How to Clean Stainless Steel? From Streaks to Sparkling in No Time

 

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20 Years, and Stainless Steel Excellence Continues On

Together, We Have Made a Truly Impressive Sandwich.

20 years ago, I ordered the first container of stainless steel benches and Brayco was born.
That container had 8 stainless benches in it, no sinks, just benches. When it arrived, I wasn’t disappointed with the quality, so I shoved a few ads in the local papers, and put up a few auctions on eBay to see how these few products would sell. Well, bugger me, the phones starting ringing and within 6 weeks, I was back ordering the second container. I drafted my brother in law Dan in to help sell them. This container had 15 products. I was going out on a limb now. Now we had some wall shelves and a single cabinet crammed in. What recklessness! My wife and a few of my friends started asking whether I would saturate the market.

Who would want that many stainless steel benches? Why are they so popular?
These are disturbing questions. When you’ve found something you like doing and it’s going well, you don’t like to think it’ll just fizzle out. The fun part of business is the growth. The connection with colleagues and customers. So, I started asking the customers why the hell they were buying so many benches from us. If I didn’t know the answer, maybe they would. Could we do even better? Could we grow?

The customers said it basically came down to 4 simple things:
1. Quality — the benches had to be good quality — sturdy, built for purpose and durable.
2. Price — we were priced well below the lazy competitors who’d been price gouging for decades.|
3. Availability — customers liked being able to get their stuff same day, not wait for weeks.
4. Range — we had an OK range of sizes, but they would have bought more if we had more to offer.

So, armed with this knowledge, we decided to make sure we followed these 4 ideas. We call them the 4-Pillars.
And now, 20 years later, you can see the result.
• Those 8 products have turned into a mind boggling range of over 1,200 products. Benches, sinks, shelves, cabinets, chairs, tables, wheels, taps in a vast assortment of sizes, styles, materials. So, range is covered.
• In 2003, we had a 96 square metre warehouse in Perth. Pokey. Now, we have over 20,000 sqm of warehousing across Australia and New Zealand — we are available. Pick it up same day. Buy online. Ring. Whatevs.
• And price? Well, in 2005 our smallest bench was $199. Today, despite a pandemic, a global financial crisis, and rampant inflation across wages, warehouse costs, freight and everything else thrown up at us, that same bench is $244. And we’ll bring the price down if we can.
• As for quality, we have tirelessly worked to improve the strength and quality of the products we sell. Crap doesn’t sell for long. And if something goes wrong we’ll fix it.

The result of all this? Each year now, we expect to sell over 24,000 shelving units, over 50,000 benches, sinks and cabinets and 60,000 chairs. That’s a lot. Hard to visualise, but let’s give it a go..

Let’s imagine that we got all of our customers together to make a sandwich, the biggest sandwich in the world. The current world record for the biggest sandwich is 74 metres. But I think we can do better.

Let’s put all the benches together that you guys have bought in one long line to form the longest bench. If we started building it on the outskirts of Auckland, then it would wind its way down the coast and end up somewhere in the middle of Hamilton. The bench would be 255,000 metres long. That’s quite a big bench. And we’d need a lot of butter. And a lot of people. And let’s hope there isn’t a shortage of lettuce when we do it.
But luckily, we have a lot of customers that might pitch in to help. There are 140,652 current customers of Brayco and Chairforce across New Zealand and Australia, enough to fill both Eden Park and Sky Stadium. If we all pitched in, I think the sandwich wouldn’t take long to make at all. Wouldn’t take long to eat it either.

So, thank you lovely customers. The Brayco team are wholly reliant on your goodwill and continued custom. We hope to earn it. We are committed to the 4-pillars approach — and hopefully, together, in another twenty years time, we can make a sandwich to stretch from Auckland, winding past Napier to Wellington or even South Island…

Client Profile – Rio’s Iconic Bar

At the end of 2021, an iconic bar lit up, fizzing with good vibes and edgy design. Just over a year into business, Rio’s bar has become well-loved for its delicious bar bites, seasonal cocktails, carefully curated wine and beer list, and the rotating list of local DJs to help guests shake the week off and welcome the weekend.

Rio’s slick look and ambience is all down to its owners, who completely overhauled the space and built it from scratch back in 2021. The upstairs venue was created with a modern décor in mind and to make the most of the balcony overlooking ‘the strip’.

To best serve customers and create more space for them, the owners chose a u-shaped bar with the help of a selection of high-quality Brayco products. Brayco splashback benches and sink benches formed the base of the bar, before encasing it with a beautifully contrasting timber bar.

 

 

The splashback benches are industry standard, ready for all the pummelling of a pumping bar, and easy to assemble and clean. Rio’s fitted the timber bar over the splashback component for a seamless look, while underneath power points, taps and wiring were cut and concealed within the splashback. A Brayco rail kit was used to stabilise and reinforce the benches, while storing a well-used dishwasher.

