Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. Mon to Fri.BRCGS Grade AA certificated01789 224228
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Service · grade & spec

Choosing the right food-contact silicone.

A food-contact mould is only as good as the material spec behind it. We choose the grade around your product and your cleandown, then document it on the way out.

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BRCGS AACertificated
PFAS-freePlatinum-cure
UKMade
Any batchNo minimum

Overview

Choosing the right food-contact silicone.

Silicone sample plaques and paperwork on a workshop bench
Comparing food-contact silicone grades for the job

Not every silicone is food-contact. Not every food-contact silicone suits every product. Some grades handle hot sugar and some do not. Some tolerate a caustic wash and some soften on the first cycle. Grade selection is a real specification job.

We buy food-contact silicone to a defined grade, record which grade went into your mould, and hand over a supplier declaration with the order. Your food-safety paperwork is not left for you to reconstruct.

What we make

Common asks in this service.

01

Match grade to product

Chocolate, hot sugar, mousse, gummy, dough — each one narrows the sensible grade list. We start by asking what the mould contains.

02

Match grade to cleandown

Caustic, dishwasher, hot water, hand wash. The most punishing cycle drives grade selection more than the fill does.

03

Record grade at manufacture

The grade of silicone used in your mould is recorded against your order. Auditable, retrievable at reorder.

04

Supply a material declaration

A supplier declaration accompanies the mould, stating what it's made of and confirming food-contact compliance.

05

Advise on limitations

We tell you what the grade is not for. A grade selected for a chiller line is not necessarily right for an oven.

Different food moulds and silicone samples arranged for material selection
Grades chosen for product and cleaning method

How it gets made

Drawn, proofed, then poured.

Every mould starts as a drawing we agree with you. We make a master, pour a single proof cavity in PFAS-free platinum-cure food-grade silicone and let you test it with your own recipe.

Once you are happy, we pour or press the full tray, record the grade against your order and keep the drawing on file for reorders.

How our processes work

CAD cavity design for a food-contact silicone tool.

What we ask up front

Four questions on every enquiry.

01

Grade language, in plain terms

We describe grades as food-contact grade, hot-fill capable, high-temperature capable, or caustic-tolerant, and record the exact spec on paperwork.

02

Certificates versus declarations

A supplier declaration is a material statement. A certification scheme audits a site. We're clear about which of these we supply.

03

Grade updates over time

Occasionally a supplier updates a grade. We tell you at reorder if this has happened, before shipping.

04

Your own approval process

Tell us what your auditor needs. We'd rather find a gap now than after the mould ships.

Typical work

Case studies and further reading.

Food-grade silicone samples and mould pieces in several colours and forms.
Grade

Grade for a caustic-wash line

Grade selection for a bakery running a caustic wash, chosen for wash tolerance not for peak oven cycle.

Read the guide
Gloved hand flexing silicone sweet mould beside freshly cast boiled sweets.
Grade

Grade for hot-poured sugar

A high-temperature food-contact grade for a boiled-sugar confectioner.

See project
Identical mousse desserts beside a matching silicone entremet tray.
Grade

Grade for a signature entremet

A softer food-contact grade for a chef's signature mousse entremet, selected for release not durability.

See project

At a glance

The idea in a picture.

How a food mould gets made

  1. 01DrawingWe agree the shape with you
  2. 02MasterMade to the drawing
  3. 03Proof cavityPoured in food-grade silicone
  4. 04Your testTry it with your own recipe
  5. 05Full trayPoured or pressed to size
  6. 06On recordGrade and drawing kept for reorders

Swipe to see the whole diagram

Nothing goes into full production until you have tested a cavity with your own recipe.

Questions

Four that come up on this service.

Are your silicones food-contact?

Yes, when spec'd as such. We buy food-contact silicones to a defined grade, record the grade against your order, and issue a supplier declaration.

How do you handle BRCGS?

We're BRCGS certificated to the Agents and Brokers standard, Grade AA (site code 10026811), and every order comes with a material declaration for the grade used. Ask us and we'll send the certificate and talk you through the paperwork.

Which grade do you recommend?

That depends on the product and the cleandown. We'll pick the grade after we've heard both — not before.

Can I switch grade later?

Yes, if the mould geometry allows it. We'll note the switch on paperwork so the audit trail stays clean.

Ready?

Talk to us about material selection.

Send a photo, a sketch or a sample. We'll come back with a route and a quote.

Send an enquiry 01789 224228

Real people, a real workshop

You deal with the people who make it.

No call centre and no middlemen. When you contact TCI Culinary, you speak to the team who design, build and check your mould.

  • A real Warwickshire workshopUnit 15, Waterloo Park, Bidford-on-Avon, Alcester B50 4JG.
  • Real people on the phoneCall the team on 01789 224228, Monday to Friday.
  • The same team on every jobDesign, production and aftercare come from the people you see here.
  • BRCGS Grade AATechcraft Industries Culinary Ltd. See the certificate details.
The TCI design and project office.
The TCI design and project office.
A stack of TCI silicone moulds.
A stack of TCI silicone moulds.
The TCI workshop, with moulds on the bench mid-build.
The TCI workshop, with moulds on the bench mid-build.
  • Thomas LaneManaging Director
  • George PrestonDesign & Project Manager
  • Kelly BallingerHead of Partnerships
  • Jim AndertonProduction Manager
  • TheodoreEmployee Welfare
Meet the team