Trolleys & Racks

Catering trolleys and racks for Australian commercial kitchens, hotels and event caterers — stainless steel clearing trolleys, multi-tier serving trolleys, tray and rack trolleys, and heated food bar trolleys that move food, crockery and equipment without the manual handling. From a three-tier clearing trolley for the floor to gastronorm rack trolleys for the bakery, this is the moving equipment that keeps service flowing. Outfitting the storage end too? See our storage shelving and plate lowerators.

Who catering trolleys are for

Every venue that moves food or dishes in volume needs wheels: restaurants and clubs run clearing trolleys between floor and dish pit; hotels send breakfast and room-service trolleys out daily; bakeries and production kitchens roll rack trolleys of trays between oven, cooling and dispatch; event caterers live and die by how much one staff member can move in a single trip. A good trolley is a labour saving you bank every single service.

What's in scope

Clearing and serving trolleys

Two- and three-tier stainless trolleys for clearing tables, running stock and general kitchen transport — the all-purpose workhorse.

Tray and rack trolleys

Trolleys built to carry gastronorm pans and 600x400 bakery trays in runners, moving whole batches between oven, cool room and service.

Heated and food bar trolleys

Mobile bain marie and food bar trolleys that hold pans at temperature while they move — a rolling hot servery for functions and floors. See also bain marie trolleys and accessories.

Specialty and utility trolleys

Multi-use platform trolleys, cutlery and dispense trolleys, and heavy-duty units for back-of-house logistics.

How to choose a catering trolley in three steps

Picking the right commercial kitchen trolley comes down to three questions, in order.

Step 1 — Match the trolley to the task

Clearing tables needs a tiered clearing trolley; moving baked goods needs a rack trolley sized to your trays; holding food hot on the move needs a heated food bar trolley. Buy for the job, not the catalogue photo — the wrong type gets abandoned in a corridor.

Step 2 — Check capacity and tier height

Count what one trip should carry — plates, tubs, trays or pans — and check the load rating and clear height between tiers against your tallest items. For rack trolleys, match the runner spacing to your GN pans or 600x400 trays.

Step 3 — Measure doorways and floors

Measure your narrowest doorway, lift or ramp on the trolley's route, and look at castor size and brakes for the floor surface — bigger castors roll better over thresholds and service yards, and at least two braked castors are worth having anywhere with a slope.

Venue fit

Restaurants and cafes start with a stainless clearing trolley; hotels and clubs add serving and heated trolleys for functions; bakeries and caterers run rack trolleys matched to their tray fleet. Browse by brand — Rieber for premium German transport systems and Vogue for value stainless trolleys both feature in this range.

Popular models: two proven starting points are the TRS1015 multi-use trolley for GN and 600x400 trays as a flexible rack trolley, and the Vogue three-tier clearing trolley (large) for floor and kitchen runs.

Frequently asked questions

What is a catering trolley?

A catering trolley is a wheeled stainless steel cart used in commercial kitchens, hotels and events to move food, crockery, trays and equipment. Common types include tiered clearing and serving trolleys, rack trolleys for gastronorm pans and bakery trays, and heated food bar trolleys that hold food at temperature while mobile.

What's the difference between a clearing trolley and a serving trolley?

They're structurally similar tiered trolleys used in opposite directions: a clearing trolley collects used plates, glasses and waste from the floor back to the dish area, while a serving trolley runs prepared food and stock out to service points. Many venues use the same stainless trolley for both, kept to one direction per service for hygiene.

How much weight can a stainless steel trolley carry?

Load ratings vary by build — light service trolleys carry modest tiered loads, while heavy-duty platform and rack trolleys are rated for far more. Check the load rating on each product page and rate it per tier as well as overall, since an overloaded top tier makes any trolley unstable.

What size trolley fits through a standard doorway?

Measure your narrowest doorway, corridor or lift on the trolley's route before buying — including the turn into it. Compact clearing trolleys are sized for standard hospitality doorways, but rack trolleys and food bar trolleys can be wider, so confirm the listed dimensions against your route.

What is a rack trolley?

A rack trolley is a frame on castors with runners that hold gastronorm pans or 600x400 bakery trays, so staff move a whole batch of product in one push — oven to cooling, cool room to line, kitchen to dispatch. Match the runner spacing and tray size to the pans you actually use.

Do you deliver catering trolleys across Australia?

Yes. Commercial Kitchen Store ships nationwide, and Australian-based phone support is available on 1300 111 901 if you need help choosing trolleys for your venue. For cover details, see our warranty and service information.