From Spit to Service: Choosing a Commercial Chicken Rotisserie.

Roast chicken is about as close to a crowd-pleaser as food gets. According to YouGov’s ratings, 90% of Britons have a positive opinion of roast chicken, putting it right at the top of the nation’s most popular dishes.

But its appeal goes well beyond the traditional Sunday roast.

From takeaways and restaurants to farm shops, delis and food halls, rotisserie chicken turns a familiar favourite into something customers can see cooking right in front of them. A row of golden chickens slowly turning on the spit doesn’t need much explanation – and that’s part of its appeal.

If you’re thinking about a commercial chicken rotisserie for your business, here’s what to consider before choosing a machine.

What Does a Rotisserie Actually Do?

The principle is beautifully simple. You secure the food onto a spit, which slowly turns in front of a heat source as it cooks.

For chicken, that constant rotation exposes different parts of the bird to the heat throughout the cooking process. It’s a method that’s been around in one form or another for centuries, although today’s commercial rotisseries make it possible to cook multiple birds at the same time.

Chicken may be the obvious choice, but depending on the machine, accessories and manufacturer’s instructions, you can also use rotisseries for other suitable meats and foods.

There’s Something About Seeing It Cook

A rotisserie doesn’t necessarily have to disappear into the kitchen.

In the right setting, the cooking itself can become part of the display. Customers can see the chickens turning and browning as they cook, bringing a little theatre to the counter.

Some manufacturers build their machines with this in mind. The Roller Grill RBE 25 Panoramic has glass sides so customers can watch the whole cooking process, while the RBE 80Q and RBG 80 include a heated display shelf to show off cooked chickens once they come off the spit.

For a farm shop, deli, food hall, takeaway or open kitchen, that visibility can become part of the offer. You’re not simply presenting a finished chicken in a cabinet – customers can watch you cook it.

And then, of course, there’s the smell.

Freshly roasting chicken is unlikely to go unnoticed.

Rotisserie Chicken Isn’t Just for Dinner Tonight

There’s another reason why rotisserie chicken has such broad appeal: customers can use it in plenty of different ways.

A whole rotisserie chicken isn’t necessarily a single-meal purchase. Customers can take it home for dinner, eat it cold, reheat it later or use it as the starting point for sandwiches, salads and other meals.

For anyone selling freshly cooked chicken, that flexibility matters. It gives customers more than one reason to buy, whether they want something hot to eat now or something to make tomorrow’s lunch easier.

There’s a bonus on some machines, too. On the Roller Grill models, the juice-collecting tray can double as a pan for potatoes, cooking them in the chicken juices as they drip down. That’s an easy side to add to the menu.

Choosing a Commercial Chicken Rotisserie: Gas, Electric and Capacity

Once you’ve decided a rotisserie could work for your business, there are two big choices to make: how it will be powered and how much you need it to cook.

At Anglia Catering Equipment, we offer GGF gas rotisseries and Roller Grill rotisseries in both gas and electric.

Gas can be a natural choice for premises that already run commercial gas equipment, while electric opens rotisserie cooking to businesses without a gas supply or those that simply prefer an electric machine.

Then there’s capacity.

Think about the busiest part of your trading day rather than simply your average sales. A small deli adding a handful of freshly cooked chickens to its counter has very different requirements from a busy takeaway producing batches throughout an evening service.

Roller Grill models are compact enough for a counter, food hall or deli:

• For smaller counters, the RBE 80Q (electric) and RBG 80 (gas) each hold up to 4 large free-range chickens on 2 spits.
• Stepping up, the RBE 120Q (electric) and RBG 120 (gas) have 3 spits for up to 6 large free-range chickens.
• With 5 spits, the electric RBE 200Q takes up to 10 large free-range chickens.
• If display matters, the electric RBE 25 Panoramic uses 5 swing baskets for up to 25 chickens.

As a guide to cooking times, Roller Grill gives approximately 80 minutes for a batch in the RBE 80Q.

GGF gas rotisseries are larger, floor-standing machines for higher-volume operations, working out at roughly four to five chickens per spit:

• The G 4S has 4 spits and holds approximately 16–20 chickens.
• Moving up, the G 6S offers 6 spits and around 24–30 chickens.
• At the top of the range, the G 8S takes approximately 32–40 chickens on 8 spits.

The difference in size is significant. The smaller Roller Grill models stand 845mm high, while the GGF range is 1100mm wide and stands up to 1930mm tall for the G 8S, which weighs around 170kg. Access, positioning and delivery all need planning at that end of the range.

The aim isn’t to buy the biggest rotisserie you can fit. It’s to find one that handles your busiest service without taking up more space than you need.

Who Could Make Use of a Commercial Rotisserie?

The obvious answer might be a chicken takeaway, but the potential audience is considerably wider.

A farm shop or deli can add freshly cooked chicken to its food-to-go offer. A restaurant or pub may use rotisserie cooking as part of the menu, while food halls and retail food counters can make the cooking process visible to customers.

For takeaways, a rotisserie can form the basis of an offer built around whole chickens, portions and accompanying sides.

It can also be an interesting addition for an established food business looking to introduce another takeaway option without simply adding more fried food.

The important thing is to think about what you actually plan to sell and how much you’re likely to need during your busiest periods.

Before You Order

Don’t look at chicken capacity alone. Check the machine’s external dimensions, access into the premises and the space available around its intended position.

You’ll also need to consider ventilation and extraction, along with the right gas or electrical supply.

Electric rotisseries can need a three-phase supply, and gas rotisseries still need an electrical connection, so check what’s available where the machine will go. Call us if you’re unsure.

A suitably qualified Gas Safe registered commercial catering engineer must install and commission any commercial gas equipment. Electrical requirements vary between models, so always check them before ordering.

And if you’re buying a rotisserie partly for the theatre it brings to the business, think about where customers will see it. A working rotisserie can become part of the food display rather than something you hide away in the kitchen.

From Spit to Service

Rotisserie cooking is an old idea that still has plenty of commercial appeal. Chicken is hugely popular, the cooking process has visual theatre and the finished product works for everything from an evening meal to tomorrow’s sandwiches.

With Roller Grill gas and electric models for counters and smaller spaces, and GGF gas rotisseries for high-volume service, there’s plenty of scope to match the equipment to your operation.

Need help choosing a commercial chicken rotisserie? Call Anglia Catering Equipment on 01379 641223. Fast Free UK Mainland Delivery available.

Capacities and specifications vary by model. Always check the individual product specification and installation requirements before ordering.