Why Go Digital?

Why move to an automated wireless temperature monitoring system?

Many businesses have made the switch from traditional, manual temperature checks to an automated system that removes pen and paper from their safety management system, but why? Not only does manually checking and logging temperatures take up valuable hours, it also doesn’t guarantee reliable and consistent results. Manual temperature checks often only happen once a day due to time constraints and therefore, the true temperature of storage areas are not always being monitored correctly.

 

What are the main reasons for replacing manual checks with a system like Kelsius?

In a poll we conducted on LinkedIn, 60% of respondents said the reason they moved to an automated temperature monitoring system was due to the time and cost saving benefits it creates compared to manual pen and paper checks. 20% said their motivation was for Readily Available Data Records while another 20% said it was due to Covid-19.

The pandemic had heightened awareness about hygiene and cleanliness, and it has been a factor in why some businesses made the decision to move from manual to automated systems. The removal of pen and paper is a more sustainable and hygienic solution to temperature monitoring, and is a lot easier to manage too.

What Kelsius can do for you:

Choosing an automated system is the modern and simple solution to temperature monitoring. When you choose CoolCheck or FoodCheck2.0, you also have the Kelsius support team available to assist should any problems occur.

Your temperature checks are logged onto our online portal which is accessible by logging into the Kelsius portal on any device and this information is available to you 24/7.

Depending on your requirements, routine hygiene tasks are also logged which reassures staff is taking corrective measures and protocols on personal hygiene and sanitary stations.

Our system is active in thousands of sites globally across food industries and life sciences such as hotels, restaurants, QSR, food retail, vaccine centres, hospitals, pharmaceuticals and many more.

We work closely with businesses in providing reliable automated solutions making our customers’ lives easier by saving them time and money normally spent on manual checks, and we offer full support throughout the entire customer relationship journey.

Scott Harrington, Manager, Apache Pizza Ballyvolane

The Kelsius FoodCheck system has been a revelation since we implemented them in our 5 stores in Cork City. It has made our HACCP records much easier, faster and more consistent across all our stores.

Conor Campbell, Fresh Food Development Manager, Centra The Phoenix

The great advantage of the system is that is it easy to use but still provides us with the assurance that the key paperwork required for best in class food safety management is being completed. Records can be checked at any time of the day from your phone and the sign off process is simple and effective.

Conor Watson, Store Owner, Centra Cloughey

It has provided cost saving solutions by saving 1 hour per day that was normally spent on manual temperature checking and regulating. The FoodCheck system installed here has made HACCP compliance and audit preparation much easier. Our staff find this paperless system more reliable and accessible than before.

Tom Murray, Managing Director, Murray Pharmacies

Professional standards are raised using this system and it offers great peace of mind knowing my fridges and stock are being continuously monitored. This helps protect my business as I know all stock is maintained within correct temperature thresholds or else I will be alerted.

Letterkenny Businesses Using Smart Technology and moving towards Digital Automation

Kelsius are helping local companies with automation, saving time and money.

As leading suppliers in Temperature Monitoring systems, Kelsius are proud to work with many great customers that are also based here in Donegal.

In Letterkenny we have customers using both our CoolCheck and FoodCheck systems in both the food service and healthcare industries. From vaccine storage units to deli counter monitoring, we work with a wide range of industries that use Kelsius in many different parts of their business.

Travelling to and visiting customers has been difficult during the Covid-19 pandemic, but we got to speak to a number of our customers that are based in Letterkenny recently to see how the Kelsius systems have been working for them.

Dean from Macs Deli

Macs Deli chef Dean says the Kelsius system has especially helped them through the pandemic as it reduces the time spent manually checking temperatures with pen and paper. Having the tablet and probe saves them an hour each day and the time that is needed for other important tasks throughout the day is then prioritised efficiently.

He discussed how easily accessible the system is by having everything on hand in one place, and all at the touch of a button.

Burrito Loco

Jason, head chef at Burrito Loco, spoke with us about the benefits him and his staff at the Letterkenny based Mexican Grill have experienced from using the FoodCheck2.0 system. A number of the benefits discussed include:

  • Keeping reheating records in check
  • Pop up reminders to record chill times
  • Tracking back through batch codes and dates
  • Keeping track of all deliveries
  • Quick and easy temperature tracking

 

 

Eddie Tobin

“We started our deli offering in 2004 and have used Kelsius systems since that day. As our business have evolved so too has the Kelsius system has developed extensively to help us meet all our legal obligations.

