V-Tex is changing the way the world chills drinks. We speak to Director, Colin Rodgers about the innovative technology company transforming the way we cool our beverages.
MAINTIANING A CHILLED APPROACH
Launched in 2010, V-Tex is pioneering the drinks chilling industry with its groundbreaking ‘Chill then Go’ technology.
November 2023 saw the official launch of the company’s rapid chilling solution that is transforming beverage service in various sectors, including retail, hospitality, and events.
“We’re driving major advances over traditional refrigeration methods, allowing users to chill beverages on demand while using less energy,” introduces Director, Colin Rodgers.
“As a business, we’re deeply committed to addressing escalating global water and energy consumption, and our efforts have not gone unnoticed. We’ve been honoured with the European Commission’s ‘Seal of Excellence’ and have received significant funding through FP7 and Horizon 2020 grants,” he enthuses.
These accolades have been instrumental in evolving V-Tex’s technology from a mere proof of concept, transitioning successfully into a full array of commercially
viable products.
V-Tex’s market success is reflected in the continually increasing interest from potential partners and clients on a daily basis.
In this way, the company maintains ongoing conversations with venue designers, owners, and distributors, actively seeking new opportunities to broaden its influence and reach.
CONQUERING THE MARKET
The idea of on-demand drinks chilling has been around for many years, and several large companies have tried to achieve success in this field.
Historically, the challenge of drinks chilling has largely stemmed from the complexities involved in rapidly cooling liquids evenly, especially carbonated beverages. The key difficulty lies in achieving even cooling without disrupting the carbonation in fizzy drinks.
The experienced and innovative engineers at V-Tex have tackled these challenges.
“Our breakthrough approach involves placing the beverage in a chamber filled with cold water and ice using forced convection. The real gamechanger in our technology is the creation of a Rankine vortex by rotating the beverage at a specific speed. This technique allows the carbonated liquid to mix without affecting the carbon dioxide bubbles,” explains Rodgers.
Through extensive testing, V-Tex discovered that cooling rates could be significantly improved by intermittently collapsing and recreating this vortex. This is then achieved through a pulsed rotation, which forms the core of the company’s patented V-Tex technology.
Today, this innovative approach allows the ability to chill drinks in just a few minutes, significantly faster than traditional methods, and offers crucial energy savings of 50 to 90 percent.
Additionally, V-Tex’s technology eliminates the need for the chemicals and glycol typically used in other cooling systems, further enhancing its eco-friendly credentials.
THE REFRIGERATION REVOLUTION
V-Tex’s innovative technology allows for a dynamic approach to serving beverages.
Instead of maintaining a static, ready-to-serve stockpile of drinks, V-Tex enables wines, beers, and mixers to be chilled on demand as they’re ordered.
The V-Tex unit is equipped with universal holders that can accommodate cans or bottles of any size, ranging from 150 millilitres to two litres. This impressive adaptability allows vendors to offer customers a wider variety of chilled beverages that can be served on demand for a fresher, more varied, and customised experience. The result is a significant enhancement in both the efficiency of service and the sustainability of operations.
Unlike traditional cooling systems that operate at a constant temperature, V-Tex’s technology also adapts to the specific cooling requirements of each bottle or can. This precise temperature control elevates, enhances, and refines the customer’s drinking experience by ensuring that beverages like a fine Chablis or a can of beer are chilled to their ideal serving temperatures.
RESOLUTELY ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE
Across the globe in 2021, beverage companies emitted a staggering 3.8 percent of global CO2 emissions, and with an annual reduction of only 0.7 percent, the industry is increasingly falling behind both its 2030 and 2050 net zero goals.
Broadly, the refrigeration industry, which is traditionally reliant on large refrigerators operating around the clock, has struggled to find sustainable solutions to meet growing demands.
In most commercial settings, pre-packed beverages are kept cold continuously, resulting in significant energy consumption. V-Tex’s technology, however, disrupts this norm by enabling venues to rapidly and perfectly chill beverages right at the point of sale or consumption, eliminating the need for drinks to be refrigerated 24/7.
In the short term, for venue owners or operators such as contract caterers, the ability to cool larger volumes of drinks using fewer refrigerators offers significant cost savings. Parallel to this, in the long run, businesses and brands can now boast enhanced energy savings that support greener operations and a move to net zero.
REVOLUTIONISING MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES
As the vast beverage industry faces yet more economic challenges and frequent closures, V-Tex’s ‘Chill then Go’ technology presents a promising solution to reduce costs and save substantial amounts of water and energy.
“These benefits resonate across the entire supply chain, especially drinks companies, by aligning with green initiatives and increasing sales through efficiently chilled beverages,” Rodgers tells us.
What’s more, this technology enables businesses to optimise space by reducing the need for large refrigeration units. This also means a wider range of products can be stored and chilled on demand, which is particularly advantageous for venues with limited space at their facility.
Now, in restaurants and bars, V-Tex’s fast cooling capabilities improve operational efficiency. As a result, staff can focus more on customer service rather than drinks preparation, enhancing the overall dining experience.
Moving forward, with new drinks being launched by brands and the massive rise in the popularity of non-alcoholic beverages, V-Tex presents the ability to cater for this increasing range of items, enhancing both consumer choice and satisfaction without making energy and environmental issues worse.
Overall, V-Tex is a gamechanging technology that will undoubtedly continue to transform the way businesses chill and serve their beverages. With its intuitive control panel, efficient cooling system, and premium design, V-Tex is a must-have for any business that wants to provide high-quality, chilled drinks to its customers.
For more information, visit v-tex.cool.
