Bonzer Leads to Successful Catering Operation at

The Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Following consecutive years as a 3-star performing trust, The Royal Bournemouth Hospital gained NHS Foundation Status in 2005.  Located on the outskirts of the town, it is a modern facility that provides health care for the residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch, East Dorset and part of the New Forest.  The 650-bed unit boasts full facilities including a 24-hour emergency department which admits over 60’000 patients a year.

Such an operation requires a catering facility that is up to the task and under the watchful eye of Catering Manager, Terry Reeve, The Royal Bournemouth has exactly that.  Producing over 2200 meals a day to cater for both the patients and staff, the kitchen is a constant hive of activity, with a team of 68 staff. 

In addition to the conventional cook/serve style patient catering, Terry also oversees the onsite deli-bar, tea-bar and staff dining room.  Despite a move to more fresh and frozen ingredients, one area that continually caused Terry problems was with regards to the opening of cans. 

“We open over 1300 cans every month so if the can opener develops a problem, we develop a problem with the catering.  Our previous opener would sometimes require the blade to be changed after every 40 cans, that’s almost every day.  More concerning was that if the user put the blade on slightly skewed, shards of metal could also find their way into the food.  I knew we had do something, and fast.”

When Terry was at a local trade exhibition, he was introduced to the Bonzer Titanium, at which point he realised that he had just solved all his problems.

“When I purchase equipment it is about getting the right tool for the right job.  The Bonzer Titan is exactly that.  It has a quick release blade system, meaning that changing the blade it is a fast, simple job that can be completed without the need for us to call estate management.  Secondly, there is only one way to put the blade in, therefore it is always straight and eradicates any danger of metal shards entering the food.  Finally, the entire open process is quicker and cuts down on labour.  With our last opener it could take fourteen turns to open an A10 can, with the Bonzer Titanium it takes just seven thanks to its larger handle and 40mm cog wheel.  On 1300 cans this equates to serious time and labour savings.”

The quick release blade system, as well as the shaft, is placed through the dishwasher each evening, to ensure that any build up during the day is eradicated immediately.

“Surprisingly, the blade area on normal can openers harbours a significant amount of dirt, and residue build up, which can only properly be removed by changing the blade. The quick release system allows us to place the entire system in the dishwasher at the end of each day to eradicate any problem before it has begun.”

To fit in with the hospitals environmental policy, all the tin cans are recycled, after washing, therefore it is important for Terry that the opener does not leave a sharp edge on the cans.  In addition, the fact that Bonzer is made in Britain, fits perfectly with the trusts commitment to support the national economy.

“Our intention is always to support the national economy wherever possible, and therefore Bonzer fits perfectly with this.  The 5 year warranty also gives us the reassurance that if the product does ever go wrong, there is a support system in place to ensure that we will have a replacement immediately.”

After spending 35 years in the NHS, 12 of which have been at The Royal Bournemouth, Terry appreciates that there is a necessity to look at the whole life costs of the equipment.

“Buying on price is a false economy.  You need to look at how long you want the equipment to last - Nowadays I would always specify Bonzer – buying on price is a false economy in the long run.

For further information on Bonzer please call Mitchell and Cooper on 01825 765511 or visit www.mitchellcooper.co.uk

Canned food is one of life’s first and greatest conveniences and no more so than in a high volume kitchen.  But you also need a can opener that is fit for the job.

Mitchell & Cooper, who are UK manufacturers of the iconic Bonzer® can opener, suggest considering firstly the number of cans you need to open every day:  the more cans, the bigger, more robust model you need*.  Also consider the size of cans you open, as this will determine the shaft length.**  

Quality and durability of the blade and cutting mechanism are extremely important, as poor quality blades will cease to cut cleanly after a short time and you will run the risk of contaminating your food with tiny shards of metal, known as swarf.  All Bonzer® can openers are designed not to produce swarf.

But your can opener is only going to perform well if it is regularly cleaned and maintained. Table top can openers are well known to EHOs as dirt traps, often because it is difficult to remove the cutting mechanism for a thorough cleaning or to change the blades.  Mitchell & Cooper have surmounted this problem by fitting Bonzers® with a quick release blade carrier making it much easier to clean and change parts, the only can opener in the world to do so.

Although the name Bonzer® is often applied generically to any table top can opener, authentic Bonzers® are distinguishable by the red knob on the handle.  They have been in production since the 1940’s but the design is being constantly updated to meet the demands of contemporary catering.   The latest features to be added are a dishwasher friendly blade and cutting mechanism and blades with an anti-bacterial coating.

Visit www.bonzer.co.uk or call Mitchell & Cooper on 01825 765511 for more information and to find out if your Bonzer® is authentic. 

*How many cans do you open a day?

Up to 20 - you need a Bonzer EZ-20

Up to 40 – you need a Bonzer EZ- 40

Up to 60 – you need a Bonzer EZ-60

More than 60 – you need a Bonzer EZ-Titan 

**What size cans do you open?

Up to 14” height – you need a Regular shaft length

Up to 22” height – you need Super shaft length