Following a complete remodelling, the addition of a 48-seater cafe-style restaurant and the launch of a delivery service, Zero Plus in Cardiff needed a frying range that could cope with the increased volume. Embracing high efficiency for the first time, owner Zohaib Hussain has installed a four pan Kiremko wall range.
Incorporating the latest technology – including Fry touchscreen controls – Zohaib describes frying on the new range as “unbelievably easy”, adding: “Before, you had to be like a chef because our chips and fish went in the same pan and there were so many things you had to keep a check on. Now we’ve separated the processes so they both have dedicated pans. The fish goes in, you push a button and you know exactly when the fish is done. And it’s coming out beautiful every time, like every fish is just perfect.
“It is a new way of cooking. I always thought I was serving really good quality food, but it has gone to the next level with the Kiremko.”
With four high efficiency pans and built-in triple filtration, the range is using 50% less fat compared to the two pan range it superseded. Based on oil savings alone, Zohaib estimates the range will pay for itself in three and a half years, although this is likely to be much sooner once the shop’s gas bill comes in and the gas savings are factored in too.
Zohaib adds: “A really good feature of my new range is the flame symbol that shows on the control screen when the gas is lit. I hardly see it come up so I know the pans are holding temperature and I’m not using any gas.
“These cost savings are all the things that sales reps tell you about high efficiency and you think in the back of your mind, that’s a sales thing to say, but actually they are true.”
While the team are enjoying the flexibility that the wall range offers in terms of being able to fry and serve at the same time, the new vantage point for customers is generating compliments too.
“A lot of customers are saying it’s nice to see the food going in,” says Zohaib. “It’s almost like we’ve given them a whole different experience. They’re not just the customer now, they feel involved in the cooking process as they can see their order being fried.”
Knowing that KFE could customise the range to blend in with the shop, Zohaib went for a white powder-coated finish to complement the shop’s marble theme, and red LED lights that match its branding. He adds: “You look at the range and you just think it’s perfect where it is. It totally fits in.”
Rating KFE 10 out of 10 for customer service from start to finish, Zohaib adds: “Everyone was fantastic. The sales process was very relaxed, the install team were professional throughout and then Simon came and gave us training on the range. He came back on our opening day to help out with the frying, which was just incredible.”
