LVDI Marriott Shanghai

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011 

FAGOR PEOPLE 

Interview with Nadeem Abdul Wahed, Fagor 

Industrial’s Middle East Branch Manager. 

“ 

Kepa Bedialauneta 

Managing Director, Fagor Industrial 

We are well aware of the capability of 

our R + D department, and we have 

full confidence in their talent. 

Continued on page 2 

” 

FAGOR FOCUS 

LVDI 

Marriott Shanghai

FAGORNEWS 2011 

2 

EDITORIAL 

SUMMARY 

Kepa 

Bedialauneta 

Managing Director, 

Fagor Industrial 

2011: setting the pace 

on the path to success 

The New Year’s not such a recent memory 

any more, but we’d like to give it 

some thought right now, as traditionally 

it’s a time of year when we stop and think 

about what we’ve achieved over the last 

365 days and make our new year’s resolutions, 

giving some thought to the mistakes 

we’ve made and setting our goals 

for the coming year. 

But at Fagor Industrial, when we sat 

down to do that we couldn’t find any new 

goals to set ourselves... except for continuing 

on the path we followed in 2010. 

Everyone’s aware of the tough financial 

situation in Spain and abroad, but in 

spite of that we have continued with our 

WHAT´S NEWS AT FAGOR 4 

OF INTEREST 20 

FAGOR FOCuS 25 

FAGOR PEOPLE 30 

expansion policy, increasing our presence in 

other countries, and successfully carried out 

projects that have been a turning point for 

us, both for their dimension and their emblematic 

nature, which has made them an 

excellent form of international presentation 

for us. 

We are very pleased to see Fagor Industrial’s 

name directly linked with high-prestige projects 

such as fitting out the first Michelin starwinning 

London pub, or equipping one of 

Shanghai’s top luxury hotels, which is set to 

open in a few months’ time. We’re also pleased 

with the excellent work done by many 

of our offices abroad, developing major projects 

and extending our presence to new 

areas, showing that the best way to confront 

the economic crisis is to rely on quality and 

acknowledged hard work. 

TOGETHER WE EVOLVE 

This hard work has been constant, in fact, 

and so have our efforts to ensure it is acknowledged: 

in Autumn we made another 

advancement in the washing area with the 

launch of our new range of washer extractors, 

and at the same time we have been 

sure to attend the major sector trade fairs 

“We are well aware of the capability of 

our R+D department, and we have full 

confidence in their talent.” 

such as Hostelco or Expodetergo, to give 

customers, partners and any interested 

professionals the chance to discover the 

advantages of our products first-hand. And, 

closer to home, we have had the pleasure of 

sponsoring and supplying the equipment for 

the San Sebastián Gastronomika Congress, 

where our products were tried and tested by 

the world’s most demanding chefs. 

All this was made possible by our total confidence 

in the quality of all our product areas, 

and because we are well aware of the ca-


pability of our R+D department and have 

full trust in their talent for competing on the 

highly competitive restaurant, hospitality and 

group catering market. Companies who do 

not look to the future or who are content to 

just sit on their laurels are the companies 

most likely to stagnate. The work done at 

our laboratories and showrooms is vital in 

keeping Fagor Industrial at the forefront, and 

so in 2010 we increased their number and 

capacity, and we intend to continue in this 

line throughout the forthcoming year. 

All in all, this issue of Fagor News is a good 

opportunity for us to announce our intention 

of continuing not just to grow, but also 

to make sure that this growth does not go 

unnoticed. We therefore intend to continue 

to launch new product ranges that are at 

the forefront as regards performance and 

technology with respect to our competitors. 

Which is another good reason for continuing 

to trust in the work of our offices in other 

areas in order to be backed by products 

and service of proven quality, for offering 

all-round solutions for equipment provision, 

and for continuing to extend the business 

unit and Fagor Industrial’s prestige and reputation 

in Spain and the rest of the world. 

TOGETHER WE EVOLVE


4 

NEWS 

NEW ACCESSORIES FOR OUR RANGE OF OVENS 

To really make the most of the cooking potential 

of our range of ovens, Fagor Industrial 

has launched a full new range of accessories 

that will give users the benefit of more versatile 

cooking, ensuring they always obtain top 

quality final results. 

The range of grills has been extended with 

a new series of grill and multigrill models for 

grilling and browning meat, fish or vegetables, 

made of cast aluminium and designed 

for uniform cooking, with grill lines as desired, 

without burning the food. The multigrill 

can also be used for pizzas and other items, 

and the special rib grills have a larger capacity 

than the previous models and can also be 

used for grilling fish. The range also includes 

a specific stainless steel wire chicken grill, 

for even cooking of up to 8 whole chickens 

in vertical position. 

The new stainless steel trays for chips and 

frying also have a new feature: no oil is required 

to obtain a perfect fry, so cooking is 

healthier and saves money. We also offer a 

tray for eggs, omelettes and pancakes, with 

6 or 12 compartments, made of aluminium 

with a non-stick surface coating, and new 

bread and cake-making trays that improve 

heat transmission, including a special model 

with baguette moulds. 


Our granite enamelled steel Gastronorm containers 

have a rectangular design allowing 

the food to be easily divided into portions, 

for cooking dishes such as lasagne. 

The range of accessories is rounded off with 

a new series of extractor hoods, specially 

designed for the 061 and 101 electric ovens 

and ideal for any type of business that involves 

cooking in front of customers and with 

lower installation costs than for any other 

model of fume extractor. The condensation 

hood version also works as a power recovery 

system, making it more economical and 

saving on power. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011




ADVANCE, THE NEW RANGE OF INDUSTRIAL COOLING SYSTEMS 

Fagor Industrial has increased its range of 

industrial cooling systems with the launch of 

the new ADVANCE range, a line of Gastronorm 

cabinets that stand out for their high 

power savings. The new range is also specially 

designed to obtain maximum storage 

capacity in a compact size. 

Energy efficiency and excellent hygiene are 

the main features of this range of industrial 

cooling cabinets. Energy efficiency is obtained 

by using new cooling system technologies 

that enable a 15% reduction in consumption 

compared to similar models in the 

CONCEPT range, without any loss of performance. 

They are also equipped with the new 

ECO function, which increases their saving 

capacity by an additional 12%. Heat insulation 

has been improved with the inclusion of 

a 60 mm layer of injected polyurethane, and 

both this insulation and the R-404 coolant 

are completely CFC-free, making ADVANCE 

a totally environment-friendly product, even 

more so if we take into account the 99% 

recyclable materials the products are made 

from and the LED interior lighting, which also 

saves on electricity. 

Cleaning is made much easier thanks to the 

built-in base with curved radii, built-in outer 

guides and easy pull-out shackles, and for 

optimum hygiene the new range also has an 

evaporator outside the chamber, which does 

not make contact with the food. 

The access door to the refrigerator unit of 

these cabinets is of the lift-up type and is 

located at the rear of the models, all of which 

have a hermetic compressor with ventilated 

condenser and evaporator placed outside 

the chamber to increase storage space. The 

interior and exterior are made of austenitic 

stainless steel with 7% nickel in its composition, 

providing better corrosion resistance. 

The ADVANCE range has electronic temperature 

and defrost control, shown on a digital 

indicator display. This range can work at 

100% efficiency at room temperatures of up 

to 43º C. 

5


FAGOR INDUSTRIAL 

SPONSORS THE 2010 

SAN SEBASTIÁN 

GASTRONOMIKA 

CONGRESS 

6 


SAN SEBASTIÁN 

The international San Sebastián Gastronomika 

Euskadi Saboréala Congress, held at 

the Kursaal Palace in San Sebastián, was an 

unprecedented success in several aspects, 

both for the organisers - the congress ended 

with record figures for attendance and 

participation - and for Fagor Industrial, as 

this year we had the honour and the responsibility 

of being sponsors of the event. 

