Counters and serveries are different types of the same thing. They are merchandising units which allow food to be kept at the right temperature for best taste and food safety, in good condition and looking tempting to a customer. There is some blurring of interpretation of what is the difference between a counter and a servery, but a widespread understanding is that counters are fixed and serveries are mobile.

Fixed countering

A good example of fixed countering can be found in cafeterias, staff restaurants or motorway service areas and is is what is used in self-service traylines . It combines units for everything from tableware to hot food, chilled food and a paypoint. There are two types of construction process. Bespoke is where everything about the countering is designed specifically for the installation by a kitchen designer.

Mobile serveries

Quite simply these are mobile. They can be wheeled out when demand changes depending on the service time.  Examples of this might be in a hotel needing extra service area for breakfast or a hotel conference suite for lunch or dinner service. The main advantage of mobile serveries is there versatility , they can also be linked or connected to provide all the features of fixed serveries.

Heated dispense points

There are three main display heating systems.

Under heated - Where food heat is maintained through direct conmtact with the plate or dish via dry contact plates. The contact plate can be built into the counter or can be sourced as an independent heat tray.  This system of heated display is best use where dishes contain fried foods or pastry goods where crispness needs to be maintained,

Bain Maries -  Where food heat is maintained through contact with a container immersed in hot water. This will have the added advantage of surrounding the foods with a gentle steamy atmosphere, helping prevent drying out and skinning of sauces. This system is best used for  foods with a high sauce content such as curries, pasta sauces and boiled or steamed vegetables are best kept warm in the gentle heat of a bains-marie containing very hot water

Overhead Lamps - Where food heat is maintained through radiated heat of lighting. Usually the  overhead lamps are quartz lamps, they can be built into the counter or can be sourced as an independent lamp unit.  This is normally used in conjunction with a gantry for individual servings of main course dishes such as lasagne and cottage pie where there is rapid throughput of dishes and good presentation and portion control is needed. It is also a popular way of keep roast meats hot on a carvery unit.

Refrigerated units

These are needed for items which for enjoyment of eating or drinking and food safety reasons the food has to be kept chilled. There are three systems of refrigeration which can be incorporated into servery display units.

Dole-well – This is static chilling unit that has the refrigeration unit in its base. Their main use is for chilling soft drinks and for short-term chilling needs such as lunchtime salads.

Gravity chilling – This is most often seen as upright cabinets holding items such as sandwiches and pre-portioned salad plates. Cold air comes out of vents in the top of the cabinet and because cold air naturally falls, the food is kept chilled. It works best with enclosed display counters incorporating glass doors.

Blown air chilling – This gives a very even spread of chilling. It is the preferred method where chilled foods are being put on display over a long period of if the foods have associated food safety issues if displayed at incorrect temperatures. Examples of this are foods containing eggs, dairy products, cooked meats and rice. Because the chilled air is being blown, chilling is very even and thermostatically controlled.

It is important that different sections look different so it is clear to customers where to go to for what they want. Separate out drinks and snacks from main courses so those just wanting a drink are not held in a queue behind those buying a full meal. Customers buying drinks get impatient if just before the cashier they are held up by someone buying a meal. Alternatively, have the drinks dispense the last service point before the cashier so those wanting just drinks can go straight to the end. Have cutlery, serviettes and condiments in a freestanding dispense point after the till to avoid hold-ups.

If the servery is only in use for part of the day, say lunchtime in a pub, then a fixed servery takes up customer drinking space in the evening and looks dreary. Opt for a mobile servery.

Look after it!

There may be almost no moving parts on counters and serveries, but there are still things to go wrong if they are not looked after properly. Hot counters often have a bain marie system powered by electric elements. A common cause of element damage is running the unit without enough water in. There may be a thermal cut-out connected to the heating elements, but not all have them and if it is not working properly, then running low or without water will be costly.

The water is almost always a manual fill from the mains hot water system or from a water boiler. The hot water mains are unlikely to have water filter fitted – this usually comes with each individual unit in the kitchen. Water boilers should have a water treatment system fitted, but may not.

Exhaust vent from refrigeration units should not onstructed and as with the more traditional kitchen equipment should be thoroughly cleaned down at the end of service.