Cleveland Biotech's solution to blocked drains saves £thousands
Cleveland Biotech's ground breaking GreaseBeta system has not only saved a London club thousands of pounds in plumbers' fees but also put it in much better odour with its neighbours, which include the likes of the Savoy Hotel.
Situated close to Charing Cross station, Adam Street is a private members club with approximately 1200 members. The main entrance is at street level, but the - very small - kitchen is in the basement, tightly packed with all the usual components including a range, dishwasher, combi oven, etc.
Owner James Minter bought the premises in 1999, unaware that the elegant Victorian façade was masking a totally inelegant problem.
"The building has been in existence for a very long time and, like many others dating from a similar era, suffers from the fact that the Victorian drains were built for Victorian conditions and not the demands of the 21st century kitchen," he says. They are narrow and have a very shallow fall on them, with the result that they 'back up' extremely easily, causing problems at the club in two major areas.
Firstly, the drains tended to back up in the ladies toilets - nice! - and secondly at sub basement level where the drain from the club meets the mains drainage. The latter in particular did not enamour the club with its neighbours as the sub basement area is shared with a number of other businesses and provides direct access to the Savoy Hotel's underground parking lot. "You can imagine how pleased they were to have a sewer overflowing into their lovely car park full of expensive cars," remarks Minter.
As soon as a problem occurred the club had to call in the services of a plumber to clear the blockage at a cost of - depending on the time of day - £300 or £400 a go. "Bearing in mind the problem occurred every six weeks or so you get an idea not only of the inconvenience but also the cost - around £2500-£3000 per year," Minter points out.
Luckily for him, however, he has kept in touch with Ben Hoskyns, Managing Director of Cleveland Biotech, since the pair were at university together and when the subject came up recently Hoskyns was able to offer the perfect solution.
At the heart of the GreaseBeta system is Amnite L100, a liquid, biological product that rapidly degrades fat, oil and grease (FOG), converting them into environmentally harmless compounds. Unlike chemical alternatives, Amnite L100 does not merely 'move' the problem elsewhere: it eliminates it altogether. It is odourless, does not contain any pathogens and is made from non-toxic ingredients, making it safe to use in a catering environment.
The GreaseBeta liquid fat digester is dispensed via a wall mounted unit; automatic daily dosing eliminates human error and ensures the optimum level of lipase producing bacteria are maintained in the drain line. The system avoids frequent emptying of fat traps, disruptions to the kitchen from blocked drains, lost business due to offensive smells, emergency rodding and damage from flooding resulting from blockages. Benefits include free running drains; controlled costs; and the satisfaction of using an environmentally friendly response to a pollution problem.
Says Minter, "The beauty of the system is that Cleveland Biotech just come along every month, check the system, replenish the supply of liquid and go away again. We don't have to monitor the product or contact them; they just turn up and take care of it. We spend about £70 per month on the GreaseBeta system, saving us around £2000 per year - and we no longer incur the wrath of our neighbours!"
For further information and expert advice on FOG management contact Cleveland Biotech on 01642 606606.