FoodCheck is an integral part of our food safety compliance. It enables us to eliminate paperwork and manual tasks and as a result there are significant labour savings.

Having achieved EIQA level 3 Emerald for 8 years running, we were also awarded the National Q Mark Award for Hygiene and Food Safety in Forecourts for 6 years in a row 2011-2015. We have also been awarded the overall National Award for Hygiene & Food Safety in 2015.

We believe that Kelsius FoodCheck is critical to the maintenance of our standards and has been highly beneficial in our achievement of the Q Mark standards. I would highly recommend it to any retailer.”

Eddie Tobin, Spar Express Port Road, Letterkenny, Donegal

Centra Mountain Top

Some of our other FoodCheck2.0 customers in Letterkenny include Stateside American Restaurant, Spar Glencar. Our CoolCheck system is also live in Pramerica, Letterkenny vaccine centre, as well as the blood bank and pathology department in Letterkenny University Hospital.

As a Donegal based company, we are proud to work with so many great customers in the Letterkenny and surrounding areas.

If you are interested in finding out how we could help you and your business save time and money contact us on the link below and we would be happy to help.

Four Seasons Limassol Goes Paperless with Kelsius Digital HACCP & Temperature Monitoring

On the sunny beach of Limassol in southern Cyprus lies the luxurious 5-star Four Seasons Hotel. The luxury resort features over 300 elegant rooms, suites and residences, a total of six restaurants which are among the best in Cyprus, 4 busy bars, and extensive banqueting.

The hotel also offers an exclusive spa and comprehensive leisure facilities including sauna, steam rooms, a fully equipped gym, indoor and outdoor pools as well as a kids’ club and fashion boutiques.

 

 

The Challenge

As part of a wider sustainability initiative launched in 2018, hotel management committed to removing paper-based systems across as many departments as possible. At the same time, the hotel was upgrading its food safety certification from HACCP to ISO 22000, presenting the perfect opportunity to adopt a fully digital food safety system.

Following an in-depth review of four providers, the management team selected Kelsius’ FoodCheck 2.0 system, recognising it as the best match for their operational needs and commitment to environmental responsibility.

Challenges faced by Management & HACCP Teams

  • High volume of paper-based HACCP records in busy kitchens and food prep areas.

  • No centralised system to provide management with real-time data visibility or historic traceability.

  • Preparing for ISO 22000 required more robust, automated record-keeping.

  • Manual checks and paperwork were time-consuming and prone to human error.

  • Risk of stock loss due to undetected temperature excursions or open fridge doors.

 

Benefits of using the Kelsius system

The FoodCheck 2.0 system was rolled out across all food and beverage operations within the Four Seasons Limassol. The team at Kelsius provided full support, including on-site installation, system calibration, and staff training.

  • Paper-based records eliminated, including delivery logs, hygiene checklists, and fridge/freezer temperature sheets.
  • Automated temperature monitoring with sensors installed across all cold storage units.
  • Bluetooth probes and handheld scanners used for goods-in and food preparation checks, ensuring accuracy and traceability.
  • Real-time alerts delivered to management by text, email, and app notification in the event of an equipment failure or unsafe temperature.
  • Full digital traceability from goods-in to service, supporting ISO 22000 compliance and simplifying EHO audits.

Delivery

The Kelsius team worked closely with the hotel’s food safety and operational teams to ensure a seamless integration of FoodCheck 2.0.

After installation, the system was operational immediately and quickly adopted across the hotel. Thanks to the user-friendly interface and cloud-based access, both kitchen and management staff found the system easy to use and highly efficient.

Automated alerts, visual dashboards and real-time reporting empowered staff to focus on delivering high-quality guest experiences rather than manually inputting data or searching for records.

Outcome

  • All manual HACCP paperwork removed, saving time and storage space.

  • Digitised records ensure faster, easier audits and complete transparency.

  • Improved compliance with ISO 22000 and internal food safety protocols.

  • Temperature excursions now managed proactively, preventing stock loss and food safety risks.

  • Significant improvements in sustainability performance, with paper use cut to zero.

 

 

Nick Aristou, Executive Director

“The efficiency and service levels from the team at Kelsius were excellent, reminiscent of our own philosophy. I must be the first to say that the installation was a dream, the engineer sent over to install our system was very knowledgeable and extremely efficient as well as being an effective trainer passing on his knowledge to our own team members.

