Precision cooling from Coolmation - the cooling specialist for the food processing sector - is giving rise to premium grade bread manufacture at the nation’s favourite bakery, Warburtons. The Lancashire-based company now has an energy efficient cooling system for its dough making operations designed, supplied and installed by Coolmation to meet the ever increasing requirements of its Bolton site.
Firmly established as one of the top ten leading consumer grocery brands in the UK, Warburtons is the country’s largest independent baking business, producing over two million bakery products every day from eleven bakeries nation-wide. As part of their ongoing commitment to improving baking technology and as an essential element of the bread production process, Warburton’s required an accurate and reliable cooling solution, capable of delivering a consistent supply of chilled water to each of the three bread mixing plants on site.
“The ability to accurately control the pace at which dough rises is vital to successful bread manufacture. The supply of water into the process at the correct temperature and quantity is key to controlling the dispersal of the ingredients and the activation of the yeast” explains Warburton’s Chief Engineer, Russell Jackson. “We knew of Coolmation’s experience in food process cooling applications and briefed them accordingly. They came up with a cost-effective cooled water solution that met our requirements exactly”.
Coolmation have supplied one 160kW high efficiency air-cooled chiller for the Warburton’s site which supplies the bread plants with chilled water – one of their key ingredients - at a temperature of 2°C and at a rate of 4 tonnes per hour. Chilled water is fed into the mixing process via a sophisticated control system, programmed to mix ambient, chilled and hot water, in varying ratios as necessary, in order to achieve the optimum water temperature required for controlled dough production.
“Coolmation have provided excellent, all round value on this project,” added Russell Jackson. “We are delighted with the way the system is working. Having a reliable and consistent chilled water supply has significantly improved the quality and crumb index of our bread - controlled in this way the dough develops into a premium quality loaf”.
The installation of the Coolmation system represents a notable departure for Warburton’s who traditionally sought expensive and energy intensive purpose built solutions to their cooling needs. Coolmation were able to offer a more economical approach, with a standard package engineered to meet their unique requirements. Coolmation carried out the supply and installation of all pipework and associated equipment and components for the project at the Warburton’s site.
Coolmation provides a fully comprehensive, solutions-based approach for food manufacturers keen to improve production quality, yields and business profitability. All Coolmation equipment is designed for high reliability and manufactured to internationally recognised quality standards. With offices in Lancashire, Leicestershire and a Head Office in Ringwood, Hampshire, Coolmation operates nationwide in equipment sales, supply and technical advice.
