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In recent years, the food truck phenomenon has taken off in Spain and it seems that it is here to stay. This tradition, imported from the US, which emerged back in the nineteenth century, arrived in 2014, making a big impact with the first Street food in Barcelona. This trend has continued to attract followers, and as a result, an increasing number of cities are hosting festivals featuring food on wheels. Their popularity lies in the variety of flavours which are on offer, capable of delighting the palates (and pockets) of the most demanding foodies. It is not surprising that more and more catering companies are deciding to try their luck with food trucks, since it is an opportunity to create their own business and reach a wide audience at a reasonable cost. At Repagas we are aware of the evolution of the market and of the needs of the most demanding customers, and as such, we want to tell you the essential factors for fitting out a food truck with the best catering equipment.

Choice of vehicle

The vehicle will be your starting point. You must consider the culinary experience that you wish to offer your customers. Depending on the composition of the menu and the products that you are going to serve, you should choose one type of vehicle or another, but it must always be an approved model. Furthermore, you will need to be up to date with the relevant licences. You will need to have a food-handling licence, be registered for trade tax in order to use your vehicle, and have third party liability insurance. You will also need a permit from the council of the town in which you plan on setting up. Important: do not forget the decoration! The sense of sight is fundamental. Remember that we eat with our eyes! In the same way as you pay attention to the presentation of your dishes, a food truck with an attractive design can increase your chances of attracting more customers.

Food truck equipment

Due to the fact that there is usually limited space inside food trucks, it is fundamental that you choose catering equipment that enables you to optimise the working space and which at the same time complies with the health requirements defined by the sector. In line with the regulations, the furniture must be manufactured using resistant material such as stainless steel which can be cleaned easily in its entirety and which withstands the use of disinfectant products. Furthermore, it must be attached to the floor without welding in order to prevent the spread of bacteria. So as to prevent people from falling over as well as stopping the passage of moisture, the flooring must be non-slip and it is essential to insulate the cold area from the rest of the space. As with choosing the appropriate vehicle, the catering equipment of your food truck will depend on the menu that you wish to offer your customers. Obviously, you will not need the same equipment to serve ice creams as to fry hot dogs. Nevertheless, there are a series of essential elements in your industrial kitchen. They are as follows:

Cooking area

Time is a key factor, especially when food is served on wheels. However tasty your menu is, your customers will not be prepared to wait half an hour to eat it. In order to be able to serve them in a reasonable period of time, it is essential that the cooking area is fitted out with catering equipment which enables you to cook as quickly and efficiently as possible. Repagas has a wide range of products manufactured in stainless steel, designed to be adapted to fit the dimensions of your food truck. These include everything from small industrial kitchens, fry-tops, grill plates, barbecues, fryers… even churros making machines! You can see our entire range of catering equipment products here.

Cold area

Preserving your foodstuffs in optimum condition and preventing contamination is the main objective of the cold area in your kitchen. In addition to traditional refrigerated cabinets and display cabinets, one of the items that can help you to plan your kitchen is the blast chiller. Repagas blast chillers enable you to chill foodstuffs quickly without altering their properties, so as to be able to enhance them later and obtain the best flavours.

Food preparation area

Every kitchen needs a work space in which to prepare foodstuffs before cooking them. Repagas neutral elements, manufactured in stainless steel with antacid varnishes, will ensure that working in the kitchen of your food truck is much easier and more comfortable.

Other areas to bear in mind

The storage and extraction areas are essential in the kitchen of a food truck. We recommend that you have the extraction hood made to measure so that it has reduced dimensions and power, as well as incorporating a fan. Furthermore, it is a good idea to use any space that will enable you to store your utensils in a perfectly organised way.  With these simple steps you have what you need! A food truck adapted to meet your needs. At Repagas we have experience in this sector and we can offer you some references of vehicles featuring Repagas equipment. [gallery ids="7064,7068,7072"]  

After almost 3 months of hard work, the new kitchen of El Bohío restaurant is underway. The restaurant of Pepe Rodríguez, jury of Master Chef Spain and Michelin star, has relied on us to assume the reform of his kitchen. An exciting project that we have undertaken from our new service Repagas Concept, with great enthusiasm and professionalism. The main objective was to create a kitchen that covered the need to grow, and have an adequate infrastructure to the kitchen rhythm of a restaurant in this category. It was a challenge of great importance, since the demands of an international chef's  kitchen and the category of Pepe Rodríguez, were very high. Making a good optimization of the spaces we delivered a solution to all workflows and internal circuits of the kitchen. An integral project that consisted in enabling four work spaces: The cooking zone, the heart of the kitchen, the laundry plunge, the waiters office and the pastry area.

