Commercial Fridges & Refrigeration

Quick answer: A commercial refrigerator for a UK kitchen should hold food between 1°C and 5°C, well inside the 8°C legal limit for chilled food in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Caterzone stocks upright fridges, undercounter fridges, refrigerated prep counters, saladettes and display fridges from Polar, Combisteel, Tefcold, Atosa, Inomak, Williams, Foster and Blizzard.

Caterzone supplies commercial refrigeration to restaurants, cafés, takeaways, pubs, hotels and schools across the UK. The right fridge depends on what you store, where it stands in the kitchen and how often the doors open during service.

Which type of commercial fridge do you need?

Examples: Polar U-Series 700 litre upright, Polar U-Series 1,400 litre double door, Combisteel 3-door saladette and Combisteel 700 refrigerated counter.

How big a fridge does a commercial kitchen need?

A common starting point is around 15–20 litres of chilled storage per cover served per day, then adjusted for delivery frequency. A 60-cover restaurant with daily deliveries often manages with one 600–700 litre upright plus a refrigerated prep counter on the line; a kitchen with two or three deliveries a week needs more. Gastronorm-compatible (GN 2/1) shelving makes it easier to move prepared food straight from the line into storage.

What does the climate class mean?

Commercial fridges are tested to an ambient temperature class. Climate class 4 means the fridge holds temperature in a room up to 30°C; climate class 5 copes with up to 40°C. Kitchens next to ovens, fryers or in basements without extraction regularly pass 30°C in summer, so choose climate class 5 for hot kitchens.

What are the UK food safety requirements for fridges?

• Chilled food must be kept at 8°C or below by law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; the Food Standards Agency recommends running fridges at 5°C or below.
• Check and record fridge temperatures at least once a day as part of your HACCP-based food safety system; Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) ask to see these records.
• Store raw meat below ready-to-eat food, keep doors closed during service where possible, and leave space around stock for air to circulate.

How much does a commercial fridge cost to run?

Look at the energy rating and annual energy consumption (kWh/year) on the product page. Under UK energy labelling, professional storage cabinets are rated A to G. A well-rated 600 litre upright can use less than half the electricity of an older unit, which can save several hundred pounds a year at current UK business tariffs. Fridges using natural refrigerants (R290, R600a) also help with F-gas rules.

Need help choosing commercial refrigeration?

Browse refrigerated counters, commercial freezers, bottle coolers and Tefcold refrigeration, or call Caterzone on +44 1604 969239 / email info@thecaterzone.co.uk for advice on sizing, delivery and access.