Expert advice — Powered by DK Services NW
Everything you need to know about commercial glasswashers, dishwashers, ice machines and bottle coolers for pubs, bars and restaurants. Honest, expert advice from DK Services — 25+ years supplying 500+ venues across the Northwest.
Whether you're opening a new pub, replacing aging equipment or trying to decide whether to rent or buy — our guides give you honest, practical advice based on 25+ years in the industry.
Everything you need to know about choosing the right commercial glasswasher for your pub or bar. Size guide, features, brands and whether to rent or buy.
The honest comparison. We break down the real costs of renting vs buying commercial bar equipment — including maintenance, tax and total cost of ownership.
The complete equipment checklist for opening a new pub or bar. What you need, what you can defer and how to get set up quickly and cost-effectively.
What size ice machine does your pub need? Cubed vs crushed ice, daily output guide, top brands and whether to rent or buy your commercial ice maker.
Every pub or bar needs these four pieces of commercial equipment. Get the right specification from the start and you'll save money, time and headaches for years to come.
The most important piece of equipment behind any bar. A good glasswasher keeps your glasses sparkling, your hygiene scores high and your service flowing during busy sessions.
Hire from £18/week • Buy from £800
Essential for any pub serving food. A commercial dishwasher handles plates, cutlery and kitchen equipment far faster and more hygienically than domestic models.
Hire from £20/week • Buy from £900
Running out of ice on a busy night costs you sales. The right ice machine keeps up with demand — size it correctly from the start based on your expected daily throughput.
Hire from £20/week • Buy from £600
Back bar bottle coolers keep your beers, wines and mixers at perfect serving temperature. Get the right number of doors and capacity for your product range and throughput.
Hire from £10/week • Buy from £400
After 25 years supplying equipment to pubs across the Northwest, most of our customers choose hire over outright purchase. Here's why it makes commercial sense for most venues.
From small micropubs to multi-site bar groups — here's what our customers say about working with DK Services.
"I am very happy with the customer service that I receive every time I call up. Whenever we have a problem it is always dealt with within 24 hours."
"DK Services are very efficient. The problems that occur are dealt with straight away. I would definitely recommend."
"Their service is 100% from the office to the engineers on site. Best customer service by far!"
Not sure what equipment you need or whether to rent or buy? Fill in your details and one of our specialists will call you back with honest, no-obligation advice based on your specific venue.
Every pub needs four core pieces of commercial equipment: a glasswasher, bottle coolers, an ice machine and (if serving food) a commercial dishwasher. The right specification of each depends on your venue size, expected throughput and whether you're primarily wet-led or food-led.
For most pubs renting is more cost-effective. Hire plans include free maintenance, free callouts and 2 services per year — meaning no surprise repair bills. 100% of rental payments are tax deductible. Read our full rent vs buy guide for a detailed cost comparison.
Most pubs use a 400mm undercounter glasswasher which handles 16-20 glasses per 2-minute cycle. Small or quiet pubs can manage with a 350mm model. High-volume venues or nightclubs should consider a 500mm model. Read our full glasswasher guide for pub for detailed sizing advice.
Small bars typically need 30-45kg daily output. Busy pubs and restaurants need 65-100kg. Nightclubs and high-volume venues should consider 240kg. A simple rule of thumb is 500g of ice per drink served per day. Read our full ice machine guide for pubs for detailed advice.
To buy outright: glasswashers from £800, dishwashers from £900, ice machines from £600, bottle coolers from £400. To hire: glasswashers from £18/week, dishwashers from £20/week, ice machines from £20/week, bottle coolers from £10/week — all including free delivery, installation and maintenance.