Sponsored content provided by Skanos
In commercial foodservice and large-scale food manufacturing, the difference between an operation that performs and one that merely gets through the day hinges on whether the equipment supports the workflow or fights it.
That might sound reductive, but ask any kitchen manager, facilities director, or operations lead about the decisions that have most influenced their day-to-day output, and equipment almost always plays a key role.
The right blast chiller shortens the cook-chill cycle and enables higher production volumes. The right holding system ensures consistent service quality regardless of when food was produced. The right combi oven enables less experienced staff to execute programs reliably without increased supervision.
Conversely, equipment that is undersized, unreliable, or unsuitable for the task creates friction at every stage of the operation, leading to increased labour, food waste, compliance risk, higher costs, and ultimately, an impact on the quality of what reaches the end customer.
The operational flow begins with equipment functioning as an integrated system.
A common and costly error in commercial kitchen planning is considering equipment choices in isolation. A combi oven that exceeds the blast chiller’s capacity creates a bottleneck. Refrigeration that cannot maintain a consistent cabinet temperature increases food waste. A transport system that loses temperature mid-delivery undermines everything that happened in the kitchen before it.
This systems approach is central to Skanos’ selected equipment portfolio. Each brand focuses on addressing a specific part of that workflow, together enhancing the entire kitchen process from beginning to end.
Refrigeration is the foundation of food safety and operational efficiency.
Gram® and Afinox®, of which Skanos is the exclusive Australian distributor for both, together cover the full spectrum of commercial refrigeration requirements. Both brands run on natural refrigerants free of harmful HFCs and CFCs, and both lead in energy efficiency under European standards, making them well-suited to any operation with sustainability targets or significant energy overheads.
Gram® covers upright fridges, freezers, undercounter and bench refrigeration, and dual temperature cabinets. Its proprietary air system keeps consistent temperatures, reducing food waste and extending stock life.
Afinox® specialises in rapid-cooling solutions within the cold chain, offering blast chillers and shock freezers from compact units to large systems. Food cools from +90°C to +2.7°C in 90 minutes or to -18°C in 240 minutes, supporting cook-chill processes for any scale.
Batch production: Increased output, reduced labour, and improved consistency
For operations producing food at scale, batch cooking efficiency is a key lever on cost and output. Joni® cooking kettles eliminate cooking hotspots, reduce manual intervention, and allow a single operator to manage batch sizes that would typically require a larger team. The range spans 40 to 500 litres with mixing, non-mixing, chilling, direct steam, and custom controller options.
For operations requiring greater versatility across the production floor, Norqi Bratt pans extend that capability further, handling high-volume frying, braising, and sautéing across a single large cooking zone, keeping production flow consistent.
Cooking technology: Consistent reliability regardless of who is using it.
In an industry with high staff turnover and limited training time, cooking equipment that delivers consistent results regardless of operator experience is not a luxury; it’s an operational requirement.
German-engineered Eloma® combi steamers surpass typical industry standards in every aspect. The cooking chamber, made from 1.2mm stainless steel, is 50% thicker than the standard 0.8mm used in most products. The control systems can store up to 400 programmable recipes per user, feature automatic cleaning with Autoclean Pro®, and support multi-cook processes to produce different items simultaneously. These features make Eloma ideal for environments that depend on consistent, predefined programs, effectively reducing variability in execution.
Handling and moving: Ensuring quality from kitchen to service area
The quality of food at the point of service is the only quality that matters. ScanBox, Swedish-engineered and distributed by Skanos, is the benchmark for professional food transport across the global hospitality and healthcare sectors. The Ergoline range maintains a consistent temperature for hot or cold food regardless of door openings, and Temp-Stop technology maximises insulation while minimising energy consumption. Where extended holding is the challenge, Thermodyne’s patented Fluid Shelf® technology independently heats each shelf without airflow, reducing shrinkage to as low as 4% and ensuring the quality of the last meal served matches the first.
Pizza Operations: Investment in the oven pays in every serve
In the world of Artisan pizza baking, product differentiation hinges on the bake quality. Deck ovens with natural stone hearths deliver results that conveyor ovens and lower-tier equipment cannot match, and operators in competitive markets are increasingly using this distinction to command higher prices.
The Swedish PizzaMaster® is widely regarded as the world’s most extensive range of electric deck pizza ovens, offering 85 models across more than 1,000 configurations and reaching temperatures up to 500°C.
PizzaMaster’s® modular design allows operators to configure from one to five decks and scale as they grow, without replacing the entire unit.
Hygiene Systems: Compliance efficiency at production scale
Hygiene compliance in commercial foodservice is essential, but the ease of achieving it depends greatly on the equipment used.
Jeros, a Danish manufacturer with 60+ years of experience in commercial hygiene solutions, makes utensil washers and crate washers used in food processing, hospitality, and healthcare worldwide. Wash cycles take three minutes with disinfection at 85°C. Its design allows access from three sides, enabling direct integration at production lines without major changes.
Aged Care and Healthcare: Meeting the standards
The aged care and healthcare sectors are experiencing the most significant regulatory changes in a generation. The new Aged Care Act and Standard 6 requirements related to food and nutrition have raised the standards for compliant meal delivery and highlighted the importance of resident choice. As a result, the infrastructure needed to meet these standards must now be put in place.
The ScanBox® Trayline enables a single staff member to deliver hot, plated meals using convection heating for temperature control, alongside ambient tray assembly. Combined with MealID®, an Australian-made plate cover system designed for ScanBox environments, operators have an end-to-end solution that addresses resident identification, temperature integrity, and meal dignity and directly supports Standard 6 compliance.
Visit Skanos at Fine Food Australia 2026.
Fine Food Australia 2026 in Melbourne brings the full Skanos portfolio together in one place. The Skanos team will be available across all four days to work through your specific situation, whether you’re planning a new facility, upgrading existing equipment, or working through a particular operational challenge. Bring your requirements and your questions. We will bring the expertise and the solutions.
Visit the Skanos stand H13 at Fine Food Australia 2026, taking place on 31 August – 3 September at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. Four days, thousands of products, and one unmissable event for Australia’s foodservice and hospitality industry. Discover the latest in food, drink, equipment and technology, connect with suppliers, source new products and attend live demonstrations, all under one roof. Entry is free for trade professionals. Register now →