The system has met all our needs and is still evolving six months down the line, it has also meant that from our engineers point of view he can also perform better preventive maintenance on over 100 fridges and freezers we have on the premises. It has met our needs in removing paper as well as greatly reducing time and labour from our HACCP management. I would highly recommend the Kelsius system to any hotel.”

COSMO Authentic World Kitchen FoodCheck Case Study

Download the PDF Case Study here.
https://www.kelsius.com/news-blog/media/Cosmo.pdf
Background
Launched in 2003, COSMO have now grown to have 19 restaurants across UK and Ireland. COSMO Authentic World Kitchen is inspired by the best five-star hotels in the world, which bring a choice of fresh food under the same roof and elevate the buffet concept to new levels. Teppanyaki experts grill steaks and fresh seafood right in front of your eyes and chefs lay on a never-ending array of dishes.
Challenge Facing Store Owner
COSMO were looking for a system that would satisfy their Primary Authority Partnership at Reading. The system needed to be fully compliant with their current Food Safety regulations. Critically, it needed to be able to provide labour savings against manual checks that were being carried out and they wanted to eradicate paperwork piling up. The business also wanted to be able to have visibility of what was happening across the whole business, before EHO visits, so that they could be proactive to ensure standards were being achieved.
With a diverse demographic of employees from different regions of the world the system had to be very user friendly.

FoodCheck Paperless HACCP System
The Kelsius HACCP solution is a fully automated, paperless system which ensures full compliance with statutory food safety requirements. Kelsius wireless temperature sensors monitor and record temperatures in all refrigerated areas and freezers. If a measured temperature rises above a set limit, an alert is triggered. This alert can be transmitted as a text message, email and via local visual alarms.
In addition to continuous temperature recording the Kelsius system also provides time and task management by recording key activities such as deliveries, cleaning tasks, hot & cold food probing and deli traceability. All records are securely stored on the Kelsius website and each retailer can access their records at any time from any Web-enabled PC or laptop. HACCP reports can also be automatically emailed as required.
Find out more about FoodCheck

COSMO Strategic Partnership with Kelsius
An alternative system was trialled at one of the branches but failed to meet their requirements. Following on from this it was decided to trial the FoodCheck paperless HACCP system by Kelsius.
Following an extensive trial of FoodCheck at the Nottingham branch a further 2 restaurants in Dublin and Southampton were implemented. Over the next 3 months and through regular consultation Kelsius continued to work with COSMO to ensure that the systems functionalities were all being utilised.
Finally an agreement was made to award Kelsius the contract to provide our FoodCheck system across the Group. The Kelsius FoodCheck system is now installed in all locations as well as the production kitchen in Milton Keynes and has provided many benefits and savings to the business.

Conclusion
FoodCheck ensured COSMO were fully compliant with all Food Safety Regulations and more than satisfied the Primary Authority Partnership at Reading.
COSMO experienced substantial labour savings when eliminating manual unit checks, HACCP administration and Audit preparation.
FoodCheck helped COMSO to eradicate vast amounts of paperwork.
All information recorded on the system is stored using Cloud Technology allowing Senior Management to access HACCP records remotely and easily to ensure standards were being achieved.
FoodCheck’s easy-to-use interface and the comprehensive training delivered by Kelsius ensured all staff are proficient in the use of the system.

“We have the Kelsius FoodCheck HACCP system in operation in all our restaurants throughout the UK and Ireland. We have found the system invaluable in assisting us in implementing our Food Safety plan.
It is so easy for staff to use and for management to access and review records.
We can access records from all Restaurants remotely allowing for greater visibility and the Group Usage Reports are fantastic.
Comso restaurants have an average score of 4.92 out of 5 among participating Restaurants in the Scores on the Doors Scheme with all the Restaurants in Scotland achieving the top grade. Kelsius has been instrumental in helping us reach this level.”
Thomas Pawlowski, Head of Operations

Kelsius welcome the Hastings Hotel Group as Customers

Kelsius are delighted to welcome the Hastings Hotel Group on board as customers. The major deal worth six figures over the entirety of the contract will see FoodCheck rolled out to all 7 hotels and 2 affiliate restaurants.
The digital food safety system has replaced paper based manual monitoring and record keeping previously in operation.
In relation to the agreement, Kelsius Chief Executive, Andrew Logan said “We are delighted to welcome the Hastings Group as a food safety partner of Kelsius. Food safety is such a critical element for every hospitality business and this is recognised by our agreement. The Hastings Group is one of the most prominent and well established businesses in Northern Ireland and it is no coincidence they boast some of the finest hotels in the country. The Hastings Group has set the standard in HACCP management and is seeking to enhance this investment by partnering with Kelsius to reinforce their core ethos of prioritising food safety and protecting its clients and reputation.”