In addition to having our own stand, Fagor 

Industrial’s sponsorship included supplying 

all the equipment used in the different areas 

and utility rooms, a task made easy thanks 

to the efficient management of our distributor 

Hosfrinor. And we knew we had to rise to the 

occasion: the 2010 San Sebastián Gastronomika 

was attended by the most important 

chefs on the national and international cuisine 

scenario, and the programme also included 

the Euskadi Saboréala alternative, which 

gave participants the chance to touch, smell 

and taste the dishes prepared by these topclass 

professionals, who hold 49 Michelin 

Stars and 51 Repsol Suns between them, 

plus another three suns that were won during 

the Congress by chefs Sergi Arola and 

Paco Roncero. 

In the words of Peio Bengoetxea, Fagor 

Industrial’s Marketing Manager, “there is probably 

no better framework for testing out the 

quality of our service than submitting it to the 

pressure of a culinary event of this dimension, 

in the hands of professionals who are 

only content with the very best”. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011



Intensive promotion 

Our stand, with a surface area of 18 sqm 

and located in the “Market” space, was the 

epicentre for all the different types of communication 

activity. All the visitors asking for 

information at the stand took part in a prize 

draw for a meal at the Arzak restaurant, 

and a special edition of our magazine Fagor 

News was brought out with a print run of 

2000 issues, half of which were given to the 

congress participants and the other half to 

visitors. 

We were also involved in publicising the 

Congress, including an interview with Roser 

Torras, the director of San Sebastián Gastronomika, 

in our blog. She told us some of 


the secrets that have made this congress 

unique: “Most events only focus on cuisine 

itself, but San Sebastian Gastronomika 

takes in all the other sectors too: cuisine is 

certainly is a fundamental part of the event, 

with the Alta Gastronomika section being attended 

by the best Spanish and international 

chefs, but the parallel congress “Off Gastronomika” 

also brings together reference figures 

from the world of restaurants and wine, 

grill houses, hotels and culinary tourism”, she 

told us. She added that she considers Fagor 

Industrial’s collaboration “invaluable” for the 

congress, as “you’re a real reference point in 

every kitchen”. 

7


A high turnout and a host of activities 

As expected, the crowds flocked to the 

event, with an official count of 12,000 professionals 

attending San Sebastián Gastronomika 

on 22, 23 and 24 November, including 

1,250 conference participants, 300 

speakers, 1,100 accredited exhibitors and 

over 400 journalists, in addition to the 600 

people who came to the Gastronomika “Jornada 

Popular” on Sunday 21st. An obligatory 

stop-off point for many was Fagor Industrial’s 

stand, where they were able to find out firsthand 

about all the advantages of the kitchen 

equipment being used at that very moment 

by the chefs at the Fair’s practical demonstrations. 

8 

And there was certainly plenty of show cooking 

on offer throughout the congress, along 

with three competitions that drew the attention 

of many visitors: the Official Competition 

to find Spain’s Best Sommelier 2010, the 1st 

“Jordi Estadella” International Gin and Tonic 

Contest, and the 1st National Grill Competition. 

San Sebastián Gastronomika’s events 

reached a high point at the end of the last 

day, when nine of the attending chefs - all 

belonging to the new generation of Spanish 

culinary creators - held a live banquet on an 

8-metre long table, offering their creations to 

the participants, who didn’t even have to get 

out of their chairs to sample the delicacies. 


All in all, the congress may have been tiring 

but it was a highly satisfactory experience 

for us, as we were able to demonstrate the 

quality of our equipment not only to all the 

professionals visiting our stand but also to 

the world’s most demanding master chefs. 

As Peio Bengoetxea explained, “this was a 

unmissable event for us, a top-class culinary 

encounter. The huge number of exhibitors 

and brands participating make it a prime 

objective for hostelry sector professionals”. 

Well, we can get some well-earned rest 

now... as we prepare for next year’s congress. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011


LUCENA 



NEW INDUSTRIAL COOLING SYSTEM TESTING AND CERTIFICATION 

LABORATORY OPENED IN LUCENA 

Fagor Industrial’s group of purpose-built laboratories 

in Lucena (Córdoba) has recently 

extended its working scope and capacity 

with the start-up of a new installation specialising 

in the testing and certification of industrial 

cooling units. This new laboratory, which 

began functioning on 11 June 2010, follows 

on from the previous testing environment, 

and has now begun its activity with a staff of 

four technicians, carrying out testing for the 

new Advance range and the Green range for 

Coreco Industrial. 

In the words of Manuel López, the manager 

of the new laboratory, it represents “the spirit 

of renewal that characterises our brand 

made a reality: these new state-of-the-art 

facilities were designed with the most selfdemanding 

sense of efficiency so that any 

refrigerator unit can be tested and certified 

under truly extreme temperature and humidi- 

ty conditions, adapting our production to the 

optimum operating ranges for any climate in 

the world”. 

Testing is performed on aspects such as 

temperature, electrical consumption, door 

opening, tolerance, noise emission, durability 

of materials or traction resistance. 

This rigorous nature of the testing was acknowledged 

when the previous lab became 

the third laboratory in the world to obtain laboratory 

certification for the Pepsico Group. 

“That meant we went from being a company 

whose products are certified to a company 

certifying the products ourselves, on an international 

level”, Manuel López says, adding 

that the previous laboratory’s work had already 

been rewarded in 2005 when they became 

the Spanish pioneers in UL and NSF 

standard certification of their products for 

the American and Canadian market. “Since 

those early days, products have been certified 

year after year for different markets and 

customers in line with data from other labs”. 

Re-certification in 2009 confirmed the high 

quality of the testing carried out at these installations. 

The Lucena facilities will be extended in the 

future with the start-up of another two analysis 

units, making a total of six rooms with 

all the necessary equipment for recreating 

extreme climatic conditions, and a room 

for measuring noise level, which will help 

minimise the noise pollution caused by all 

the product ranges. “The technology effort 

we are making has one single purpose: to 

provide our customers with the very best 

products, safe in the knowledge that they 

will have no difficulty in exceeding even the 

toughest market requirements”, declares 

Manuel López. 

9


PRESENTATION OF OUR LATEST INDUSTRIAL 

LAUNDRY DEVELOPMENTS AT HOSTELCO 

For yet another year, Fira de Barcelona was 

the venue for the International Hotel, Restaurant 

and Group Catering Equipment Trade 

Fair - Hostelco - an undisputed reference 

event for this sector. And for another year 

Fagor Industrial attended the exhibition, presenting 

new products that included the LR 

range of fast spin washer extractors for the 

self-service sector and the LA range of highperformance 

washer extractors in the Expolimp 

section of the Fair, which specialises in 

industrial cleaning. 

The new LR Range models have quickly 

become one of our star products, with their 

innovative extra-fast 200G spin speed, 25% 

higher than that of other similar models on 

the market. Visitors to Hostelco were able 

to view all the new models in this range of 

appliances designed for the self-service 

sector, with capacities of 10, 13, 18 and 25 

kg, along with the models LR-10 and LR-18, 

with specific coin-op function. 

10 


BARCELONA 

The LA Range of high-spin washer extractors 

also rose to the occasion, drawing visitors’ 

attention with their ability to combine 

high performance with low water and power 

consumption, two factors guaranteeing 

quick investment recovery. These qualities 

are common to all the models in the range 

presented at Hostelco, with capacities of 10, 

13, 18, 25, 60 and 120 kg, in addition to model 

LA-13, designed for the self-service sector 

and also available in 10, 13, 18 and 25 kg 

capacities, which includes a kit for coin slot, 

central payment unit or charge card. Many 

visitors to the stand also noticed the stylish 

new appearance and design of this range, 

with more robust units and easier repair and 

maintenance. 

The washer extractors on offer were rounded 

off with our sanitary barrier range. We 

presented a 16 kg capacity model from a 

range also including 22, 27, 33, 49, 67 and 

100 kg versions and which has been highly 

successful in hospitals and health centres 

as a result of its optimum sterilising capacity, 

preventing germs and infectious agents from 

spreading with its double door system. 

