Las Iguanas
Challenge: How does a popular casual dining chain produce authentic South American food, prepared mostly from scratch, to a consistently high standard, while catering for more than 500 covers per day? Glenn Evans, head of food development, is on a quest to constantly evolve his menus with innovative dishes, while educating customers in South American food and creating an environment for them that reflects the essence of South America to allow a fully immersive casual dining experience.
Solution: By using the NE-1878, Las Iguanas is able to prepare fresh menu items, in bulk, with no loss of quality, consistently across its estate, thanks to Inverter technology.
Sauced from scratch: Glenn Evans, Head of Food for Las Iguanas, started with the Company four years ago; “Our kitchens are still very much chef-led; we prepare many of the proteins and sauces from scratch, in bulk, then re-heat using a microwave as it’s one of the best ways to achieve core temperature quickly and efficiently. Some of the large volume lines include enchiladas, nachos, half chickens, chicken tinga, chipotle beef, albondigas, ribs and burritos. We then finish most of these dishes on the chargrill or in a pan afterwards to add colour and texture
Consistency, not complexity: “We’re always looking at ways to reduce complexity in the kitchen and achieve more consistency, but never at the cost of the quality of the food, and reducing our carbon footprint is always on the agenda. When we discovered the Panasonic NE-1878 we saw an opportunity to achieve more uniformity in heating thanks to the Inverter technology, especially in our large volume lines where we can be heating up to 4 litres at a time, as well as make energy savings.
“The solution was found when we took a bank of six NE-1878’s for our new store in Bracknell and we’ve certainly seen an improvement so will be installing them as our microwave of choice into our next new openings too. Aside from the Inverter technology giving us the ability to cook and re-heat less aggressively, and the improved energy efficiency – the NE-1878 has proven to be 10% more energy efficient compared to the standard model we used to buy - the all-metal door has been a real bonus; when it comes to cleaning, it is much lighter, so easier for chefs to clean under and around and the door itself is easier to clean inside and out with not having any grooves or film. The NE-1878 also doesn’t look like a microwave so there is less of a chance of a negative consumer perception.
“At the end of the day, the NE-1878 offers us great energy savings, improved heating qualities and it’s operationally friendly and easy to maintain.”
