Victor CTB2 Bain Marie Topper | Heated Servery Unit

The Victor CTB2 is a British-made countertop bain marie topper designed to keep hot food at consistent serving temperatures during front-of-house service. It uses dry heat rather than water, which simplifies daily operation and cleaning considerably. The unit accommodates two full-size gastronorm pans and sits neatly on an existing servery counter, with a heated lamp gantry and toughened glass sneeze guard positioned above the pans to comply with food hygiene requirements and maintain food temperature from above as well as below.

In a busy servery environment — whether a staff restaurant, hotel restaurant, pub carvery, or school dining hall — the CTB2 holds its temperature reliably through a service period without requiring water management or constant supervision. The adjustable thermostat gives operators control over holding temperature across different menu items, and the quartz lamps above are operator-changeable and fitted with a dimmer, so presentation lighting can be adjusted to suit the environment and the food being served.

From a practical standpoint, the unit offers a number of day-to-day advantages:

• Dry heat operation removes the need for water topping-up during service
• Adjustable thermostat allows holding temperature to be matched to the menu
• Heated gantry lamps keep food warm from above, reducing heat loss on open displays
• Toughened glass sneeze guard supports food hygiene compliance at the counter
• Operator-changeable lamps reduce downtime and maintenance dependency

Installation is straightforward — the CTB2 runs from a standard 13-amp socket via a moulded plug and 2-metre cord, so no dedicated electrical supply or installation work is required. It simply needs a stable, level counter surface with access to a nearby socket. The unit is built from heavy-duty stainless steel externally, which is practical for front-of-house environments where appearance and durability both matter. Gastronorm pans are not included but a range of options — including carvery, glass plate, and tiled configurations — are available separately.

The CTB2 is well suited to small to mid-sized servery operations where a compact, self-contained hot holding solution is needed without the complexity of a plumbed wet bain marie. For higher-volume operations running extended service periods or greater numbers of dishes simultaneously, a larger or more heavy-duty servery unit may be worth considering. If you are unsure which configuration suits your counter layout or service style, the team is happy to talk it through with you before you order.