The drying and ironing range was also wellrepresented, 

with the presentation of the 

13 and 40 kg capacity SR Range tumble 

dryers, the PSE-35 roller dryer/ironer and 

the PSG-80/320 model, designed to work 

in a compact space and with an output of 

up to 180 kg/hour, while requiring very little 

manpower for large-sized items like sheets 

or tablecloths. 

This all-round offer was one of the factors 

that guaranteed us total success at the latest 

Hostelco Fair. The other factor, as in previous 

years, was the excellent work put in by all our 

colleagues in setting up the stand, presenting 

the products and attending to visitors, 

partners and the media. It was hard work, 

but we gained much satisfaction from being 

able to stand out with our products at one of 

Spain’s most important trade fairs. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011


OUR 2.0 STRATEGY, 

FINALIST FOR THE 

2010 EUROPEAN 

EXCELLENCE 

AWARDS 

The Internet communication strategy developed 

by Fagor Industrial was a finalist in the 

Social Media category of the European Excellence 

Awards, Europe’s most prestigious 

communication awards. The prize-giving ceremony 

for these awards, which acknowledge 

the best international achievements in the 

communication and public relations sphere, 

was held in Prague in December. 

ALMOST 7 MILLION 

EUROS RECEIVED IN 

R+D DEPARTMENT 

SUBSIDIES 

Fagor Industrial has always considered an 

active research and development policy to 

be vital for any technology company wishing 

to grow and provide optimum quality standards 

in today’s increasingly competitive 

world. The work of our R+D department has 

always been one of our main assets in finding 

the solutions that have placed us at the 

forefront of our sector. 


The five shortlisted projects were selected 

by the jury from a total of 1,450 presented in 

this category. Fagor Industrial’s entry, entitled 

A Recipe for Social Media Success, focused 

on projection of the brand in the different Internet 

channels with the creation of a corporate 

blog and a Twitter channel that has succeeded 

in bringing together a community of 

nearly 800 enthusiasts in under a year, in- 

This talent for keeping at the cutting edge 

has enabled the company to receive almost 

seven million euros in subsidies for the 

projects it has presented to various public 

tenders for encouraging innovation in research 

and development, energy efficiency 

and business competitiveness. They include 

the New Single Systems Platform for 

the Fagor Industrial Group, which received 

over two million euros from the Ministry of 

Industry, Tourism and Trade’s Avanza 2009 

R + D Sub-Programme, or the High Energy 

Efficiency and Low Consumption Industrial 

Dishwashing Projects and the New Line of 

Industrial Ovens with their own Electronic 

System, which obtained over 600,000 and 

870,000 euros respectively in the form of 

loans and subsidies as a result of the call 

by the CDTI (Centre for the Development 

of Industrial Technology) for Research and 

Development Projects. Another project, for 


cluding sector professionals, chefs, culinary 

and catering bloggers and the media. In the 

words of Peio Bengoetxea, Fagor Industrial’s 

Marketing Manager, “having reached the finalist 

stage when we were up against top 

international campaigns is the best proof that 

we have exceeded all our expectations”. 

http://www.fagorindustrial.com/blog/ 

http://twitter.com/FagorIndustrial 

developing Versatile and Efficient Small-Sized 

Industrial Ovens, has benefited from a 

subsidy of almost 500,000 euros from the 

call by the Technology Fund of the National 

Inter-Company Cooperation (CIE). 

In addition to these we would also mention 

the projects for Compressor Replacement, 

New High Load Capacity Programmable 

Industrial Washer Extractors, the New Electronic 

Pan Washer with Water Spray Technology 

and the Development of Industrial 

Induction and Vitro-Ceramic Cookers, which 

have obtained aid in the form of loans and 

subsidies as a result of several calls connected 

with the development of innovation and 

energy efficiency projects. In short, outstanding 

work by a department whose in-house 

efforts have produced results essential for 

our image with respect to our partners and 

customers. 

11


CANARY ISLANDS 

FAGOR INDUSTRIAL’S CANARY ISLAND BRANCH EQUIPS 

THE GENERAL ALEMÁN RAMÍREZ BARRACKS 

12 

Fagor Industrial’s branch in the Canary Islands 

has totally fitted out the kitchens of 

the “Base General Alemán Ramírez” military 

barracks in La Isleta peninsula, Gran Canaria 

island. The project was embarked on after 

signing a contract with the company Acciona 

Infraestructuras and consisted of equipping 

a kitchen to cater for 1,500 people. In 

addition to the standard kitchen installations, 

it also had to include a refrigerated and neutral 

storage area, food preparation halls, a 

dishwashing area, a self-service area for 

officers and another for soldiers, plus a third 

self-service area for the VIP dining room and 

a soldiers’ social centre. 

The installation took a total of three months 

and was carried out under constant su- 


pervision from the Fagor Industrial projects 

department in Las Palmas, which visited 

the works at least once a week to check 

it was progressing as required. The results 

amply fulfilled the client’s requirements, with 

all the elements integrated in comfortable, 

spacious areas, in the case of both the interior 

zones - kitchen, washing area and 

workrooms - and the dining areas. 

As this was a single-floor installation, the only 

complications were those connected with 

installing the heaviest items in the building 

- the dishwashers, blast chiller and cooking 

units - although the problem was quickly solved 

thanks to the collaboration of the whole 

works team of the company Acciona. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011




13


14 

U.K. 


EQUIPS THE FIRST 

UK PUB TO WIN A 

MICHELIN STAR 

Set in the heart of London’s Fulham district, 

the Harwood Arms is the first-ever English 

pub to boast a Michelin Star, won for providing 

Londoners with a relaxed atmosphere 

for enjoying the finest British food, accompanied 

by excellent beer and wine at a great 

price. The man behind its success is Stephen 

Williams, former chef at the famous Ledbury 

restaurant. Proof of his talent is in the 

fact that in addition to the Michelin star, the 

Harwood Arms has also received awards including 

the Menu of the Year and the Diner’s 

Choice from the online restaurant reservation 

portal Open Table. 

COMMERCIAL 

CATERING SPARES 

TO STOCK SPARES 

FOR UK AND 

IRELAND 

HUGALL SERVICES, 

NEW PARTNER IN 

THE UK 

Part of the Harwood Arms’ success is thanks 

to its collaboration with Fagor Industrial UK, 

who took charge of installing all the kitchen 

equipment together with their service partner 

Hugall Services. It was not an easy task, as 

all the equipment had to be lifted in through 

the first-floor kitchen window. 

The chef Stephen Williams is deservedly 

famous for being not only talented but also 

highly demanding, which means he always 

insists on the top quality of the ingredients 

he uses. The equipment supplied by Fagor 

Industrial includes the 700 range of cookers, 

with high-power burners and an SG-70 sa- 

Fagor Industrial UK has signed a contract 

with Commercial Catering Spares, a company 

specialising in spares distribution for 

the catering sector, for the stocking and distribution 

of its catering equipment spares. 

This agreement will enable Fagor Industrial 

UK to concentrate its efforts on backing the 

distributor network for the sale of commer- 

Fagor Industrial has recently joined forces 

with a top-class ally in the UK: Hugall Services, 

a specialist maintenance and repair 

company with a staff of 28 technicians in the 

UK and numerous contracts with different 

Technical Services firms in the areas where 

it does not have its own technicians. 


lamander grill, along with one of our most 

recent launches, the Visual Plus Oven, with 

its four cooking methods (steam, adjustable 

steam, regeneration and convection), plus 

an auto reverse fan for balanced cooking, 

a HACCP recording system and five selfcleaning 

programmes. 

Fagor Industrial’s collaboration with the 

Harwood Arms adds another Michelin starwinning 

restaurant to its customer portfolio, 

after having contributed to the reconstruction 

of Andoni Luis Aduriz’s star establishment 

Mugaritz. 

cial equipment and increasing its after-sales 

service. Commercial Catering Spares, a 

company with almost 15 years of recognised 

experience in the sector, plans to initially 

store spares to cover 80% of the demand 

for Fagor parts at its recently opened base 

in Heywood. 