Picture: Grand Central Hotel, Belfast
The Hotel Group, which boasts some of the most prestigious hotels throughout Ireland, is made up of the following:
Culloden Estate and Spa, Hollywood, Co. Down
The Europa Hotel, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The Everglades Hotel, Co. Derry
The Grand Central Hotel, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, Co. Down
The Stormont Hotel, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Ballygally Castle, Co. Antrim
The Percy French Restaurant, located on the grounds of the Slieve Donard
The Cultra Inn, located on the grounds of the Culloden Estate

Picture: Slieve Donard Hotel, Co. Down
The Hastings Group
The Hastings Hotel Group is the largest independent hotel group in Northern Ireland with seven luxurious properties across the province. This family owned company was established in the late 1960’s. Sir William Hastings founded Hastings Hotels in 1966 by with the purchase of the Stormont and Adair Arms Hotels. In 1971 he bought a group of six railway hotels and set about building his business against an uncertain background.
The Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle is the only hotel of the original six which is still operating as a hotel today. Mr. Hastings had always been an optimistic man and continued to reinvest whenever he could in his hotels. Proof of this confidence came when he purchased the Europa hotel in Belfast in 1993 as a bombed-out wreck. He proceeded to spend £10 million on rebuilding the hotel, transforming it into to the magnificent City Centre landmark it is today and has become one of Ireland’s finest and most famous hotels.
The company continues to expand in line with the growth in tourism across Northern Ireland and in 2015 invested in the purchase of Windsor House, a renowned building in central Belfast which it has redeveloped and reopened as the Grand Central Hotel Belfast bringing with it 300 new hotel bedrooms to the heart of the city.
It has not been an easy fifty years for the Hastings Group and despite numerous setbacks and obstacles over the years, the company has continued to grow and grow.

Picture: The Europa Hotel, Belfast
The Hasting’s Group and Kelsius
The Management of the Hastings Group first became aware of the Kelsius system as it has been in operation in the Merrion Hotel in Dublin. The Hastings Group own a 50% share in the Merrion and were suitably impressed by what they saw.
This led to the installation of the FoodCheck system in the Europa Hotel in early 2017 in order to get a closer look at the benefits the paperless system. Management observed a reduction in labour time spent on HACCP and a reduction in the risk of human error. This experience further enhanced Management’s opinion of FoodCheck as they were able to experience on a daily basis the benefits the system can offer.
In the summer of 2018 it was agreed between Kelsius and the Hastings Group to begin the rollout of FoodCheck across the entire group. The newly opened Grand Central hotel was newly opened during this period and was the first to be installed.
Work began on the Group-wide rollout in mid-September with all sites installed, trained and using the system within 3 weeks.

Picture: The Stormont Hotel, Belfast
Raymond Duncan, who managed the project and implementation on behalf of the Hastings Group, commented: “Having work closely with the FoodCheck system in the Europa, I was able to witness first-hand the benefits of the system to our organisation. I was in no doubt moving forward with this system across all hotels was the right decision and we will reap the rewards in the coming years. Food Safety is of extreme importance to our core principals as we put the customer to the forefront of our priorities. Knowing we have Kelsius assisting us in reinforcing our principals gives our great peace of mind. I look forward to working more closely with Kelsius in the future as their service has been second to none. I would highly recommend the Kelsius system to any Hotel or establishment if they are looking to reduce labour time and costs, prioritise food safety, and wish to implement a sustainable drive to go paperless“.

Picture: Ballygally Castle, Co. Antrim
Hastings Hotels Managing Director, Howard Hastings added “We hold our customers in the highest regard here at Hastings. This agreement helps us ensure the safety of food we produce, while allowing our staff to focus on the quality of food we provide. With the result being that we can continue to provide our customers with an excellent and memorable dining experience.”

