Oxo Tower’s Head Chef, Jeremy Bloor is Impressed with the Versatility & Speed of the Frima
Jeremy Bloor with his new Frima – Stocks take half the time, have more yield, and are perfectly clear in multifunctional appliance.
Set in the iconic building on the Southbank, the Oxo Tower Restaurant offers an eclectic menu built around British and European classics. It serves over 200 covers a day but, like many urban restaurants, kitchen space is limited. This means catering equipment needs to be as efficient as possible, while delivering the best cooking results. Recently head Chef Jeremy Bloor installed a FRIMA VarioCooking Center. He and his team are so impressed they are about to install a second one. 
“I first saw the FRIMA at a catering exhibition,” says Jeremy. “Its versatility and ease of use were very impressive.”
Oxo Tower has a 211+, which has a 100 litre cooking pan and can be used to boil, fry, deep fry, confit, slow cook and pressure cook. It was supplied and installed by TAG Catering Equipment UK. The overall project won a CEDA award.
“We use it for a range of different foods, using different techniques, from blanching asparagus to cooking pork belly under sous vide,” says Jeremy. “Our oxtail cooked under pressure is also great, falling from the bone, super-moist, in half the time it takes to cook conventionally.”
In fact, it was the pressure cooking option that attracted Jeremy’s interest initially. “Making stocks under pressure, in a controlled environment, gives us a yield and consistency we are very happy with,” he says.
“The FRIMA has cut the cooking time of our stocks down by 50%. With veal and chicken stocks there is no skimming needed at the first stage and the stock stays perfectly clear, without clouding.
“The yield is excellent – what you put in, you get out. Plus, cooking this way has reduced waste heat throughout the kitchen, with less condensation, and it minimises cleaning. We tend to cook the stock overnight then, when we arrive at 7.30 in the morning, it’s ready to reduce.”
Despite the FRIMA’s hi-tech appearance, Jeremy says it is extremely easy to operate. “A quick training session and we were up to speed. The touch screen control is the same as is on a Rational, so it’s a system most chefs have used,” he says.
“In our Brasserie we have a bratt pan and a stock boiler that we are looking to upgrade. We’ll replace them with a second FRIMA.”
For information and brochures, or to come to a free Cooking Live demonstration, call FRIMA UK on 0845 680 3981, email info.uk@frima-online.com or visit www.frima-online.com