With over 25 years’ experience, Hugall Services 

offers a 48 hour repair service and major 

investment in stocks of Fagor equipment 

spares. The alliance of these two firms on 

the UK market is a reference point for high 

performance and potential growth. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011




DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 


EQUIPS THE 

BRAZILIAN ARMY 

BASE IN HAITI 

Fagor Industrial’s branch in the Dominican 

Republic has signed a contract to fit out the 

kitchens at the Brazilian Army camp in Haiti 

as part of the United Nations Stabilisation 

Mission (MINUSTAH). The Mission, set up by 

the UN Security Council in 2004, was created 

with the aim of ensuring a safe, stable 

environment for developing the political process 

and strengthening the country’s Government 

institutions. 

The devastating earthquake that struck Haiti 

on 12 January 2010 led to the UN increasing 

the MINUSTAH force in order to support reconstruction 

work. On arriving in Haiti and 

on discovering that they would be staying in 

the country much longer than originally expected, 

the Brazilian army forces looked for 

a supplier to improve their kitchen facilities. 

A tender was launched and the supply was 

allocated to Fagor Industrial, who had bid 

against several American competitors. The 

equipment provided consisted of 4 cooking 

units, 2 tilting bratt pans, 3 cookers, 4 frytops, 

a dishwasher and a VPE-202 oven. 

The contract was signed in November, and 

the equipment arrived in Santo Domingo in 

early January, to be later sent on to Haiti. 

15


FAGOR INDUSTRIAL INAUGURATES A NEW 

SHOWROOM IN POLAND 

16 

Fagor Industrial Poland increases its customer 

service capacity and number of partners 

thanks to the inauguration of a new 

showroom in its Palmiri facilities, which will 

provide the perfect setting to demonstrate 

the capacities of our cooking equipment. 

This showroom is large enough for 30 guests 

and is equipped with the latest cooking technologies 

designed by Fagor Industrial: two 

ovens –Visual and Visual Plus-, a hooded 

dishwasher and a refrigerated cabinet on the 

back wall. It also has two grills and a cooktop 

in the front, hidden behind a small dividing 

section made of wood and steel. 

FAGOR INDUSTRIAL TO EQUIP THE ELBLAG 

TECHNICAL SCHOOL OF CATERING 

Fagor Industrial Poland signed an agreement 

to equip the Elblag Technical School 

of Catering, including cooking, refrigeration, 

dishwashing and laundry equipment. The 

school, which belongs to the Elblag Secondary 

School of Commerce, boasts 50 years 

of tradition training chefs and waiters and recently 

received a subsidy from the European 

Regional Development Fund for its expansion 

and modernisation. 


POLAND 

The cooking shows will be recorded by two 

rotating cameras for exceptional presentation 

of all the processes, transmitting the images 

to two 50-inch screens. The showroom 

offers the option of installing a projector, 

for presentations focused on more technical 

aspects that require the use of images, 

and video images can also be transmitted 

through a laptop computer to the screens 

and projector. The audio signal is transmitted 

via computer, through two independent 

microphones. A combination of utility and 

state-of-the-art technology that will be used 

to increase Fagor Industrial’s presence in this 

country, while increasing the level of satisfaction 

of our partners. 

The agreement with Fagor Industrial includes 

the installation of 600 and 700 series cooking 

equipment; Visual, Visual Plus and HGV 

ovens; refrigeration cabinets and dishwashing 

machines for the main kitchen; three 

kitchen classrooms, a dessert classroom, 

a customer service classroom, two cafeterias 

and a laundry department. This important 

project was completed to the client’s full 

satisfaction, and represents an exceptional 

letter of recommendation for Polish professionals. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011


EQUIPMENT FOR ONE 

OF THE EURO CUP 

STADIUMS 


EQUIPS 85 

UNIVERSITY 

RESIDENCE 

CANTEENS IN 

ALGERIA 


Fagor Industrial Poland was chosen as the 

supplier for all the kitchen and refrigeration 

equipment for one of the new stadiums being 

built to house the UEFA Euro Cup in 2012. 

ALGERIA 

Fagor Industrial has significantly increased 

its presence in Algeria after winning an international 

tender that attracted bids from the 

main sector companies, and being chosen 

to supply and install the equipment for 85 

canteens in university halls of residence. The 

call was made by the Office National des 

Oeuvres Universitaires, it is funded with 8.5 

million euros and it includes the installation 


The agreement includes 280 pieces of equipment 

for 23 hot and cold food preparation 

stations, to provide services for the 44,000 

fans expected to attend each game. 

of cookers, ovens, conveyor dishwashers, 

washer extractors and tumble dryers, in 

addition to frying pans, cooking units, ovens 

and all their accessories. 

This assignment brings the number of university 

restaurant establishments equipped 

by Fagor Industrial in Algeria to more than 

300 since they began to work in this country 

in 1992. 

17


COLOMBIA 


COLOMBIA EQUIPS 

METAPETROLEUM 

AND OPENS A NEW 

OFFICE IN BOGOTÁ 

18 

Fagor Industrial Colombia has signed a contract 

with Pacific Rubiales Energy for equipping 

the kitchen installations of the oil company 

Ecopetrol. The facilities will consist of 

two central kitchens for preparing the meals 

for a staff of 6,000 - 7,000 workers, who will 

use two central canteens plus another three 

satellite establishments. 

The agreement includes the installation of 

11 Visual range ovens – 7 models from the 

202 series and 4 from the 101 series – in 

addition to six 200-litre cooking units, nine 

150-litre tilting bratt pans and two modu- 


lar ice-making machines with a production 

capacity of 300 kilos per day. This equipment 

is complemented by 13 portable trolley 

units for hot dishes and 6 for cold dishes, 

and 26 refrigerator cabinet units of different 

capacities. As regards dishwashers, Fagor 

Industrial has supplied six FI 120 dishwasher 

units, each with a washing capacity of 1,200 

plates per hour. 

Our Colombia office has also changed its location 

in Bogotá. The new offices are more 

centrally based and will therefore be more 

accessible for customers. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011


MEXICO 


MEXICO EQUIPS 

THE CULINARY ART 

SCHOOL 


In December, our Miami office was awarded 

the Honorary Key to Miami Dade County at 

a ceremony held at the JW Marriott Marquis 

Miami Hotel and attended by Carlos Álvarez, 

the County Mayor, Mario F. Buisán, the Trade 

Commissioner for Spain, member of the 

Miami Dade County Committee and Sergio 

López de Arcaute, Fagor Comercial’s President 

in Miami. 


MIAMI 

FAGOR INDUSTRIAL RECEIVES THE MIAMI 

DADE COUNTY KEY 

Fagor Industrial’s Mexican branch is contributing 

to training new culinary professionals 

by fitting out the Culinary Art School, one of 

the most prestigious schools of haute cuisine 

in the country, based in Tijuana (Baja California), 

opened seven years ago and which 

has already issued degrees to nine intakes 

of students. The School has been refurbished 

and is now totally fitted out with Fagor 

Industrial products, supplied through our 

distributor company Cocinas Institucionales. 

The key-giving ceremony is an event held 

annually by the Beacon Council, Miami Dade 

County’s official investment promotion body. 

Fagor Industrial was chosen to receive the 

award in acknowledgement of its growth 

strategy, job generation and investment in 

the city. 

The Culinary Art School is the Mexican equivalent 

of London’s Wine and Spirit Education 

Trust (WSET), specialists in wine training. 

Both organisations share an avant-garde 

vision and use state-of-the-art technology 

in their application and development workshops, 

which is one of the reasons why the 

Culinary Art School chose Fagor Industrial to 

supply its equipment, concerned to tastefully 

integrate its cooking installations with the 

building’s architectural characteristics. 

19


20 

OF 

INTEREST 

THE NON-SMOKING 

LAW AND ITS 

EFFECTS ON THE 

CATERING SECTOR 

Law 42/2010, amending Law 28/2005 concerning 

health measures against smoking, 

was passed on January 1 this year. More 

commonly known as the Non-Smoking Law 

or Anti-Smoking Law, it has had a major repercussion 

on many aspects of society, particularly 

the restaurants and catering sector, 

which is considered one of the areas most 

affected by the new measures. 