The cooking zone:

This area was designed with Repagas high technology, to create an efficient workflow and meet Sala demands. It has been equipped with the following Repagas catering machinery:

• Gas cooker CG-920 / M of great design, power, functionality, safety and versatility. With fires that allow a high performance, created to offer the maximum possible calorific power. Exterior made of stainless steel.
• COUP DE FEU / Radiant plate. CG-910 / RM. Gas cooker, Repagas radiant plate made of cast iron to promote temperature transmission and ergonomic heat resistant polyamide controls.
• Repagas cooker with large fires, high performance, to offer the maximum calorific power.

The pastry area:

This workspace has the following hospitality equipment:

• Cook & Chill Combined Oven HE-611/2
• Blast chiller AT-511

The waiter's office:

It has an excellent distribution to meet the service level of waiters at a restaurant like El Bohío. In it, workflows are facilitated to speed up the commands.

The area of ​​Washing:

From Repagas Concept, our new comprehensive advisory service, we have implemented the complete solution for this area, including the necessary washing equipment: as a mechanical dishwasher and a hood dishwasher.

Final score:

In the words of Pepe Rodríguez, chef at El Restaurante El Bohío, jury of Master Chef Spain and Michelin star, "Repagas has left its heart and soul to build a professional kitchen, finished to everyone's taste. It's that illusion, that desire to come in October with the kitchen that every chef has in his dreams; with square meters, space, technology and infrastructure. That's a chef's dream and I'll fulfill it thanks to Repagas. " Thanks Chef for trusting us! You can enjoy the full result in the following video and images [embed]https://youtu.be/h6UyRDj9H1M[/embed]  

The time has come! The first edition of our Repagas D.O Castilla y León Master Tapa contest already has a winner: Ricardo Gómez Martín with his tapa "Iberian shell in thai marinade with sprouts and basil". Our contest, organized with the collaboration of chef Pepe Rodríguez, owner of El Bohío Restaurant and Masterchef jury, Quesería La Antigua de Fuentesaúco and La Jamonería de Carmen, fulfilled the objective of promoting and introducing traditional gastronomy and seasonal products with denomination of origin of Castilla y León. Repagas is very aware of the training and the use of the machines he manufactures, therefore, with this initiative we want to closely support the promotion of students that are being trained in cooking schools in Castilla y León. Attention @ that we want to tell you all the details ...

Previous phase

During the months of September, October and November we launched a call to cooking schools of Castilla y León. The students had the opportunity to share and put into practice the culinary creativity to participate in Repagas Master Tapa contest, creating a tapa with local products from the region.

Selection of finalists

On November 17^th, the recipes of the participants were published through our social networks, and we opened the voting with a high participation. The selection was based on a 50% audience vote and 50% jury vote, taking into account various criteria such as originality, creativity and presentation, among others. The preselected students were:

• ALEJANDRO JOSE RAPOSO NUÑEZ, With his "Coulant de Tostón"
• ARMANDO SANTOS TORREJÓN, with his cover "El Capricho de Armando"
• GUILLERMO MARTÍN MARTÍN, With his "Toast of chestnut bread with apple compote pippin and threads of cooked ham"
• RICARDO GÓMEZ MARTÍN, with its tapa "Iberian shell in Thai marinade with sprouts and basil"
• JESÚS LORENZO PALOMINO, With his "Toast of Ham and Cheese"

Grand Final of the Contest

The final was held at the School of Hospitality of Salamanca, on November 23th at 12.30h. In it, the finalists presented the members of the Jury with the recipe for their star cover. The jury consisted of:

• Pablo Martinez: Repagas Corporate Chef.
• Luis Franco: National Commercial Advisor of Repagas
• Leyre Gómez: Marketing and Communication Manager of Quesería la Antigua.
• Felipe Sánchez: Commercial Director of Jamonerías del Carmen.