 

 

Beyond the cocktail shakers’ post (aka the bar), the contemporary and industrial look of Rio’s continued with Chairforce supplying chairs, stools, and tables. Rio’s chose a selection of Replica Tolix items, inspired by French designer Pauchard, which are brilliant for commercial venues with their stackable and sturdy design. At Rio’s, you’ll see in the bar area Replica Tolix bar tables, with steel bases and solid timber tops, complemented by the lightweight and durable Replica Tolix bar stools with back rest. In the dining zones, the smaller Replica Tolix dining tables and Replica Tolix chairs create a seamless backdrop for the seafood platters and coconut margaritas adorning them.

 

 

Next time you’re lucky enough to explore, make sure you pop in and experience the great space and menu at Rio’s Bar for yourself. If you’re looking for your own commercial venue fit out, come and visit our friendly staff at our warehouse – Call us now!

Client Profile – Smokey Joes Rubs

Smokey Joe’s Rubs originated in the home kitchen of its passionate owner Joe two years ago. Joe loved preparing healthy food, full of flavour, and wanted all-natural spice mixes to transform his own meals. Like many good businesses, when you see a gap in the market, you create the product yourself!

So, Joe worked with local suppliers to source a vast array of herbs and spices that he personally dries, roasts, grinds and blends to create his award winning range of rubs and loaded salts. Two years in, Smokey Joe’s Rubs has expanded exponentially, and the old home kitchen was no longer cutting the mustard seed. The variety and volume of spices needed a bigger home due to the building clientele and a large selection of IGA supermarkets, butchers and BBQ stores across the country stocking the rubs.

Smokey Joe’s Rubs has now opened a beautiful shopfront with commercial kitchen at the back, in Perth WA, which displays the full range of spices and loaded salts, plus a selection of sauces, dips and glazes.

For his commercial kitchen, Joe came to Brayco to choose good quality, steel storage solutions to maximise the space and continue making the spices in small batches to maintain product integrity. Chrome Wire Shelving was an ideal choice to store the myriad tubs of spices, which are a popular choice for kitchens due to the thick, sturdy steel supporting its four shelves (with the option for additional shelves).

Stainless steel flat benches are loaded up with further tubs of spices and the grinding machinery, perfect for commercial kitchens and ready for grinders to test their strength. Joe also selected some wall-mounted stainless steel shelves, positioned above the benches to keep items handy when working.

Brayco provided its expert advice on how to lay the shelves and benches out to maximise the space and Joe’s selection shows how well these products can support a busy, productive kitchen.

If you’re looking for help with good quality (and value) storage solutions for your commercial kitchen, contact us for a chat. Brayco has seven locations across Australia and New Zealand, stocked to the brim, so we can have products ready for dispatch or pick up within 24 hours of your order.

Epoxy vs Chrome shelving – which is best for you?

Wire shelving units are a visually pleasing and budget friendly option for both businesses and homeowners. Chrome and Epoxy are the most common types of wire shelving units due to their durability, versatility and large load capacity. However, figuring out which option is best suited for you can be confusing. When looking to buy shelving units, it is important to recognise your primary use for the product, and consider, then assess which option is best for you. Here’s few important variables to consider when choosing racking:

• Load capacity – what is going to be stored on the shelf?
• Environment of your space, cold, dry/wet, outside / inside?
• Size /shape of the room – e.g. display, coolroom, garage
• Assembly – can i do it myself?

So what’s the difference?

Chrome Wire Shelving 

Although chrome shelving is usually the slightly more expensive option, it is commonly considered to be the most aesthetically pleasing. This is primarily due to the smooth texture and reflective silver surface. This sleek look is also amplified by the poles sitting within the shelving, creating a streamline appearance. This makes chrome shelving ideal for locations where it will be on display, such as showrooms or retail stores. They are also commonly used in array of commercial environments such as storerooms, kitchens, and offices. Chrome shelving not only looks good, but is incredibly well made and very sturdy. However, it is also important to consider that chrome shelving is only suitable for dry environments where this is no humidity or dampness.

Epoxy Wire Shelving

Epoxy shelving is cheaper and provides a sleek alternative look to chrome shelving. It is also incredibly versatile as it has a temperature range of 0°C to 300°C and can be used in both wet and dry environments. The rubberised coating allows for it to be water resistant, which protects against rust and corrosion. This makes Epoxy perfect for environments that may be wet, damp, humid or those that fluctuate often in temperature. Some common uses for epoxy shelving units include coolrooms, garages, sheds, food storage and warehouses. Epoxy also prevents the buildup of bacteria, ensuring that it is a safe storage option against germs. In conjunction with this, epoxy is resistant to chemical exposure which is important if using a range of chemicals within the food service industry.