There are two basic reasons for concern 

among caterers and restaurant owners: 

one is the anticipated downturn in business 

caused by the total ban on smoking 

in bars and restaurants, as it means diners 

spend less time on the premises, speeding 

up consumption of desserts and aperitifs, 

while before the ban smokers stayed longer 

in the restaurants. The other reason is the 

investment that had to be made under the 

previous Law, when establishment owners 

could create separate areas for smokers and 


non-smokers on the premises. Screens and 

partitions were installed, which five years on, 

are of no further use. 

Contradictory figures 

As the debate rages on whether establishment 

owners should disobey the law or 

whether it is unconstitutional, the restaurant 

and catering sector, with the exception of a 

few isolated challengers, has been forced to 

place a total ban on smoking in all its establishments, 

with heavy fines being imposed 

on those who fail to observe the law. News 

features, studies and collective notices have 

proliferated in the online and offline media, 

but one particularly noteworthy study is a 

survey conducted in January by the Spanish 

Federation of Self-Employed Workers 

(ATA), “Smoking and the Restaurant and 

Catering Sector”, which yielded devastating 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011


results: 65% of interviewees from the sector 

said business had declined as a result of the 

law, and more than a quarter complained 

of loss of investment after having installed 

special areas for smokers in their establishments. 

55.1% were even considering having 

to dismiss staff as a result of the slump in 

business. 

Not all the replies were negative, however: 

26.4% of those interviewed did not consider 

the enforcement of the Law to have affected 

their business, and 33.4% had not noticed 

any drop in the number of customers. Moreover, 

28.8% answered affirmatively when 

asked whether the non-smoking law could 

be beneficial for their business in the longterm. 

Bearing in mind that this survey was 

conducted within a fortnight of the law being 

passed, it may be necessary to collect the 


data again when a few months have gone by 

to determine the real extent of the change. 

The situation in other countries 

Spain is by no means the first country to take 

measures for curbing the smoking habit. Perhaps 

what the country most criticises about 

the law is that the most restrictive measures 

have been directly adopted, and sooner 

or later these will extend to all the countries 

in the European Union. France, Italy, Finland, 

Germany and Estonia are some of 

the countries that have already enforced or 

are currently drawing up similar restrictions 

to Spain, and in non-EU countries such as 

Canada, the USA, Singapore or Australia, 

smoking has been subject to prohibitions 

even more restrictive than those in Spain for 

several years now. 


The pioneer countries that were the first to 

enforce smoking bans have carried out studies 

on the evolution and effects of restrictions 

in the restaurant and catering sector. In 

2007, UK magazine Moneyweek published 

an extensive article written by collaborator 

Glynn Davis for which a host of data was 

gathered on the situation in other countries 

in order to examine the likely effects of the 

imminent ban on the pub and restaurant 

sector. Some of this data was quite surprising: 

a year after the smoking ban in restaurants 

was enforced in New York in 2003, the 

Zagat Guide conducted a survey of 30,000 

consumers and discovered that 23% dined 

out more often than before. Another study 

conducted in Ireland in 2004 concluded that 

support of the Non-Smoking Law had grown 

by 67% before its enactment, and 82% after 

it was enforced. English pubs that had kept 

a step ahead of the law by banning smoking 

21


in their establishments before it was passed 

did not note any drop in business, and even 

in cases where drinks consumption had declined 

they discovered that food consumption 

had risen, perhaps due to the cleaner 

air and the fact that they had done away with 

a major source of appetite suppression by 

banning cigarettes. 

Pavement cafés, the 

cigarette’s last stand 

In any case, the recent history of the fight 

against smoking is filled with examples 

showing that when cigarettes are banned, 

awareness would appear to be raised, so 

much so that nobody - not even the smokers 

themselves - want a return to the previous 

state of affairs. In the 1980s, airlines began 

to ban smoking on short-distance flights 

and a decade later the ban was extended 

22 

to all flights without exception but, after the 

initial protest, nobody today contemplates 

the possibility of smoking on an aeroplane 

ever again. A study conducted in 2007 by 

the research company Synovate discovered 

that 60% of the smokers interviewed were 

in favour of restricting cigarette smoking in 

places like restaurants, bars and public buildings. 

The problem with implementing the law is 

the high percentage of smokers in Spain - 

just over 27% - and the fact that smoking is 

a deep-rooted tradition in this country. The 

fact that the law was enforced in mid-winter 

could lead to a possible upturn in the habit, 

as with spring just around the corner the 

outdoor terraces of bars and restaurants are 

turning out to be a providential solution for 

many smokers who are not willing to give up 

their cigarettes - or cigars, which were traditionally 

smoked with a postprandial drink 


and are probably the tobacco variant that 

has most suffered as a result of the ban. 

Some autonomous communities and city 

councils have already announced their intention 

of encouraging outdoor terraces in 

the streets, although it remains to be seen 

whether these measures will be accompanied 

by tax suppression to facilitate investment. 

For the moment, a side-business 

would appear to have boomed: the sale 

of outdoor heaters, which create sufficient 

warmth for clients to smoke in a pavement 

café on even the coldest days of the year. 

Although it is too early to say what the real 

consequences of the law will be on the restaurant 

and catering sector, and although 

opinions are raging on all fronts, there is little 

doubt that when the good weather sets in 

the smoke will soon be rising from the streets 

and squares of our country once again. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011


Pescado. Un arte de Japón 

(Fish: a Japanese Art) 

Montagud EditorEs 

Synopsis: This book is considered 

the ultimate work on the 

centuries-old culinary art of fish 

preparation in Japan. Chihiro 

Masui, aided by the magnificent 

photographs of Richard 

Haughton, brings us the most 

complete, exquisite compilation 

of the history, traditions and cuisine 

itself that any fan of oriental 

delicacies could possibly desire. 

Collaborating chefs include 

big names like Hachiro Mizutani, 

a holder of three Michelin stars. 

Ingredients, utensils, cutting techniques, 

preparation, presentation, 

philosophy and culture 

fill the pages of a book that is a 

feast for the eyes. 

Las recetas de Solita. 

La cocina en los 

Episodios Nacionales 

(Solita’s recipes. Cuisine in 

the Episodios Nacionales) 

nn EditorEs 


COOKERY 

BOOKS 

Synopsis: Rebeca Calvo is not 

the first writer to look to a literary 

classic to find cuisine and recipes 

from past eras. But she has 

made a quite outstanding effort 

in combing the 46 novels making 

up Benito Pérez Galdós’ “Episodios 

Nacionales”, and not just for 

the huge dimension of the task. 

Rebeca Calvo confesses she is 

both a fan of the Episodios and 

a cookery lover, and so writing 

this book was quite a matter 

of course, as are its excellent 

results: a readable, informative 

compilation, in a beautifully-presented 

edition published by NN, 

of what people ate - or wolfed 

down rather - in the different regions 

of Spain travelled through 

and narrated by Don Benito. Its 

pages not only contain culinary 

or literary history: the book is a 

history of Spain. 

Our book selection for this issue is 

quite cosmopolitan and includes 

works on little-known and highly 

appealing aspects of Japanese 

and Argentinian cuisine and an 

overview of the world’s most outstanding 

chefs. And we also feature 

Pintxos 2011 

Ed. asoCiaCión dE HostElEros 

dE HondarriBia 

Synopsis: This book has now 

become a tradition, and this 

year’s recently-published version 

contains the best recipes 

– almost 90 of them – that competed 

in the Euskal Herria Pintxos 

Championship, held for the 

fifth time this year. The texts are 

in Spanish, Basque and French, 

and the excellent photographs 

by Pablo Jiménez are a temptation 

in any language. In addition 

to a full description of all the 

dishes, the book also includes 

a chapter on the Championship 

itself. An essential work for 

discovering the latest developments 

in bite-sized Basque 

cuisine. 

