather than an interruption.

4. Wasting space

Corners, window ledges and vents all make shelving difficult. Cambro created corners without posts, so it’s easy to reach in and grab what you need. Vents can have storage built around them, rather than waste space. If the floor is uneven due to a ledge, Cambro can even adjust the legs.

Custom built shelving utilises every part of your storage and makes it a useful space.

5. Accessories help your shelf organisation

Cambro shelf accessories can help further organise your large, small, round or tall ingredients.

Shelf Rails: decrease the chances of spills and breakages. Shelf rails stop items from falling off the sides or back of your shelving. This accessory is ideal for mobile or High Density Storage Systems.

Shelf Dividers: stop condiments from falling over. This accessory is also a great solution for maintaining a hygienic environment and preventing cross-contamination.

Divider Bars: allow you to create a custom storage unit with storage boxes, food pans and Camracks on either stationary or mobile shelving. This accessory is also ideal for removing produce from corrugated boxes into proper storage boxes and transporting it from the receiving area to the coolroom.

ID Tags: make it easy for employees to know where items are stored. Available in 7.6 cm and 15.2 cm, ID Tags clip onto traverses without taking up any extra space.

Dunnage Stands: increases the weight-bearing capacity to 453kg on the bottom shelf of units 137.2 cm or longer. Store heavy bulk items or ingredients with confidence when utilising dunnage stands.

Contact Comcater on 1300 309 262 or fill out the form for more information.