Cold Link Africa September 2024 | Page 20

Babylonstoren , renowned for its premium Cape fresh produce , has significantly bolstered its operations with the opening of a new cold store warehouse in Midrand , Gauteng , for regional distribution of its rapidly growing online store .
PROJECT
Babylonstoren Garden from above .

Cape ’ s Babylonstoren opens new cold store warehouse in Midrand

Compiled by Eamonn Ryan with technical input from Babylonstoren operations manager : Johannesburg , Koos Redelinghuys ; and Graham Bloom , owner of contractor Cool Reaction ( Pty ) Ltd .

Babylonstoren , renowned for its premium Cape fresh produce , has significantly bolstered its operations with the opening of a new cold store warehouse in Midrand , Gauteng , for regional distribution of its rapidly growing online store .

Founded in 1692 as a wine and wheat Cape Dutch style farm , Babylonstoren was carefully restored by its current owners and a team of skilled hands into a unique destination with magnificent fruit and veg gardens at its core .

Located at the foot of the craggy Simonsberg mountains ( incidentally excellent red wine territory ), the traditional H-form house , storerooms , gabled henhouse and pigeon loft , wine cellar , stables and workshops , provide an insight into a selfsufficient rural past . This is a working farm , with a beautiful kitchen garden surrounded by vineyards and fruit orchards , with wheat fields and even a rice paddy .
As Babylonstoren ' s business continues to grow , the company has invested in their cold chain to ensure quality and freshness with scalability - hence the importance of the new cold storage facility in managing increased demand and ensuring product quality .
The cold storage project at Babylonstoren and at Midrand has been primarily managed in-house , with a team of project engineers handling the various
technical aspects . This approach ensures that the company maintains control over the project ' s quality and execution .
Bloom outlines the broad elements of the project :
• Cold room design : The cold room features a conveyor belt system , with distinct areas for cold holding and cold fish picking . Consultants and experts collaborated to ensure efficient refrigeration and storage .
• Insulated panels : Dalucon supplied insulated panels for the cold room . These panels form the backbone of the structure , ensuring optimal temperature control .
• Condensers and brands : The refrigeration system includes both Cubicool and Daikin condensing units linked up with Cubicool evaporator coils and electrical control panels which play a crucial role in maintaining the cold rooms functionality .
Cool Reaction has a long-standing relationship with Babylonstoren ,
Images by Babylonstoren
Underground wine tunnel .

20 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za COLD LINK AFRICA • September 2024