Adande’s Aircell^® open front, integral refrigerated Grab & Go cabinet has been announced as a gold winner at the 2018 Commercial Kitchen Innovation Challenge Awards.

The award was made just weeks after the company’s Aircell^® Grab & Go cabinet achieved first place in the Energy Efficiency category at the 2018 Footprint Awards 2018 and won the Packaging & Equipment category at the British Sandwich Association’s Sammies Awards. It follows the success of the product at the 2018 Food & Hotel Asia SCI Equipment Awards in Singapore and the 2017 FCSI UK & Ireland Sustainable Catering Equipment Awards.

The 2018 Commercial Kitchen Innovation Challenge Awards attracted entries from a wide range of suppliers to the hospitality industry. Entries were assessed by a high profile panel, which included senior specialists drawn from the broad church of the hospitality sector. The judging panel recognised the qualities of innovation and sustainability demonstrated by the Aircell^® Grab & Go cabinet, agreeing that the refrigerated display is an ideal solution for a variety of food to go operations, including cafés, coffee shops, sandwich shops, canteens, convenience stores and forecourt outlets. The judging panel stated:

“Radical innovation in air flow technology within the Grab & Go fridge. The judges loved it.”

On behalf of Adande, the company’s National Project Manager, Jan Quilliam, received the award during a special ceremony at the Commercial Kitchen Show held at the NEC, Birmingham. Adande’s Sales Director, Karl Hodgson, commented:

“This is the fifth major award we have received for the Aircell^® Grab & Go cabinet in a very short period of time. Recognition from our industry peers endorses the credentials of Aircell^® open front cabinet technology and highlights the tangible benefits for the display of chilled food to go in hospitality and convenience retailing operations. Aircell^® is a unique and disruptive technology, which saves energy, increases sales, maintains product quality and improves the shopping experience.”

The Adande Aircell^® Grab & Go cabinet incorporates unique and patented short air curtain technology, with optimum air flow patterns, dramatically reducing chilled air spillage from the unit, to provide significant food to go focused features for the operator. The reduction in cold air spillage means that there is less duty on the refrigeration system, creating energy savings. During in-store trials, the energy consumption of a prototype Aircell^® cabinet was measured as 53.6% less than the store’s existing open front multi deck, representing an annual saving in electricity costs of £660.65 for a 1250 mm unit. Because chilled air doesn’t fall from the cabinet, the temperature bandwidth is much tighter, keeping food products fresher for longer and reducing waste. During an in-store trial, air temperature within an Aircell^® Grab & Go cabinet was measured to a bandwidth of 3°C, compared with an average range of 13°C in the store’s existing open front multi deck. 

Aircell^® cabinets also provide benefits for the shopper. The tight cabinet temperature bandwidth ensures that food is held at the optimum temperature for freshness, quality and appearance, improving the eating experience. The chilly store conditions created by cold air spillage is eliminated, creating a warmer shopping environment for the customer, promoting browsing and increased sales. The open front nature of the Aircell^® cabinet also provides unfettered access to merchandise, which is a prerequisite for food to go operations.