Picture: The Everglades Hotel, Derry
Kelsius would like to thank Raymond, the General Managers & Heads Chefs and staff in all the kitchens, the hotel maintenance teams and Peter Brown and his team at EOS who all contributed valuably in the seamless transition from paper to FoodCheck.
Kelsius would also like to thank our very own team of Engineers and trainer whose dedication and hard work was instrumental in implementing the rollout.

Testimonial from the Marine Institute Galway

Dr. Yvonne Bogan discusses how Kelsius and the CoolCheck system has been of benefit to the Marine Institute, based in Oranmore Co. Galway.

“We had the Kelsius Temperature Monitoring System installed in the Laboratories in January 2017. It has been a smooth transition to the Kelsius System and has been readily assimilated into our Quality Management System.
The Kelsius System simply “works in the background” and provides us with reliable on-going monitoring of over 100 items of equipment.

As the system is completely wireless, this has really been a huge benefit in all the labs and addition of probes to new items of equipment is effortless.

The support from the Kelsius Team has been immense, queries are always responded to promptly and staff are professional and extremely helpful.

A huge benefit of this system for the Marine Institute Laboratories is the ability to identify temperature trends with our equipment, via the visual display. The system is practical to use and also saves time and the dashboard allows all information to be readily displayed. The temperature data and associated information is available to all staff at any time, using a simple login.The fact that daily and weekly reports are emailed to the relevant personnel has allowed a paperless system to be rationalized throughout the laboratories.

Overall an extremely efficient and effective system that is now implemented into our laboratories.”

Dr. Yvonne Bogan, Quality Manager, Marine Environment and Food Safety Services, Marine Institute, Galway

FoodCheck Testimonials | The Marker Hotel

“Prior to installing FoodCheck we were a little apprehensive as food safety is such an important part of our business here at The Marker.

Kelsius came and completed a site survey and explained how FoodCheck could be adapted to our exact requirements. This gave us great confidence we were making the correct decision. HACCP has become much more manageable and less time consuming.

We get daily reports and weekly audits which ensures we are always on top of our HACCP requirements. All units are monitored 24/7 and chefs have more time to concentrate on what they are best at – cooking.

I am delighted that we overcame our original apprehension and FoodCheck has proven its value to us many times over. I couldn’t recommend this system highly enough.”

Gareth Mullins, Executive Chef, The Marker Hotel

Kelsius agree deal for World’s largest deployment of FoodCheck

Digital Food Safety company, Kelsius, is celebrating after landing a deal with Reading University to install the largest single deployment of its FoodCheck Paperless HACCP system.

The deal will see 17 individual FoodCheck systems covering every element of food production and food service rolled out across the entirety of Reading University, which is comprised of three separate campuses- Whitesbridge, London Road and Greenlands.

FoodCheck ensures the highest levels of food safety are adhered to by staff and management, while also guaranteeing maximum product safety allowing for complete food safety control. In addition to the safety element, it also massively reduces the costs associated with maintaining these standards – in some instances up to 30 hours per week.

Kelsius will deploy 20 FoodCheck tablets and over 100 temperature sensors to enable Reading University comply with regulations in the complex area of food safety.

Kelsius Sales Director Paddy Hearty said “We are delighted to have secured this deal with Reading University as it was a number of months in the preparation. We look forward to ensuring the team at the University continue to meet the high HACCP standards they strive to implement. This deal reinforces our position within the Digital Food Safety market.”

Reading University is home to 17,000 students and over 4,000 academic and support staff and was recently ranked in the top 1% of Universities worldwide (QS University Worldwide 2015/2016).

Neil Stafford from Reading University said, “The new Kelsius system is Fantastic, I am able to add/ remove staff, tasks, vendors and products within minutes. Get instant updates/ alerts on fridge and freezer issues. It does not deter the staff from using it as it is so simple to use. My aim was to provide the staff with an easy system to use, that they would not be afraid to use. I can train staff within minutes as it is so simple. I have a full tractability on everything within the system and again so easy to gain reports.

The support I have received from Geraldine and Denise has been fantastic. FoodCheck makes my job easier.”
For more information please contact us.

Liam Glynn talks FoodCheck

Liam Glynn, proprietor Centra Carnmore, Galway talks to us about FoodCheck.

Liam installed FoodCheck in 2015 after he completed a refurbishment on his shop and here he tells us his FoodCheck story.

Contact us today if you feel the benefits outlined By Liam appeal to you.