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F
ood service industry giant, Mac Brothers
Catering Equipment, recently remodelled its
manufacturing plant in Epping, Cape Town.
The company designs and manufactures an exten-
sive range of catering and refrigeration equipment
and is considered the leader in innovative product
design and service excellence for the South African
food service industry. Mac Brothers, which counts
restaurant giants such as Burger King amongst its
clientele, is perhaps best known for supplying the
catering equipment used on popular TV shows
Masterchef SA and Kokkedoor.
“For years we had a 10 000 m² manufacturing
plant where we manufactured catering products
from scratch or imported and assembled them. Our
clients would visit us and observe the production
process first hand, something they really enjoyed,”
says Derek McMahon, MD of Mac Brothers. “But
the image of cooking has evolved and we realised
that our approach to marketing our products also
had to be realigned, so we took the decision to
give our plant a face lift to include a dedicated
showroom space.”
The make-over meant the installation of a
dropped ceiling in the existing space and that called
for a new lighting design. “We soon realised that
more than the carpets, paint or furniture, it was
lighting that would make the space ‘pop’. That is
why we got in touch with Eurolux, who in turn
partnered with Blair Hammond and Associates,
to deliver a truly professional end result,” says
McMahon.
Blair Hammond and Eurolux presented three
designs to Mac Brothers, each featuring different
technologies. The selected lighting design allowed
the company to create the desired look and feel
within the space, without exceeding its budget.The
showroom is divided into an area that showcases
the kitchen equipment, a working kitchen fitted with
the Mac Brothers product line, sales desks and a
coffee shop and lounge area, as well as a reception.
Different lighting solutions had to be designed for
each of the spaces.
Eurolux P3AL pendants with a brushed alu-
minium finish were selected for the sales area
and were positioned just above each of the sales
desks. The entire Mac Brother range features a
stainless steel or highly polished metal finish and
the P3AL pendant extends this decorative theme
throughout the sales area. “We chose this pendant
as it provides sufficient targeted task lighting at
desk level and minimises glare, which in a highly
reflective area is vital,” explains Daniel Hammond
from Blair Hammond and Associates. “These were
fitted with maxi globes, which provide good light
output and were in line with the specified budget.”
Eurolux P150AL pendants with adjustable cord
suspension were selected for the coffee shop and
reception areas. These fittings feature the same
brushed aluminium finish as those used in the sales
area, but have a slightly different shape. “They have
a modern, minimalist feel, which complements
the look of the showroom, while creating the
welcoming ambience necessary for these areas,”
says Hammond. The pendants are also fitted with
maxi globes; however, owing to the shape of the
pendant, the lamp is visible, adding a touch of
drama to the space.
The Eurolux PR111 three light double parabolic
Louvre fitting was selected for use in the main
showroom area. This product was fitted with 3 x
28 W T5 fluorescent lamps to guarantee the high
light levels required.
A ceiling grid was used and the fittings recessed
into the 2.85 m suspended ceiling, as Mac Broth-
ers did not want to have any light fittings surface
mounted onto the ceiling. “The benefit of using this
product at this mounting height is that it distributes
its light evenly over the reference plane that needs
to be illuminated,” says Shaun Bouchier, director
at Eurolux.
The rest of the showroom and the working
kitchen have Eurolux downlights installed to provide
light for the general areas where low light levels
are required.
Mac Brothers is delighted with the finished
product. Says McMahon, “Epping is an industrial
area so when you drive in here, you do not expect
to find a high end catering showroom. But as you
walk through our doors you feel as though you
are being transported to a movie set, and this is
mostly due to the lighting. It turns the showroom
into a magical space. Eurolux and Blair Hammond
truly managed to create an upmarket space that
enhances Mac Brothers’ image and improves its
brand value.”
Catering equipment showroom
turned into a magical space
LiD
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