etc.venues aims to bring people together in vibrant and contemporary locations whether it be an exciting office space or designated purpose-built conference rooms and event areas. With venues across the UK and America that cater for between 500 and 1000 delegates, each etc.venues location offers customers a full service from contemporary art through to fresh, carefully sourced food and award-winning hospitality.

When etc.venues recently looked to refurbish the kitchens at a couple of existing sites, (133 Houndsditch, London and Central Manchester) they reached out to Harlock Contracts, a commercial foodservice design and installation company, with whom they have an ongoing relationship. As Ben Harrison, Managing Director of Harlock Contracts explains, one of the key areas that had to be addressed in the refurbishment was grease management:

“Although etc.venues had an existing grease management system within their current set up, it had been causing a number of problems, specifically around blockages, staff training issues and ultimately time commitments around daily cleaning. The fact that the monthly servicing costs had also increased meant that the operator wanted to explore other options.”

Whilst there are a number of options in the market, for Ben, the answer was simple… BioCeptor from Mechline:

“Whereas some models rely on daily cleaning from staff, BioCeptor is maintenance-free, apart from a monthly top-up of bio-fluid. In simple terms, the BioCeptor separates the grease from the water and then the bacteria from the dosing unit breaks down the grease so that it cannot reform, unlike untreated grease, making it safe to pass through the drainage system. So, rather than incurring the cost and time of constantly being emptied by a waste management company, it simplifies the process, and means it can require a visit as little as every 4 to 5 months for a routine clean and service.”

Although grease management should be at the top of every operator’s list, it is more often than not the landlord that dictates the installation, as Ben explains:

“We are seeing more and more landlords specifying the need for an effective grease management system to prevent fat, oil and grease from entering their drainage system. This demand means that should issues occur from an ineffective system, it is the tenant of the property that is to blame.”

This is exactly why Ben always suggests that venues look to install a BioCeptor:

“I always recommend a BioCeptor unit as the number one go to. Direct customer feedback, previous experience of installing them and also their cost-effective nature means that there is nothing better. I was introduced to BioCeptor recently and now I understand the full ins and outs of the system, it is without doubt the best. It is a compact unit, can be easily installed and demands little of the staff’s time on a daily basis.”

Whilst the product itself is the number one choice for Ben, so are the manufacturers, Mechline:

“Mechline has been very easy to work with. Extremely responsive, any issues are dealt with immediately and they are always on hand to answer questions.”

Visit www.mechline.com to find out more about BioCeptor and its Compliance and Accreditations: ASME A112.14.3, PDI G-101, BBA (certificate 11/4827).