Auckley Friery sees superior results with Ceres Heavy Duty Descaler 

David Nicolaou is always looking to improve, whether it’s finding a crispier batter, a longer-lasting oil or a knock-out onion ring. As the owner of Auckley Friery in Doncaster since 2003, and one of the first in the industry to use Ceres Deep Fryer Cleaner, David was quick to trial its latest launch, Ceres Heavy Duty Descaler on his bain marie, which is in daily use for mushy peas, gravy and curry sauce. With a proven track record and confidence in the brand, he saw an opportunity to improve safety, efficiency and cleanliness in his award-winning fish and chip shop.

Previously, David relied on harsh, acidic products to remove stubborn limescale, which, admittedly, did the job but had numerous drawbacks. “The previous descaler was aggressively acidic, so it damaged and, in some cases, destroyed seals on equipment,” he says. “Or if I left it in too long, it would start to eat away at the elements. I had to be careful about how I used it and, because it's quite toxic, I wouldn’t let the staff use it so that job always fell to me.” 

David felt the process was so hazardous that descaling became a Sunday-only job when the shop was closed. That all changed with Ceres Heavy Duty Descaler, a fast-acting, all-natural product. “We put it in the bain marie warm at the end of service overnight, came in the next morning and it had cleaned it completely,” explains David. 

“Not only did it do a great job, but there was no strong acidic smell, so now I can even do my cleaning during service. It means I don’t have to come in at the weekend - who wants to be at work on a Sunday?” 

This low-odour, low-risk formula has given David the confidence to delegate the task to his team, who incorporate it into their regular cleaning schedule. “I’m much happier with the staff handling Ceres Heavy Duty Descaler and it means they can keep on top of descaling the bain marie now and do it every month so it never gets to a point where it's terrible.”

With the bain marie now being free of stubborn limescale, David has seen an improvement in its efficiency, explaining: “That bain marie is about 20 years old and it’s come up like new. Without the limescale there, it's more efficient because the element warms up quicker - that’s less energy being used.

"Equipment is expensive to replace, and when it breaks down, there’s also the added cost and downtime of an engineer coming out to fix it. Anything we can do right now to reduce costs and improve equipment maintenance is essential."

David hasn't stopped at the bain-marie. He’s used Ceres Heavy Duty Descaler on other items like the batter bucket and whisk, saying: “We sat them in the descaler solution overnight, popped them in the dishwasher in the morning and they are pristine.” His next targets include the dishwasher and fish trays. “Because the descaler doesn’t damage seals or surfaces, it’s got so many uses in this business. It’s the best descaler we’ve used.”

The reduced need for multiple products also simplifies David’s COSHH responsibilities. “If you've got one product that you can use in six different areas it cuts down on the number of COSHH sheets you need to fill out. It’s so much easier to manage your paperwork,” he says.

"As a long-time Ceres customer, David felt instantly confident trying its Heavy Duty Descaler. He explains: “Ceres doesn't launch products unless it's truly confident in them - there’s a lot of R&D behind each one. The descaler underwent six to seven months of testing and refinement, so I knew it would be good, just like all their other products.'"

Auckley Friery has steadily grown in reputation, especially following a major refit in 2018. It now boasts multiple national awards, including a place in the 2024 Top 10 Fish & Chip Takeaways and five consecutive years in Fry Magazine’s Top 50 Fish & Chip Takeaways Awards. Driving David is a phrase he once heard from celebrity chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White: 'Perfection is just lots of little things done properly.' It’s a principle he lives by, whether it’s sourcing the best ingredients or the most effective cleaning products.

Order your Ceres Heavy Duty Descaler today.