The finalists presented their tapas before the jury and prepared it on the spot explaining the elaboration process and the reason for choosing each of the ingredients and processes. The criteria basis of which the jury made the assessment being 1 the lowest rating and 5 excellent, were:

• ORIGINALITY
• CREATIVITY
• PRESENTATION
• ORGANOLEPTIC / SENSORIAL QUALITY
• TEMPERATURE SERVICE / REGULARITY
• REPRESENTATIVITY
• TECHNICAL COMPLEXITY
• INTEGRATION OF INGREDIENTS D.O. AND SEASONED

In addition, the jury took into account that the elaborations included the recommended ingredients: IBERICO pork products and CHEESE as part of the preparation process of the Repagas lid, as well as the use of the combined oven. Each member of the jury made their personal assessment after tasting each of the tapas, and according to the totality of the points obtained, they met to deliberate and share assessments. The final decision was very close since all finalist elaborated a very elaborate tapa and an excellent presentation. Finally, the winner of the "1st Repagas Master Tapa Contest with D.O Castilla y León" was RICARDO GÓMEZ MARTÍN, with his tapa "Iberian conch in Thai marinade with sprouts and basil" Ricardo also won a Pack of Old Cheese and Jamonerías el Carmen, and a meal with 1 companion at the restaurant El Bohío, by Pepe Rodríguez. It has been a very wonderful experience and we can not wait to have the second edition of the contest. Thank you very much to everyone for the participation! #RepagasTalentSchool    

The kitchen is the heart of a restaurant, as it is where the menu comes to life. And inside a hotel, the catering service is what most customers complain about and where a high volume of work takes place. The importance of having great and functional kitchen equipment is of vital importance. Therefore, it should be organised and in the most appropriate place. Make sure that your property is well equipped and can face the challenge of satisfying your customers every day, from service to service, so, we suggest a check-list with the kitchen equipment that you would need:

Combi Oven:

A kitchen without a combi oven is unheard of nowadays. It is a fundamental tool to work the hot and cold lines. It allows us to separate the production from the time of service. The oven is versatile, as it allows us to streamline the à la carte service and without it, modern banqueting would be unthinkable. It is essential that it is within the hot kitchen for the à la carte service, close to the Blast chillers and cold chambers in the production area and of course, in the kitchen pass-through area for regeneration.

Professional kitchen:

A good cooking block is the backbone of the kitchen. Its layout and size must be in harmony with the circuits and workload. We recommend a sturdy, reliable, efficient and hygienic cooking block. Their multiple combinations will be designed according to the gastronomic concept and type of service.

Fry-top:

It is a production and service tool for professional finishes of meat, fish and vegetables. This feature has to offer power and resistance. It is an essential factor that the temperature transmission is homogeneous so that the most is made of the work surface. There are several types of hob finishes to help you decide the most suitable one for you: for meats we recommend polished and ground steel and hard chromium for fish and vegetables.

Barbecue:

If you want to give added value to your product and offer a “barbecued" finish it is an ideal complement to set you apart. We recommend a gas barbecue with briquettes as it is easy to operate, clean and handle.

Hot trolleys:

In combination with the mixed oven, the hot trolley is presented as an indispensable tool for pre-prepared services and banqueting. We recommend equipment that is easy to clean, well-insulated and with the appropriate environment to maintain the quality of the food prepared, while avoiding loss of temperature and organoleptic quality.

Pasta Cooker:

It provides optimization in the logistics and preparation of this versatile food which is present in any menu. We recommend that the equipment has a fill valve to replenish the water that evaporates, on demand, as well as another drain valve for easy cleaning of the tub.

Fryer:

It is essential to choose the right model according to our workload so we recommend installing it as far away as possible from the pass-through area and with proper smoke ventilation management. The equipment needs to be robust and powerful. Very easy to clean, with a drain valve and a good safety device system.

Blast chiller:

As well as the combi oven, it is of vital importance to have a blast chiller to manage the Cook & Chill processes with complete food safety. We recommend a blast made of stainless steel which guarantees maximum resistance to corrosion, as well as a temperature probe for ensuring compliance with the HACCP system. We must not forget, when choosing the right kitchen, to evaluate the rest of the equipment necessary for maintaining food in perfect condition, taking into account the workflow, we would select the cold elements, as well as a work surface proportional to the production needs. Finally, the correct selection of utensils and small equipment suitable for the capacity for better hygiene and durability. If you have any questions we have our “Repagas Concept” comprehensive advice service at your disposal which will help you with everything you may need.   Pablo Martínez, Repagas Corporate Chef

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8mNcLs-FCg&list=PLYf0uHIFTdin8IuPBIQ-v54GLt73VI9_s[/embed]  