El gran libro de la paella 

y los arroces de la 

Comunidad Valenciana 

(The Big Book of Paella 

and Rice Dishes of the 

Valencian Community) 

Ed. CHroniCa 

Synopsis: If you think the famous 

rice and paella dishes are 

only typical of the Valencia region, 

then think again: rice is an 

ingredient used with variety and 

abundance in recipes from all 

over Spain. However, there is no 

doubt about the fact that Valencian 

Community is in a class of 

its own for rice dishes, backed 

by a centuries-old tradition. In 

2009 the Palace Fesol Rstaurant 

in Valencia celebrated a century 

of existence, run by the same 

family for four generations and 

always serving supreme quality 

rice dishes. Its current manager 

Francisco Sanmiguel narrates 

the history of the establishment 

in this must-have book containing 

a total of 150 rice recipes in 

the form of paellas, creamy rice, 

soupy rice and fideua. 

books that delve into the history of 

cuisine, reviving recipes from ancient 

Rome or dishes from the literary 

world of Benito Pérez Galdós. 

Without forgetting quintessential 

Spanish creations like Valencian 

paellas or pintxos. 

Curso de cocina. Macarons 

(Cookery Course: Macarons) 

Ed. H. BluME 

Synopsis: Macarons are a cutting-edge 

delicacy in the cakemaking 

world, and this book 

by Sébastien Serveau is an 

excellent way of learning to enjoy 

them without having to visit 

the most exclusive tea rooms. 

The author is the head of the 

confectionary area of the Alain 

Ducasse School of Cuisine, and 

not only does he teach professionals 

but also has useful experience 

in putting across his 

knowledge to the public at large. 

This experience is patent in his 

book, where a profusion of photographs 

and easy-to-follow advice 

turns macaron creation into 

something simple and fun. And 

there are plenty of chef’s tips to 

ensure your success. 

Coquinaria. XI recetas 

de cocina pompeyana 

(Coquinaria. XI recipes 

from Pompei) 

Editorial tEjuElo 

Synopsis: This book was 

brought out just over a year ago 

but is still a real discovery, not 

just for the beauty of the book 

itself - which won it the National 

Gastronomy Prize for the Best 

Publication of 2009 - but for the 

unusual and appealing subject it 

deals with. Reconstructing the 

recipes and culinary culture of 

ancient Pompeii is the task that 

Ainhoa del Carre and Jaime Ruíz 

de Velasco set themselves, and 

they succeed in transporting us 

to everyday life in its streets and 

palaces, with a minute description 

of its dishes - Poma duck, 

eggs in wine, Oplontis chicken, 

octopus vinaigrette, globis, wild 

mushrooms in honey, sweet and 

sour quail – and all the instructions 

you need to bring them 

back to life almost 2,000 years 

later. 


Our thanks to the Aliana 

Cookery Book Shop in Madrid 

(www.alianagastronomia.com). 

Coco 

Ed. PHaidon 

Synopsis: This single-volume 

encyclopaedia is a treat, a luxury 

item and more, as ten of today’s 

top masters of cuisine, including 

Ferrán Adriá, Alain Ducasse, Yoshihiro 

Murata, Gordon Ramsay 

and Alice Waters, have chosen 

the hundred contemporary chefs 

who are currently cooking 

up the very best dishes in their 

sanctuaries of cuisine. The book 

reveals the most interesting 

trends in world cooking in places 

ranging from Paris to New 

Orleans, from Bilbao to Kyoto. 

It includes an exhaustive list of 

menus and recipes, along with 

impressive pictures of dishes, 

kitchens and restaurants. For 

professionals, amateurs or anyone 

else who loves cooking. 

Siete Fuegos. Mi cocina 

argentina (Seven Fires: 

Argentinian Cuisine My Way) 

V & r EditorEs 

Synopsis: Argentinian cuisine 

has much more to offer than just 

steak. One of the professionals 

who can tell us the most about 

the subject is Francis Mallmann, 

a master griller who all his life 

has collected popular recipes 

from all parts of his country and 

now serves them up to the celebrities 

and statesmen who 

visit his restaurant, Patagonia 

Sur, or any the numerous other 

establishments he either runs 

himself or counsels. Excellent 

beef steaks can come off a cleverly-handled 

grill... but so can 

fish, chicken, pork and vegetables, 

and the forms of preparation 

are endless. The attractive 

photographs help readers fully 

understand the recipes, so that 

they too can reach new heights 

of charcoal-grilled perfection. 

23


OF 

INTEREST 

CHICKEN 

CHILINDRÓN 

24 

WWW.mONSiEURcOcOTTE.BLOGSpOT.cOm 

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: 

For novice cooks who want to rustle 

up something scrumptious. 

Ingredients (for 6 people - invite 

a few friends round!): 

A 1½ kg chicken, kindly sliced by your local 

butcher. 

2 onions. 

1 fat juicy red pepper. 

My mouth’s already watering! 

3 green peppers. 

Homemade tomato sauce, thickened to 

taste (that’s the trick). 

Salt and pepper. 

PREPARATION: 

1. Brown the chicken in olive oil. When it is 

browned to your liking, set it aside. 

2. Peel and finely chop the onions. Wash 

the four peppers and slice as desired. Stew 

the onion and peppers in the oil you used 

to fry the chicken. Add the tomato sauce, 

salt and pepper. Add more tomato or less 

depending on how thick you want your stew 

to be. Leave it to cook on a slow heat for 

around fifteen minutes. 

3. Add the slices of chicken and cook it all 

together for another twenty minutes. Serve 

hot. 

It can be kept in the fridge for up to two days 

and you can also freeze it. If you make it for 

your partner - real or potential - they’ll see 

you in another light. ;) Chicken chilindrón is 

famous for its aphrodisiac powers! 

CULINARY BLOGGERS 

Cookery is making an increasing appearance 

in the 2.0 world, with new 

blogs constantly being written and 

maintained by a group of professionals 

who surprise us with their creativity, 

rigour and imagination, offering 

us content, knowledge and opinions. 

And we present two excellent examples 

of the phenomenon in this issue 

of Fagor News. Our two guest 

bloggers in this issue are Paco Becerro, 

the creator of “Lazy Blog”, and 

Jose María Serrano, the man behind 

“Monsieur Cocotte”, who, as is now 

becoming a regular occurrence, have 

each contributed a tasty recipe. 

Paco Becerro confesses he is a selftaught 

cook: he is actually a law graduate, 

but over 20 years cooking in 

his family environment together with 

the numerous cookery courses and 

workshops he has attended and the 

large and ever-growing number of 

books on the subject he has devoured 

have allowed him to forge his own 

culinary personality, which has led 

him to start up the “Lazy Blog” project 

(www.lazyblog.net). He chose 

the name as his blogger friends had 

to insist for ages before he finally got 

round to starting up the blog and posting 

his recipes. 

Three years after its creation, “Lazy 

Blog” not only features over 300 re- 

COURGETTE- 

WRAPPED 

CREAMY 

SEAFOOD RICE 

WWW.LAZYBLOG.NET 

Seafood rice is normally eaten in large 

amounts as a single main course. As 

Christmas has just gone by and we’re 

counting the calories, today we’re 

going to prepare it in small portions, 

wrapped in courgette slices and served 

with a mix of salad greens and 

olive oil with garlic and parsley. 

Ingredients for 4 people 

(It will be enough for 8 servings like 

the ones shown in the photo.) 

For the rice: 

300 gr. of bomba rice 

8 prawns, 8 mussels, 8 clams 

cipes for traditional and international 

dishes but also has other points of 

attraction such as a basic cookery 

section for beginners or recipe competitions 

with themes ranging from 

Italian to Mexican cuisine and including 

Christmas recipes or ideas for 

cooking with cherries from the Jerte 

Valley. Paco’s excellent work has 

not only placed his blog among the 

top pages in the Wikio cookery blog 

ranking, but it has also allowed him 

to extend his activity to collaborations 

for “Directo al Paladar” (www.directoalpaladar.com) 

and to be one of 

the twenty bloggers chosen to attend 

the Virgen Extra Jaen 2.0 encounter, 

organised by the Jaén Provincial Government 

to show participants the 

entire process of virgin olive oil production. 

