Gastronorm Trolleys

The EAIS 'Z' frame gastronorm trolley is a stainless steel tiered trolley designed to store and transport gastronorm containers in commercial kitchens. Available in both 1/1 and 2/1 formats, each trolley provides multiple tiers of capacity, keeping containers organised and accessible during prep and service without cluttering work surfaces. The defining feature is the 'Z' frame geometry itself: when empty, multiple trolleys nest directly into one another, reducing the combined footprint to a fraction of what equivalent straight-frame trolleys would require.

That nesting capability has a genuine operational value in most working kitchens. Back-of-house storage is typically the first space to become congested on a busy site, and being able to consolidate several empty trolleys together — in a walk-in chiller, a prep corridor, or a holding area — without sacrificing significant floor space makes a real difference day to day. During service, the tiered configuration holds enough containers to support a full run without needing to reorganise mid-service.

The fully welded stainless steel construction handles the everyday demands of a commercial environment: corrosion-resistant, straightforward to clean down, and robust enough for the knocks of a working kitchen. Retaining edges on the front and rear of each tray slide help prevent containers from shifting when the trolley is in motion — a useful detail on uneven floors or when passing through swing doors. Castors with bumpers support reasonable manoeuvrability while offering some protection to door frames and adjacent equipment.

• Nesting 'Z' frame design collapses multiple trolleys into a compact stored footprint
• Retaining edges on tray slides keep containers secure during movement
• Fully welded stainless steel construction withstands repeated cleaning and daily use
• Available in 1/1 and 2/1 formats to align with existing gastronorm container sets
• Castor bumpers help protect door frames and surrounding kitchen equipment

These trolleys are well suited to operations that rely heavily on gastronorm containers as their primary production unit — hospital catering, school meal services, contract catering sites, and event catering operations where batch volumes are high and storage space is at a premium. The 1/1 format is the more common choice for standard kitchen layouts, while the 2/1 suits sites already running larger 2/1 containers. For operations with particularly high throughput or more demanding requirements, it is worth considering whether a heavier-duty option would be more appropriate.

If you are deciding between the 1/1 and 2/1 format, or want to confirm these trolleys will work alongside your existing containers and storage setup, we are happy to talk it through before you order.

EAIS produce these 2/1 gastronorm trolleys in two configurations: a full height version with tiered trayslides designed to maximise vertical storage capacity, and a lower unit built with a solid worktop that doubles as a prep or staging surface. Both are constructed from fully welded stainless steel throughout, which matters in environments where trolleys are in daily use and need to hold up to repeated loading, transit, and cleaning cycles.

In practice, these trolleys are most commonly used for moving prepared trays, pans, and containers between preparation areas, cooking equipment, and service points. The trayslides include a retaining edge to the front and rear to keep gastronorm containers secure during transit — a detail that carries real weight in busy kitchens where staff are moving quickly and spillage has a tangible cost. Castor bumpers are fitted as standard, providing a degree of protection to door frames and kitchen furniture during everyday use.

• Fully welded construction avoids the weak points common in bolt-together alternatives under sustained heavy use
• Retaining edges to trayslides help secure containers during transit
• Solid worktop on the low level model provides a usable prep or pass surface
• Castor bumpers reduce impact damage to kitchen furniture and fittings
• Stainless steel construction supports straightforward cleaning to food hygiene standards

For kitchens with restricted ceiling height or tighter access routes, the low level model is often the more practical choice. Larger volume operations — particularly those running banqueting, cook-chill production, or high-throughput contract catering — tend to favour the full height version where maximising tray capacity per trolley run matters. For sites with exceptionally high demand or specialist requirements, it is worth considering whether a heavier-duty alternative from the wider range would be a better fit.

If you are weighing up which configuration suits your kitchen layout and workflow, our team is happy to talk it through with you.

These EAIS Gastronorm 1/1 trolleys are fully welded stainless steel units built for the storage and movement of full-size gastronorm trays in working commercial kitchens. Two configurations are available: a full height version in 10, 15, or 20-tier arrangements to suit different tray volumes, and a lower-level 7-tier model with an integrated solid worktop that doubles as a pass or preparation surface. The choice between them generally comes down to the volume of trays being handled and how the kitchen workflow is organised.

In daily service, trolleys like these take a lot of punishment — constant loading, unloading, and movement across hard kitchen floors throughout the day. The fully welded construction matters here because it removes the risk of joints working loose over time, which is one of the more common failure points on lighter-built alternatives. The 125mm castors with bumpers handle movement through service corridors well enough, and the bumpers offer a reasonable degree of protection to walls and surrounding equipment during busier periods.

• Retaining edges front and rear on each tray slide prevent trays shifting during transit
• Low-level model includes a solid worktop for use as a pass or preparation surface
• Fully welded stainless steel construction eliminates the joint failures seen in lesser-built units
• 125mm castors with bumpers aid manoeuvring and reduce impact damage to surroundings
• Multiple tier configurations allow matching to tray volume or the floor space available

As mobile units, no fixed installation is required. It is worth considering floor surfaces and drainage channel positions when deciding where these will operate day to day — uneven or heavily channelled floors can affect stability and ease of movement. The full height models suit kitchens with adequate ceiling clearance where bulk tray storage is the priority. The low-level version works well where lower access to trays is preferable, or where a combined storage and work surface is useful in a confined space.

These trolleys are well suited to central production kitchens, hospital and education catering, and banqueting operations where large numbers of gastronorm trays need to be stored and moved efficiently between preparation and service areas. Smaller operations handling modest tray volumes may find the 10-tier full height or 7-tier low-level models more than adequate, while high-volume continuous production sites may want to consider whether a heavier-duty option is more appropriate alongside these.

If you are working out which configuration suits your layout and the volume you handle, the team is happy to talk it through.