What do you need to consider before making a purchase?

LOAD CAPACITY

Both chrome and epoxy shelving have the potential to be strong, but this varies greatly from brand to brand. When shopping for your shelving it is essential to consider the load capacity of each shelf and the thickness of the steel used. It is worth taking the time to compare brands, even if they look the same a closer examination will show a difference in quality.
(We would like to add here that Brayco uses a thicker diameter of steel than most competitors, so they are very sturdy and have a large loading capacity of 150kg per shelf.) As with any shelf unit, it is also necessary to note that it is important to ensure that the weight is distributed evenly across the shelf to avoid excessive stress on your shelf and for safety when used for storage of larger loads.

ENVIRONMENT

For high moisture or cool rooms you will need to choose the epoxy shelving with the rubberised coating. These are idea for garage, coolrooms, even for such locations as a bottle shop storage or wine cellar.
Look for adjustable feet as many floors are uneven and this useful feature will guarantee optimal stability of the shelving.
Looking for a mobile unit? Opt for castors. These create versatility and portability, but your overall load capacity is reduced so consider the use and suitability before choosing to go mobile. Perfect to store table linen, that can to be moved to and from the dining room for a convenient storage/delivery unit. Or use an epoxy unit for pool towels that can be wheeled inside at the end of the day.

LOCATION / SHAPE OF THE ROOM

Are you just looking for one unit, or to fill a whole wall, or even 2 or 3?
This shelving is easily tailored to each customer’s space and needs with the new S hook accessory. Create straight, L or U configurations which allow for no corner posts for more space and better access.Simply hook the S hook onto the end of each shelf and hang the next shelf onto it, no end poles needed. S hooks are available in chrome and epoxy to match each type of shelving.
Add shelf dividers to the end of each bay to keep your load from falling off the end – a handy accessories to look for when choosing your unit.

ASSEMBLY

A distinct advantage of both chrome and epoxy units is the simple assembly. The unique clip design allows a shelf to be located anywhere along the height of the pole, and any number of shelves added.
These best-selling wire shelving kits come complete with everything needed to quickly create extra storage space (4 shelves included). Shelving units can be assembled in minutes.  Add as many shelves as you like!
Simply snap the black clips in position on the uprights, then drop the shelf over the uprights onto the clips and press into place, no tools are required. Your hardest task will be making sure the 4 clips are at the same height so the shelf is level, this is an easy fix by counting the conveniently placed grooves in the poles and ensuring each clip is fixed to the same height.

Brayco has an extensive range of sizes available for both epoxy and chrome from 457 to 1524mm wide in 1800mm height, with extras including castors, extra shelves, s hooks and shelf dividers.

For the full range of Brayco wire shelving including all sizes and pricing, click the link

Cleaning & Disinfection of Stainless Steel For Covid19

For the hospitality sector, Covid19 has added a slew of new controls. As we return to a semblance of normalcy,

Here are a few important points to consider when washing stainless steel to maintain normalcy in our industry.

Cleaning is necessary before disinfecting your stainless steel benches because organic matter and debris will reduce the disinfectant’s ability to destroy germs. The most powerful way to stop the COVID-19 virus from spreading is to use a mixture of both.

Disinfection and cleaning are two distinct processes:

• Cleaning refers to physically scraping germs, soil, and organic matter from the surface.
• Disinfection is the process of killing germs on objects with chemicals.

1. General Cleaning Methods

The most successful day-to-day cleaning system for stainless steel is a mild detergent and hot water.

Remember to clean or scrub the benchtop with the grain to help reduce cracks and scratches.

2. Disinfecting

Stainless steel can only be disinfected with alcohol disinfectants. Alcohol-based disinfecting systems can contain at least 70% alcohol and can be used to scrub a wide range of surfaces, including tabletops, light switches, and cell phones.

When disinfecting surfaces and items that are regularly handled, such as handles and bench sides, extra care should be taken.

Do Not Use Bleach on Stainless Steel

Harsh bleaches can permanently ruin any stainless steel surface.
Where it comes to disinfecting stainless steel products, bleach is frequently used. However, quaternary ammonium compounds and oxygen bleach and quaternary ammonium compounds can stain or corrode the material. Please double-check the product list to make sure chlorine isn’t one of them.

Some General Points to Note

The virus is highly infectious, so it’s crucial to disinfect regularly touched surfaces correctly to prevent it from spreading. Light switches, doorknobs, handrails, kitchen appliances, desks, drawer pulls, sinks, handles, elevator buttons, keys, and remote controls are examples of often touched items that differ by location. Your employees should adhere to all current policies on the use of gloves or other personal protective equipment (PPE). The gloves can be discarded after washing. For best stainless steel benches visit us today.

Useful further reading;
https://www.insider.com/how-to-kill-germs

Download this as a printable PDF here