That’s not bad for someone 

who refers to himself as lazy in the title 

of his blog! 

Jose María Serrano, known in the 

blog world as Monsieur Cocotte, studied 

computer science and worked 

for banks and consultancy firms until 

the dot com bubble burst and he 

changed job, working for the Regional 

Government. But throughout all this 

time cookery was close to his heart, 

in spite of the fact that - as he himself 

declares - he isn’t a chef and doesn’t 

intend to become one. However it’s 

also true that he has been cooking for 

250 gr. of squid rings 

1 Italian type green pepper, 1 ripe tomato 

2 cloves of garlic 

1 litre of fish fumet (preferably made 

with monkfish or sea bass) 

Saffron, salt, extra virgin olive oil 

For serving: 

1 courgette, 100 gr. of Mesclun salad, 

a dash of ajopere (a mix of extra virgin 

olive oil, a clove of garlic and a nice 

bunch of parsley). 

PREPARATION 

Blanch the tomato to loosen the skin, 

and peel it. Finely slice the cloves of 

garlic and fry them in extra virgin olive 

oil, in the same cooking pot you will 

later use for the rice. Remove when 

brown. In the same oil, make a sofrito 

with the chopped tomato and the 

green pepper. When it is soft, set it 

aside. Sautée the squid rings and shellfish 

in the same pan, and set aside. 

Heat the rice in the oil you used for 

frying until it is transparent, and add 

the sofrito and the fish stock. Brown 

the saffron in a frying pan, add a 

spoonful of stock and add to the rice 

and sofrito. Cook the rice for 8 minutes 

on a high heat and then add the squid, 


years, and this interest finally led him 

to create “Monsieur Cocotte” (http:// 

monsieurcocotte.blogspot.com), 

which he set up in March 2010 as an 

online recipe book, but since then it 

has evolved into a point of encounter 

for his cookery-loving friends and 

followers, not all of them cooks themselves, 

but all of them with a keen 

interest in the culinary world. 

Jose María’s aim is to post recipes he 

has tried out personally and to explain 

their preparation in his blog as clearly 

and simply as possible, enhancing 

them with a personal touch not just 

strictly concerned with cuisine itself: 

he accompanies them by a story, or a 

touch of humour (you have to laugh at 

his definitions of the degree of difficulty 

of each dish). His blog also includes 

links to programmes and videos 

on the subject of cooking and food. 

Social collaboration is also one of the 

strong points of “Monsieur Cocotte”, 

as he is highly active in Facebook and 

Twitter (twitter.com/monsieurcocotte), 

and much of the content that 

ends up in his blog originates from the 

comments on these sites, as Jose 

María considers them “crucial” for 

its functioning. With so many friends 

taking part, it’s easy to see why the 

results are outstanding. 

the shelled mussels and the peeled 

prawns. Reduce to medium heat until 

the rice is cooked. 

When the rice is almost done (around 

14-16 minutes in all), add the shelled 

clams, previously soaked in a bowl of 

water to remove any grit, and turn off 

the heat so that the rest of the cooking 

can be done on residual heat. Leave to 

stand for up to 5 minutes, and serve. 

PRESENTATION 

Use the blender to prepare an ajopere, 

mixing 1 clove of garlic with 10 cl of 

virgin extra olive oil and a nice bunch of 

fresh parsley. Finely slice a courgette 

using a mandoline slicer and blanch 

for 2 minutes in boiling water. 

Place two courgette slices on each 

plate and with the aid of a serving ring, 

place a small portion of creamy rice on 

them and then carefully remove the 

ring. Garnish with the lettuce mix and 

with a dash of ajopere on the rice and 

another on the plate. Serve immediately 

so that the rice keeps its texture. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011

FAGOR 

FOCUS 

LVDI 

MARRIOTT


26 


FAGOR INDUSTRIAL EQUIPS LVDI MARRIOTT, THE NEW AND MOST 

EMBLEMATIC HOTEL IN LUXURIOUS SHANGHAI 

FEATURE 

During recent months, a new silhouette has 

been taking shape in Shanghai’s spectacular 

skyline. It is the Lvdi Hotel, Marriott’s 

latest milestone, located in the heart of a 

new neighborhood in the exclusive district of 

Luwan, an area that is popular with high-end 

tourists because of its entertainment and 

shopping possibilities: from the yachts docked 

at the port to the fashion shops, luxury 

automobile dealerships, jewelry and watch 

shops scattered along the streets. 

Designed by Callison, one of the top architecture 

and design firms in the world, both 

the new Marriott Lvdi Hotel and the surrounding 

area were conceived precisely for 

this type of tourism, which has not ceased 

growing in the Modren city in recent years. 

This category of customer is well known in 

the hotel sector, not only for its potential, but 

also because it is very demanding. The hotel 

will satisfy these demands with 300 luxury 

rooms and a comprehensive offer, including 

meeting rooms, shops and various gourmet 

restaurants. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011


It is precisely in this last sector where Fagor 

Industrial has played an important role, in 

charge of equipping the hotel’s restaurants. 

This is one of Fagor Industrial’s largest projects 

in Asia, opening the doors to other 

collaborative efforts with this hotel chain in 

China 

An important trip 

This type of collaboration does not happen 

overnight. The project’s success was the result 

of intense work based on the reliability 

of installing a range of top-quality products, 

as well as firm support from our dealer 

Shanghai Polytek. This firm, established in 

Hong Kong in 1975, has offices in Beijing, 


Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chonqqing, and 

is considered a leading company in the region 

offering design, supply, installation and 

services in the industrial kitchen and refrigeration 

equipment, and laundry and accessories 

sectors. 

“It may seem as though this project fell into 

our laps, but our success has much to do 

with the long-term effort made by our sales 

team,” stated Mikel Olarte, General Manager 

of Fagor Industrial China. “Our sales teams 

have always maintained contact with Polytek 

Shanghai to promote the Fagor brand and 

keep them up to date with the latest products 

and marketing materials.” 

This work to promote the brand was given 


a definitive push forward in March, 2009, 

when Polytek representatives visited Fagor 

Industrial headquarters in Oñati. They had 

the opportunity to see, first hand, the quality 

standards to which we work, as well as some 

of the most important projects in which we 

have participated. Without a doubt, it was a 

long trip, but both parties were very satisfied 

with the results: “Fagor is one of the three 

important brands we believed could satisfy 

the needs of the hotels we supply,” stated 

Pan Bin, a Polytek Shanghai representative. 

“But after visiting its headquarters in Spain, 

we were completely sure of the brand. As 

such, we were sure that the quality of its products 

and services could be a determining 

factor for this project’s success.” 

27


Polytek’s support played a fundamental role 

in Marriott’s final decision to choose Fagor 

Industrial as the sole supplier for its restaurant 

equipment needs, support that was 

fostered by the work carried out by Fagor’s 

salest eam, who showed the dealer other 

projects developed in the same city. The 

project for the Lvdi Shanghai Marriott was up 

to par with the establishment, and included 

kitchen equipment for a Chinese restaurant, 

a restaurant offering western food and an 

employee cafeteria. The project took its first 

steps in November of 2009, when Fagor 

Industrial presented its proposal, and was 

confirmed with the signing of the contract in 

February of 2010. 

28 

Designing the perfect kitchen 

The installation was completely finished in 

three months and, according to Pan Bin, 

the process was perfectly smooth. “The 

only difficulty was perhaps during the design 

phase, when we had to change the equipment 

lists various times, because designing 

the perfect kitchen it not an easy task, and 

sometimes there is a difference between 

what you imagine and reality. In any case, 

Fagor really helped us in this matter, and 

the sales team and refrigeration design department 

in Kunshan made a real effort to 

find the best solution to design the perfect 

kitchen for the Marriott.” 


May is the month during which Fagor 

Industrial’s equipment will be put to the test, 

when the Lvdi Marriott opens its doors. 

