Wider Counters, Fewer Steps: Williams Expands the Jade Range

Kitchen capacity is usually discussed in litres. During service, the more useful measurement can be footsteps.

If a chef repeatedly leaves the section to reach a second fridge, the kitchen is paying for that journey on every service. Williams’ new Jade Wide refrigerated counters are designed to put substantially more cold storage directly beneath the preparation area.

What makes the counters “wide”?

The new models are compatible with 2/1 GN pans and are available with two or three doors. Williams states that the two-door JWC2 provides 611 litres of capacity, compared with 317 litres in its standard two-door Jade counter.

Each section can hold two 2/1 GN trays. Refrigerator and freezer versions are available, along with a dedicated meat-storage model operating between -2°C and +2°C.

Options include reverse configurations, splashbacks, raised pan holders and cut-out wells. The units use R290 refrigerant and Williams’ CoolSmart controller, and they can work with third-party remote-monitoring systems.

More capacity is useful only in the right place

A larger counter does not automatically create a better kitchen. It needs to be positioned where the stored ingredients are actually used.

Before choosing one, map a full service:

1. Mark every occasion a chef leaves the station for refrigerated stock.
2. Record which ingredients cause the journey.
3. Identify the trays and pack sizes used.
4. Check whether those products could be held safely below the preparation surface.
5. Confirm that added depth will not narrow the working aisle.

That final point matters. A counter that saves ten journeys but creates a permanent obstruction is not an improvement.

2/1 GN can change the workflow

The benefit is not merely a bigger box. Compatibility with larger GN pans can reduce decanting, allow bulk ingredients to remain in their working containers and simplify movement between preparation, storage and production areas.

That can be particularly useful in hotels, schools, event kitchens, production catering and other sites handling larger batches.

Craven’s verdict

Williams’ Jade Wide range is aimed at kitchens where standard counters are genuinely running out of useful capacity. Its value should be judged in saved movement, compatible containers and better-positioned stock, not litres alone.

Craven Cooling can review the footprint, door clearances, ventilation, GN requirements and delivery route before helping you compare the wide-format counter against standard alternatives.

The stunt — The Pedometer Service: Put a step counter on the chef working the busiest section for one service. Repeat the exercise after moving the most-used chilled ingredients closer. The difference gives the counter purchase a real workflow number.

Source: Williams Jade Wide Counter launch