Hotel Culinary Training Facility » Training Utopia

A year ago, Electrolux opened its Culinary Training Facility in South Florida to educate hoteliers on its unique products and give them the opportunity to utilize their high volume, high speed and banquet cooking technology firsthand.

It encompasses a state-of-the-art cooking theater equipped with oversized televisions for audience viewing and microphones, a research and development laboratory, and classroom settings for educational discussions. Scott Applebee, director of foodservice marketing & product management, says the various roles of the Culinary Training Center are: first, to accommodate customized client visits and provide valuable customer training; second, to host special culinary events; lastly, to serve as a high-tech training ground for both technicians and Electrolux representatives.

Applebee says Electrolux performs a detailed hotel kichen needs analysis before inviting a customer into the culinary center on a pre- or post-purchase basis. The needs analysis identifies products or procedures Electrolux's certified chefs intend to discuss, such as cook-chill technology training or hotel menu development. Applebee says chefs work with the equipment in a hands-on manner to really experience the products.

The culinary center also opens its doors to food marketers looking for a high-tech environment to showcase products. The cooking theater serves as a great background for foodservice product demonstrations. Additionally, the Electrolux authorized service technicians learn by doing. To enhance Electrolux U.S. service capabilities, our technicians literally tear down and rebuild Electrolux equipment from start to finish. "They have to correctly diagnose a given problem, change out components, and return the equipment to a fully functional phase," says Applebee. For customers who prefer Electrolux to provide on-site equipment training, the company maintains a support staff of 11 regionally certified chefs working with operators around the country. However, the centralized Culinary Center has proved to be an invaluable tool in educating and demonstrating the capabilities of Electrolux hotel foodservice equipment in North America.


Email this article to a colleague