Ice ice, baby: Dometic

Dometic is coming to the rescue of anyone who has fretfully watched the bucket of ice cooling their midsummer tipple on the terrace gradually turn to bottle soup, or missed all the best moments of a garden gathering because they had to trudge to the old refrigerator in the garage every time another chilled bottle of something sparkling was upended. Surprisingly absent from the outdoor entertaining market until now, the finely-engineered, well-presented refrigerated mobile bar is Dometic’s newest innovation. Called MoBar, the intrepid drinks trolley completes the toolkit of the outdoor host.

A world-leader in the manufacture of mobile leisure appliances, Sweden’s Dometic has form in cooling and refrigeration innovation with its invention in 1922 of absorption cooling technology. The idea to pool all its expertise towards a high-end mobile bar struck the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Peter Kjellberg, just a year and a half ago. ‘I love food and wine and I want to enjoy it on my patio. Here in the northern latitudes, we have sun and warm for so little time that while we do, we tend to want to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner outside,’ says the Stockholm-based gastronome. Contemplating the fact that there is every piece of equipment you might want to create, cure and cook food outside, from pizza ovens, to smokers, to barbecues, but nothing to aid the mixing and serving of beverages outside, Kjellberg set out to explore the market.

Finding nothing presentable, only cumbersome, looks-challenged appliances for use in commercial settings, Kjellberg and a design team headed to the US where their bi-coastal search for solutions to the al fresco refrigeration of drinks turned up only DIY Macgyvers. ‘We spent time in people’s houses in Sweden and the US monitoring how they addressed the problem,’ says Kjellberg. ‘We found that though they might invest lots of money in outdoor entertaining solutions for food, drinks would be serviced by an old fridge left over from a kitchen renovation, relegated to the garage.’

The call for a practical, high-performing, good-looking mobile bar rang loud and clear, and so the MoBar family was born. Every element in the design of the three models has been scrutinised to ensure maximum form and function, from the hardiness of the components for outdoor use (heavy-duty wheels and recyclable industrial materials), to cocktail-twirling ergonomics. The design was informed by consultation with bartenders, among them Sweden’s award-winning Emile Åreng. Oak cutting boards, metal trays, and speed rails for quick and easy access to ingredients are incorporated. A mixing and serving area is inbuilt with stored ingredients in easy reach. The handle doubles as a towel rail and there is the option of a countertop extension. A rotomolded ice basket keeps bottles ice-cold for hours, a refrigerated compartment keeps drinks at the optimal temperature and mood-enhancing lighting makes drinks visible and enticing. ‘There’s functional ice and aesthetic ice,’ says Kjellberg, ‘No detail has been missed.’

Party invitations may be restricted currently, but the pandemic’s distancing rules have only reinforced the trend towards outdoor living, both domestically and in the hospitality setting. Already a market leader in the mobile living industry, with MoBar finally tooling up home entertainers and hospitality with the means to serve drinks outdoors in style, Dometic has laid the groundwork for owning the area of alfresco catering.

Not only is the drinks market booming, so is the thirst for outdoor living. Just as kitchens and bathrooms have had their roles as functional spaces rethought as interior spaces to just be in, gardens, terraces, patios and backyards are transforming into another room. Outdoor furniture is taking on the cosy, cushioned allure of indoor furniture, and the catering possibilities outside are rivalling those in the kitchen. So it is timely that drinks are finally counted among those life-moments that are catered for under the sky.

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