Hidden in McCormick’s South Carolina countryside is Savannah Lakes Village. A recreational community of 500 homes and three championship golf courses that wrap around the stunning Lake Thurmond.
Chef Duane Keller, Food and Beverage Director, along with his dedicated team – award-winning Head Chef, Brandon Smith, Pastry Chef, Joe Trol and talented chef Rita Wideman, are responsible for Savannah’s large and varied catering operation.
Having used Wrapmaster® in a career that spans four decades and includes cooking for two US presidents, Chef Duane first introduced the ultimate chef wrap system to Savannah Lakes when he joined in September 2022.
“I bring Wrapmaster® wherever I go, Wrapmaster® is something that adds to the detail of a kitchen and it’s all about details. We focus on regional and seasonal farm -to-table food and giving residents consistency in their experience. In the last year, our food business has grown by +45% and that’s by being consistent and working efficiently. In the culinary arts, you have art and science, the art is being creative with food, having fun, and then there’s the science and that’s where Wrapmaster® helps us.”
Having previously used loose rolls, Head Chef Brandon could see the benefits of the Wrapmaster® system straight away.
“Every chef’s worst nightmare is a loose roll of plastic wrap. They’re just unsanitary. You have these torn boxes, they’re dirty and they have food and grease on them. For efficiency and hygiene Wrapmaster® is great. We can break it down, run it through the dishwasher to come out clean and sanitary, dry them off and reload them for service.
“I mean, you can’t take your roll of plastic wrap and run it through the dishwasher. With our kitchen environment, Wrapmaster® keeps clean, loaded and on the tabletops. And they’re not an eyesore.”
With a large and mature community, food safety and efficiency have been key to the impressive operation running smoothly across The River Grille (Tara Clubhouse), Mont’s Village Bar & Grill Room (Moneticello Clubhouse), The Pub at Tara and The Café which offers a handmade selection of grab and go breads, pastries and cakes.
Duane continues;
“We have very clean kitchens. I love Wrapmaster® for that reason. Food safety has always been number one in the culinary arts and that’s where I run a tight ship, especially as we have a clientele that’s aged 55 and older, so they’re a little more susceptible. “
Depending on the size of the kitchen and service, Savannah’s dedicated chefs use a combination of the Wrapmaster® 3000, Wrapmaster® 4500 and Wrapmaster® Duo with the systems helping the team to save time and reduce waste.
Brandon adds;
“The first thing I noticed is that our efficiency went up a little bit. You save time with just being able to close the lid and cut the plastic, or the aluminum foil, or the parchment paper. Wrapmaster® cuts to size easy, especially the parchment paper which can be hard to tear off the roll. We used to cut big pan liners to fit, and all these things have become way more efficient [… ] you pull out what you need, clip it off and it’s so much faster, it saves time from everything that you do.”
Duane agrees;
“The applications that Wrapmaster® helps us with are endless. It goes without saying that every time you go to wrap something up, it just helps with the efficiency of everybody in the kitchen. If you can help people become 10% more efficient and you got a staff of ten, just think about that productivity.”
And it’s not just about saving time; the Savannah Lakes Village culinary team is fully committed to sustainable cooking too, from sourcing local ingredients to reducing kitchen waste.
Chef Duane explains;
“As a chef, that’s the old craft. We look to use every bit of the animal. So that’s why we love Wrapmaster® – the zero-waste aspect. I feel much better having Wrapmaster® because there is no waste. You can pull and cut any length it’s just so precise.”
Brandon adds, “from a waste point of view, you’re not throwing big balls of plastic wrap into the trash can because you’re not tearing it halfway through, then using even more to try to fix that little rip down the side. I would say we probably save 15-20% on plastic – easy.”
Wrapmaster® is available now from local and national distributors or you can buy direct from the Wrapmaster® e-shop for exclusive bundle offers: https://shopusa.wrapmaster.global/ordering.
“Every chef’s worst nightmare is a loose roll of plastic wrap. They’re just unsanitary. For efficiency and hygiene Wrapmaster® is great. We can break it down, run it through the dishwasher to come out clean and sanitary, dry them off and reload them for service.”
Head Chef, Brandon Smith Savannah Lakes Village