“Usually, there are two important factors that 

lead customers to choose a hotel,” explains 

Pan Bin. “One is the attractiveness of the 

surrounding areas, including location, connections 

and entertainment. The other is the 

hotel’s facilities and services. In this sense, 

the Marriott will be located in an area designed 

to be attractive for both business and 

luxury travelers. This means many luxury 

brands will set up their shops here, making 

it an area of choice for many events. Connections 

are also important: it is half an hour 

from the airport and there is a Metro station 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011


CASE STuDY 

TechnIcal DaTa 

TYPe OF InSTallaTIOn 

New luxury hotel in Shanghai’s Luwan 

district, focused on high-end tourism. 

lOcaTIOn 

Shanghai, China. 

only 100 metres away. Also, the hotel offers 

first rate facilities and services so guests can 

enjoy a pleasant and luxurious stay. Our employees 

have worked intensely to offer the 

best customer service, both reliable and 

custom-tailored.” 

The best reference 

Yet despite the responsibility of carrying out 

such an important project, always based 

on “quality, price and post-sales service,” in 

the words of Samuel Zhong, Sales Manager 

of Fagor China, Fagor Industrial’s sales 

team was never overwhelmed, because “we 

believe each project is our most important 


PrOjecT DaTe 

Carried out in 2010, completed in June. 

SaleS In charge OF The PrOjecT 

Fagor Industrial China 

project. Be it the Guangdong Sheraton, 

the Tianjin Westin or a small restaurant; we 

always try to put our best efforts into managing 

the project and fully supporting our customers.” 

However, it seems that our success 

in equipping the Lvdi Marriott is the best reference 

we have for future projects in the area: 

“A good reference project to show potential 

customers.” 

For now, the completion of the Lvdi Marriott 

has already had direct consequences, 

including the implementation of a project in 

Guangzhou, the Zhangija Marriott Hotel, for 

which Polytek will once again seek the collaboration 

of Fagor Industrial. 

FagOr eQUIPMenT 


Kitchen equipment for a Chinese restaurant, 

a restaurant offering western food 

and an employee cafeteria. 

“Our sales strategy in such a competitive 

market as this is based on professionalism,” 

stated Samuel. “And that does not only include 

selling products. It also includes our customer 

service, including training, testing the 

equipment, visiting the facilities to make sure 

everything is working properly, etc. Sales is 

only the first step, the first stage; the second 

stage includes long-term commitment and 

offering efficient post-sales services to final 

users.” 

29


FAGOR PEOPLE 

Nadeem Abdul Wahed 

Middle East Branch Manager. 

Q & A 

FAGOR PEOPLE 

When Nadeem joined Fagor Industrial fulltime 

in 2005, with the mission of opening 

FIME (Fagor Industrial Middle East) - the 

division created to support clients in the 

Arab Emirates and Middle East countries - 

he became involved in a business which, 

as he tells us, has never stopped growing 

and which currently exports to 14 countries 

in the Middle East, India and Eastern Africa. 

FIME was set up in the free trade area of the 

Emirate of Sharjah, with the idea of re-exporting 

to other countries. The United Arab 

Emirates has the advantage of being the 

Arabian Gulf’s most important trade centre 

and the point for redistribution of the goods 

to other countries in the area. Nadeem tells 

us about his years of non-stop activity, ceaseless 

but fascinating. 

How long have you worked for Fagor 

Industrial? 

My experience with Fagor Industrial spans 

over ten years now: it began in 2001, when 

I was working as the Sales and Marketing 

Manager for Fagor’s distributor in Yemen, in 

charge of both the household appliances 

division and the division corresponding to 

Fagor Industrial. In 2005, Plácido González, 

the Fagor Industrial’s former Export Manager, 

asked me if I would like to create and 

manage a new division, the Middle East division, 

in the United Arab Emirates. And I’ve 

been here ever since. 

30 

What memories do you have of those 

years? 

My most important and strongest memory is 

of when I arrived in the United Arab Emirates 

and started setting up the Fagor Industrial 

project in-situ, right from the first day and the 

very first steps. 

What were those early beginnings like? 

The Export Manager and I visited many free 

trade zone in the United Arab Emirates - as 

you know, this is the Middle East’s leading 

country for free trade zone and investor backing 

- until we finally opted to set up in the 

Sharjah International Airport free trade area. 

Some of our authorised distributors had 

their offices in Sharjah and Dubai, so this 

was the ideal location for us. In just a short 

time we succeeded in registering the brand, 

obtaining our business licence and opening 

our offices in the place where we decided 

our distribution centre was to be based. 


“Fagor industrial is known for the 

value for money.” 

What do you remember about your first 

clients? 

Most of all, I have an excellent memory of 

the Fagor distributors who were already 

working directly with our factory in Oñati in 

Guipúzcoa, Europe, as right from the start 

they gave us a great welcome and a lot of 

help, and that’s been the case right up until 

today. And we always try to do the same, 

offering them all our support. 

Which areas and countries is Fagor 

Industrial currently offering its services 

to? 

Well, since we set up the centre, our aim has 

been to offer our services to all the countries 

in this region, which apart from the Emirates 

were Oman, Qatar, Bahrein, Kuwait, Saudi 

Arabia, Irak, Yemen, Jordan, Iran, and Pakistan, 

India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Mauritius, 

together with East African countries 

like Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya 

and Tanzania, plus the recent addition of 

South Africa. 

#04 / FEBRUARY 2011


What type of services does the division 

provide? 

The main reason for creating the division 

was to be close to our distributors, to provide 

support and supply them with our 

products and spare parts whenever they 

needed them. And in fact we managed to 

reduce the delivery time from 30 days to 

24 hours in the United Arab Emirates and 

to 3-7 days for other countries in the area, 

which was a great help to our distributors. 

Our services include knowledge of market 

requirements, as well as providing commercial 

and technical training for our clients. 

We’ve heard you have plans for your 

warehouse to move to bigger premises 

due to the increase in demand. What 

can you tell us about that? 

As I mentioned before, offering our services 

to all these countries means we always 

need to have most of our products in stock 

to attend to the clients’ needs, and this availability 

is the main reason for our success. 

But it implies stocking a sufficient amount of 

all our products - cookers, ovens, dishwashers, 

refrigerators and laundry equipment. 

That’s why we decided to make more storage 

space available. 


What do you think the difference is 

that makes Fagor Industrial the clients’ 

favourite? 

Fagor Industrial is known for the return on 

investment it provides, and its value for 

money: it’s been on the market for over 50 

years, which means our products, factories 

and services are well-trusted, and we constantly 

endeavour to improve them, responding 

to the feedback we receive from our 

clients. I think they value the open, honest 

rapport we have with them, and that’s one 

of the main values that makes them part of 

the Fagor Industrial family. I also think that 

Mónica Gallastegi, Mikel Coronado (representing 

Fagor Oñati) and myself and Miss 

Lina in FIME work as a real team, that we’re 

accessible to the clients and offer a good 

service. 

And lastly, what do you like doing when 

you’re not at work? 

To be honest, sometimes even when I’m not 

working I can’t resist checking my e-mail, 

and I think I’m not the only one who does 

that! But at weekends I spend time with 

my family of course. I have two daughters - 

one’s ten and the other’s twenty - who are 

always waiting for the weekend to come 

around so that we can all be together. 

T Q 

Age: 43. 

Character: easy-going. 


FAGOR PEOPLE / IN BRIEF 

Hobbies: swimming and watching 

TV documentaries on different cultures. 

Favourite dish: steak. 

A challenge: to grow from a solid 

base. 

A film: avatar. 

A book: the Koran. 

A colour: blue. 

A date to remember: june 2006. 

A truly essential Fagor Industrial 

product: the cooking line. 

31

Bº Santxolopetegi, 22 

Aptdo 17 - 20560 

Oñati (Guipúzcoa) Spain 

Tel.: +34 943 71 80 30 

www.fagorindustrial.com

LVDI Marriott Shanghai

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