In Repagas we don't stop! The contact with our customers is one of the main engines of our business.  After the great experience lived at Host Milan, we went to Valencia to present our latest products at the Gastronoma fair with our delegation from Levante. The fair was celebrated from November 4-6 in Valencia, becoming once again a major event in the gastronomy sector. Overall, more than 200 participating brands, including wineries, manufacturers, distributors, machinery and equipment firms, agri-food industry, service companies, public and private institutions, specialized media and professional groups. An open forum to position Valencia at the head of culinary culture. The audience experienced and enjoyed tastings, workshops, live cookings, debates and much more. Among the novelties of this year stood out the Popular Contests of typical dishes of Valencian cuisine, which were held every morning in the Cooking space. In addition, there were different spaces such as "The Central Kitchen", "Gourmet Bar", "Wine Tunnel", "Dquesos", among others.

Recognition of generational change

The "Central Kitchen" space, the center stage for Gastronoma, was the place of live demonstrations of the great chefs. This edition featured Michelin stars such as Alberto Ferrúz, María José San Román, Miguel Barrera and Manuel Alonso. And, likewise, the space paid tribute to the generational change in the sector, by having great restaurants that have passed the leadership to family members. In this way they manage to strengthen the business, a concept tha we at Repagas understand and care about. Bars, taverns and new concepts, as well as interior kitchens were protagonists on stage. Repagas had a double presence: on the one hand, a Stand in the show room where we showed a complete equipment to meet the needs of the most demanding Chefs. On the other hand, Repagas installed in the space "Central Kitchen", the kitchen and work table located in a unique place and protagonist, which served as support in talks of great chefs and Showcookings for visitors. We leave you below photos of the great experience lived at Gastrónoma. Don't miss it ... Until next time!     [gallery ids="6970,6966,6962,6958,6954,6975"]

One of the technological developments that has influenced modern cuisine has been, without a doubt, the combi oven. Although today it may go unnoticed in our kitchens, a couple of decades ago it revolutionised the kitchen and its results are still seen today. And not only did it change the way food was cooked: the combi oven became the key to the planning of meals and opened new horizons in the management of culinary production. From mass catering to haute cuisine, today the combi oven stands out as an indispensable tool due to its versatility. Within the possibilities that this equipment offers us, sous vide cooking and the ability to cook at a low temperature are perhaps some of the benefits that wider distribution is having within our culinary scene. Thus, today we propose a simple dish with very technical processes of cooking at low temperature and cooking sous vide in our traditional cuisine:

“Glazed pork cheek over truffled pumpkin and red wine cream”

PREPARATION OF THE CHEEKS AND GLAZING  In a pot, cook the clean pork cheeks until they start to colour, remove them, season them and vacuum pack them (99%) in cooking bags.  Let them cook in 100% steam mode at 75 degrees for twelve hours. Then roast the vegetables and cuts of the cheeks in the oven at 180 degrees and use them to make a sauce in the cooking pot where we the cheeks are. When the sauce is ready; deglaze with wine until reduction and then filter in a superbag. Adjust, season and texture with corn-starch to set aside for later. PREPARATION OF THE TRUFFLED PUMPKIN CREAM  In a saucepan pour cold water, add potatoes and boil. Lower the heat and let it boil for about 15-20 minutes. In addition, vacuum pack the pumpkin and truffle oil. Cook at 85 degrees for 45 minutes. Whip the cooked potatoes, part of the water from cooking, butter, salt, pepper and pumpkin until obtaining a fine, oily cream. Add the cream in fine dashes, xanthan gum and continue whipping until it emulsifies. Put it into a piping bag and set it aside. PREPARATION OF THE PORK CHEEK  Reduce the wine over medium-high heat in a saucepan. When it has reduced to two-thirds of its volume, add sugar and mix. Lower the heat and cook until fine bubbles appear and take on an intense ruby ​​colour. Set it aside and allow it to stand. FINAL TOUCHES: use the 100% steam function to regenerate/maintain the pumpkin cream in the piping bag and the cheeks in the bag at 75º. With the reduction cooled down stroke it diametrically on a white plate. With the help of a hoop make a cream dish bottom with the piping bag, place the cheek, top it with the hot glaze and finish off by crowning with micromezclum or some tender sprout. Pablo Martínez Pestaña / Corporate Chef  at REPAGAS Recipe available at MABHosteleros