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Why Heated Shelving Has Become A Staple of Takeaways & Restaurants

brown paper food delivery bag

Heated shelves are the perfect solution for keeping food at the correct temperature in a takeaway or restaurant. While heated gantries and passes have always been a feature of a professional kitchen and a great way to maintain the temperature of plated dishes until they are served, heated shelves enable greater quantities of dishes to be stored and generally with more flexibility when it comes to temperature range.

The world of takeaway and restaurants has changed drastically in the past few years as more customers embrace food delivery, the rise being a significant boon for takeaways and forcing restaurants to adapt.

To meet the demands of this growing trend, heated shelving has become an essential part of a restaurant and takeaway operations, allowing for efficient food delivery that keeps customers satisfied.

The Rise of Food Delivery

Even five years ago, no one would have believed food delivery would change the catering industry the way it has. The rise of food delivery services like JustEat, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats has made it easier than ever for customers to order takeaway meals. Increased delivery demands were especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, where many restaurants and takeaways had to adapt quickly to keep up or even survive.

The change in customer needs has led restaurants and takeaways to expand their delivery offerings, not only typical takeaway independents or chains but with full menus from actual high street restaurants where meals could only be enjoyed onsite previously. Many that wouldn't previously have considered delivery now offer a range of meals to be delivered directly to their customer's homes. This expansion in the delivery aspect of food businesses requires efficient storage solutions such as heated shelving to guarantee the quality of the meal that is delivered is to the same standard as if it were being brought out directly from the pass.

person holding stack of pizza boxes

Uber Eats went as far as to say, 'more than 90% of the eateries we polled believed that Uber Eats had increased their takeaway or delivery revenue.'

While Deliveroo and JustEat agree with Uber Eats, the marketing continues to suggest that the sky is the limit for those offering takeaway food to boost brick-and-mortar establishments suffering from seasonal difficulties and the cost of living crisis.

What Is Heated Shelving?

Heated shelving is an innovative way of storing packaged hot food items while waiting for delivery or collection. The shelves are designed to maintain the temperature of the food, ensuring that when it reaches its destination, it still tastes as good as when it left the oven.

The Benefits of Heated Shelving

Heated shelving is ideal for restaurants and takeaways looking to adapt to changing customer needs by offering delivery services. Heated shelves are a great way to keep food at the correct temperature prior to delivery, allowing customers to enjoy their meals in the same way as if they had been eating in the restaurant.

How Heated Shelving Can Enhance Food Delivery

Using heated shelving to keep food warm is an excellent solution for takeaways and restaurants wanting to offer quality food delivery. The shelves can be conveniently placed so as soon as the food is cooked and packaged, it can be put on the shelf and stored at a constant temperature until it's ready for delivery. The multi level shelving allows greater quantities of food to be stored without impacting on the amount of working kitchen space. Not only does this ensure that the food is delivered hot and fresh, but it also means that staff can focus on other tasks, such as preparing orders.

New Parry Heated Shelving Models

stainless steel shelves

FFD Catering Equipment are pleased to be able to offer a brand new range of heated shelving from leading brand Parry. Their HSU15300 heated shelf unit is perfect for takeaways and restaurants needing to keep their food warm until delivery.


"Parry's new heated shelf unit is energy efficient and comprises five shelves each with its own heating element. Each shelf has its own digital display and can be independently operated which gives the ability to run efficiently, dependent on your service needs." Parry

A unique feature and benefit of Parry heated shelves is that each shelf temperature is controlled independently, allowing for more precise control over the storage temperatures of each food item. Independent temperature controls are also a great efficiency feature as shelves can be switched off during quieter periods for energy saving and then heated up to again for busier times. This also means that ambient foods can also be held within the same shelving unit as hot food, ready for delivery. Alternatives on the market only offer heating for the whole unit, all or nothing. The 13A plug offers flexible and easy placement in any restaurant or takeaway kitchen.

What's more, Parry offers restaurant warming shelves and hot shelves at a competitive price point when compared to other models making it a budget friendly solution to improving lucrative food delivery services. If the size you need isn't available, Parry offers a custom build option allowing for bespoke sizes and requirements to be manufactured to order.

"The shelves can accommodate a whole range of menu items with both a 300mm deep unit and 500mm deep unit being available." Parry

History & Pedigree of UK Manufacturer Parry

Parry is one of the UK's foremost manufacturers of high-quality Stainless Steel Fabricated Products with a 40-year heritage rooted in British craftsmanship. They offer an unparalleled commitment to quality and customer service, as well as Lean manufacturing that minimises waste and maximises productivity while reducing their environmental impact.

Buy Parry Stainless Steel Fabrications & Catering Equipment at FFD Catering Equipment

At FFD Catering Equipment, we are proud to be an authorised Parry distributor and offer their heated shelving models at the best prices. The Parry range of heated shelves is an excellent choice for catering businesses looking to take their food delivery service from strength to strength.

Gill Lester
Gill Lester
Content Writer

Since joining the FFD Group in 2013 as a novice to the industry, I have produced a large repository of informative content surrounding commercial refrigeration, catering equipment and grease management solutions. From the onset, I threw myself into understanding the technical ins and outs of the industry...