Pub, restaurant and bar applications

The Penny Hydraulics Cellar Lift is a unique device for handling barrels, crates and other food and drink related items between two floors in pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants. It is widely used throughout the licensed trade to help operators reduce and eliminate manual handling and comply with health and safety regulations.

The Cellar Lift was originally developed to help draymen and landlords to manage pub deliveries more safely. Many pubs are in older properties with a cellar that is accessed from the pavement or side of the building. Traditional delivery methods have involved carrying barrels by hand from the dray to the trapdoor and then rolling them down a ramp or simply dropping them into the cellar. Figures from the HSE show that manual handling like this is the biggest cause of injuries and occupational ill-health in the brewing and related industries. Users of the Cellar Lift recognise that mechanical lifting equipment eliminates manual handling and allows them to comply with increasingly stringent health and safety regulations. They also understand that controlled load handling helps to reduce costly damage to barrels and their contents, fixtures and fittings and property. Over 6000 have been delivered in the past 20 years with customers including Fullers, Coors, JD Wetherspoon, Youngs and Wadworths as well as numerous independent groups and free houses.

More recently the Cellar Lift has become popular with restaurant and bar operators who need to handle items between a street level delivery point and a basement or first floor store. The same health and safety considerations apply to restaurants as for all licensed premises but many of these operators have also recognised that best practice load handling is good for their business in other ways. Using a Cellar Lift allows them to make the best possible use of the available space and utilise new parts of the building. It eliminates the need to carry often large or bulky, if not heavy, items up or down narrow stairwells without the potential risks of slips, trips or manual handling. It can also enable handling between floors where stairwells do not exist or where major modifications to the building would otherwise be required, raising the possibility of using previously inaccessible storage areas such as upstairs rooms. With an increasingly diverse workforce, with a wide range of ages and abilities, mechanical load handling allows all staff to manage deliveries and move stock with minimal physical effort. Notable installations include Celtic FC, Newcastle Racecourse, Carluccio’s, Tom’s Kitchen and Village Hotels as well as many other prestige restaurants and numerous hotel groups.

In most cases the Cellar Lift is configured for vertical lifting to handle items between existing access points. In pubs, for example, it is typically installed underneath the pavement trapdoor to handle loads directly to the cellar. A sloping version is also available for situations where access points are offset or when an existing delivery skid or ramp cannot be removed. In hotels, restaurants and bars, which are more likely to be in conventional properties the requirement is often to handle items vertically from street level to a basement store or first floor store room. The Cellar Lift can be installed inside the building or outside against the wall or in the basement stairwell, depending on the requirement. Its compact design allows it to be installed in almost any position without getting in the way of other equipment or taking up valuable workspace. It can be fitted with a cradle to handle a full 54 gallon barrel or small platform for general items weighing up to 300kg. Many locations use their Cellar Lift for handling crates, cases and sacks as well as barrels.

The unique hydraulic mechanism ensures the Cellar Lift is quiet, simple and reliable. There is no need to excavate a lift pit at the base and it runs off a standard 240 volt supply which means it can be positioned in most locations with little or no additional electrical work. Solid construction with galvanised steel components promotes durability and provides excellent protection against corrosion and wear in damp cellars or store rooms. This also means the Cellar Lift can be installed outside against the building to lift items between floors without taking up valuable interior space.

Careful design ensures productivity is not compromised. The rapid lifting and lowering speed of 0.5m/s means an average 2.5 metre drop between floors is covered in just five seconds. This is simpler, safer and more productive than carrying items by hand. A hold-to-run system cuts power and stops the lift whenever the user releases the control lever for optimum safety.

All Cellar Lifts are manufactured by Penny Hydraulics in the UK to the precise requirements of the specific location and customer. The company’s exacting quality assurance standards ensure safe, economical and reliable performance with long maintenance-free service intervals. The company provides a complete design, installation and training service with a nationwide network of engineers to minimise downtime and ensure the continued reliability of the Cellar Lift. Its comprehensive after sales service and maintenance programme is also designed to provide complete peace of mind and help customers meet their statutory inspection and maintenance obligations.

Cellar Lift Sales
T: +44 (0) 1246 811475
E: sales@pennyhydraulics.com

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