LPG Catering Case Study - Bosville Hotel

Spectacular scenery, top quality cuisine and a warm welcome add up to a mouth watering Scottish recipe – powered by Calor.

The award winning Bosville Hotel, situated in Portree, Isle of Skye, has been named Scottish Restaurant of the Year and has an established reputation for first class service and top quality food using fresh local produce, with thousands of guests returning every year.

The hotel has operated successfully for 15 years and one provider that has assisted in its rise in popularity is Calor, supplying the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) the hotel has been using since 1990 for all its catering, heating and hot water facilities.

The natural beauty of the island attracts visitors from around the world, due in no small part to the Isle of Skye being one of the UK’s most remote locations. Prior to using Calor LPG, the hotel relied solely on electricity. However, as it expanded, a greater amount of fuel was required and electricity was no longer a viable option. LPG offered a reliable and cost efficient fuel in an off mains gas area.

Donald MacLeod, owner of the Bosville Hotel says: "I chose to use Calor because it has a good reputation for reliability in the area. Up until then we only had an electric cooker, and with our new quality style of cooking we needed instant heat and total control. It was not an option for me to run out of gas to cook on or to provide heat and hot water - if I did the hotel’s reputation would suffer."

After detailed consultation meetings, Calor recommended Donald should install a bulk tank fitted at the rear of the hotel. Having the tank on site would mean a greater supply and continuity of gas.

The Bosville Hotel’s kitchens use Calor LPG to power a solid top six-burner range, a solid top double oven and a six burner double oven range and grill as well as a bain marie and hot cupboard. Calor LPG is also used to provide heating and hot water, powering three 300 litre hot water tanks and gas fired central heating system.

Head Chef, John Kelly, is looking to build on the hotel’s latest accolade as Scottish Restaurant of the Year, producing innovative menus using fresh fish and shell fish as well as local game, meat and fresh vegetables. Calor is on hand to offer any guidance the hotel requires as it continues to meet the demands, increase customer numbers and to cater for the new guestrooms that have been added to the building.

To ensure a continuous supply, Calor recommended that the Bosville Hotel use telemetry, a unique, computerised ordering system. A contents gauge monitors the amount of gas in the tank and sends a signal to a special dialler unit plugged into the telephone line. The dialler then regularly updates Calor’s central computer, and when a top up is required, the local Calor depot
despatches a tanker in plenty of time.

Calor’s Barry Ohrman says that telemetry is ideal for busy establishments such as The Bosville Hotel: "It’s a system that is becoming increasingly popular with customers whose businesses rely on a continued supply of LPG. It ensures they should never run short."

Like many hotels and restaurants, the Bosville Hotel, while keeping their guests comfortable, is continually looking for ways to keep costs down. Calor’s competitive prices are a key reason why Donald has remained a customer for so many years.

Barry adds: "Calor’s expertise, service, reliability and nationwide transportation network speaks for itself and I am confident that we will continue to offer customers the best package, at a cost that suits their budget."