College caterer gains multiple benefits from Burton firm’s zero-touch wooden cutlery dispenser

Cardiff & Vale College (Coleg Caerdydd a’r Fro) has found success using Burton-based Celebration Packaging’s zero-touch disposable wooden cutlery dispensers.

“We originally trialled the wooden cutlery dispensers in one of our College canteens and the feedback from customers was really positive,” says Anthony Ruston, Head of Department – Catering and Retail Operations, CF10 Retail Ltd, Coleg Caerdydd a’r Fro (Cardiff & Vale College). “Customers really appreciate that the unit keeps the cutlery in a more sanitary condition than just being placed in a traditional cutlery tray.

“We have also found that we were using less cutlery as customers were just taking what they needed and there were less breakages. This trial was a success and the dispensers have been rolled out across all catering sites that we operate.”

Hygiene, convenience and sustainability

Celebration Packaging – located in Stanley Street – recently launched the revolutionary new zero-touch disposable wooden cutlery dispensers and they have been proving extremely popular with catering facilities managers across the UK, as they deliver a perfect combination of hygiene, convenience and sustainability.

“We are proud to have launched the world’s most hygienic zero-touch wooden cutlery dispenser,” says Celebration Packaging Director, David Oates. “For end-users, there are no levers or buttons to press, as they simply pull the cutlery handle from the dispenser. This creates a sanitary dispensing solution, significantly reducing the chance of contamination by bacteria, germs and viruses, which is common with traditional open cutlery trays and pots.

“Meanwhile, operators have absolutely zero contact with the cutlery when filling the dispenser, which totally prevents cross-contamination.”

Preventing wastage and over-consumption

Celebration Packaging’s disposable wooden cutlery dispensers prevent wastage and over-consumption, as customers only pick the items they are going to use, rather than taking – and touching – multiple items. Ideal for self-service areas, takeaway and QSR restaurants, food kiosks, food courts, service stations and stadiums, the unit has a small footprint when placed on counters, or can also be wall or stand mounted.

For operators, the high-quality, robust and aesthetically pleasing dispenser is designed to be easy to maintain as the transparent housing shows the cutlery level, and it is purely mechanical with no power or batteries required.

“These dispensers offer a professional minimalist, modern looking, practical and organised solution, especially when compared to messy and unorganised open cutlery trays or pots, which are often a hot-bed for germs, viruses and bacteria,” says David Oates. “But, perhaps the biggest benefit of these innovative new zero-touch disposable wooden cutlery dispensers is that consumers only touch the handle of the piece of cutlery they are going to use, so this is both a hygienic and a waste-saving solution.”

Easy to use and maintain

To load the hygienically packed factory-sealed cutlery refill pack, simply open the flap, press the red button and pull out the cartridge. The refill pack of knives, forks or spoons can then be placed in the corresponding cartridge, and the tape tab pulled off and the bag removed. Pull the trigger to release the first piece of cutlery, press the red button and push the cartridge back into the dispenser, which is now ready to use. Simple.

Wooden cutlery is 100% natural and is the perfect alternative to the now banned single-use plastic cutlery. The dispensers are easily branded, creating an unmissable opportunity for operators wanting to advertise their brand or announce special promotions or events.

The cutlery dispenser is highly versatile, allowing customers to tailor the unit by selecting any three cartridges to suit their cutlery requirements. They can choose from regular-sized or the newest smaller snack-sized knives, forks, and spoons – or a combination of both sizes. For instance, they may wish to feature a regular size knife and fork, with a smaller snack size spoon, or two of the smaller snack size forks and one regular larger size fork. Customers can build their own dispensers with a widely variable combination of regular and small snack size cutlery in any one dispenser.