Keeping cool…With the warm summer months approaching, On-Trade Progress discuss why it’s important to keep your cellar cool.

Have you ever read the back of a tin can and in bold it says, “keep in a cool and dry place”? Well the ideal cool and dry place is a cellar. Out of the way of direct sunlight, the cellar provides refuge for potentially perishable goods and space for fine wines to mature.

When you invest in certain food and drink for your hospitality business, the worst waste of money can be if these goods ruin by being kept in an insufficiently cool cellar. If you’re lucky enough to have a venue with a cellar, many of you will – especially the pub owners among you – there will be ways to keep the cellar space crisp and cool.

At On-Trade Progress, we’ve done some research on helpful methods that your cellar can stay cool and keep your goods from perishing.

Top tips:

  • Temperature, temperature, temperature!

Beers and wine really dislike heat and while you don’t want to turn your cellar into a fridge, you should keep a consistent temperature. The general natural benefits of having a cellar mean you shouldn’t be letting too much sunshine in. However, we would recommend installing a cellar cooling system and maintaining the temperature of an average 11-14 degrees.

  • Keep out the sunshine

The less UV light, the better. Now while you may already have a cellar with no windows, some of our hospitality readers may be improvising their cellar space with an above ground storage cupboard or similar. One thing that will speed up the ruining of food and drink (especially wine) is an influx of UV light. While artificial light isn’t too harmful, UV light can have a very negative effect on the contents of your cellar. If you do have windows, we suggest blacking them out.

  • Keep bottles horizontal

So this one is certainly more applicable to wines. However, wine is best stored laying down as it keeps the contents pressed up against the cork. This means that the cork does not dry out. A dry cork can shrivel and contaminate the contents. This means you may need a few degrees of humidity in your cellar, to also help prevent the cork from drying. It’s a good idea to invest in good quality wine racks that ensure the bottles are kept horizontal and secure.