Top Factors For The Ideal Kitchen

Where To Begin?

It seems there's much to learn about commercial kitchen design through shared experiences, though even with this knowledge and a fully laden kitchen on standby, starting out in this way isn't quite as beneficial as it would appear, as Brian testifies..

"We can learn a lot from experience, including the hard bought experiences of others. My dear friend Pete was many things during his long and colourful life, among them a Painter and Decorator, a Jazz trombonist and a Hotel Manager. When I told him that I was buying a Hotel and Restaurant he replied in his soft Irish accent with just four words; 'hard on the feet'. Oh how I wish that I had explored the implications of those choice words, now that I have been walking on kitchen floors for over ten years! You see, I inherited a large, well equipped kitchen. Surely that's an advantage, isn't it? Let's explore that question to consider the factors that make for an 'ideal' kitchen." Brian Matthews, owner, Pen-Y-Bont hotel.

Which Foods Do You Want To Serve To Your Customers?

When we bought our business it had an established clientele and a very large menu consisting mainly of home-cooked meals and snacks. We continued with this model, before reducing the choice to the most popular dishes after the first season. This proved to be a successful strategy, lowering overheads and waiting times for meals. The size and content of your menu has a significant bearing on your kitchen layout and the type of equipment you choose to install.

Here is a cautionary tale: a local pub changed hands and introduced nouvelle cuisine to the area. In this remote rural location this was a novelty. A fortune was spent on new facilities in both the kitchen and the restaurant to provide a cultured and fashionable dining experience that locals generally agreed was tasteful and "posh". Then they stopped at the Fish and Chip shop on the way home as they were still hungry! It lasted one season only. The moral here is: find out what your potential customers want. That may be a very different thing to what you want to make for them. This is the primary consideration before you design and equip your kitchen. If you are roasting meats and vegetables and preparing your own sauces then a six ring hob and two Rationale ovens may be a way forward. If your patrons want quick, cheap curry and a pint deals then a wall of commercial microwaves may be more appropriate.

The Matter Of Size

In an ideal world, your kitchen would be designed from scratch as a new build, and you would have unlimited resources with which to build it. If you are in that extremely fortunate position, start feeling the gratitude right now. Your life is blessed. Most of us however, will be adapting existing fixtures and fittings, within a building that was not designed to be a modern kitchen. Public Houses in particular are often buildings of historical interest, with limited space and opportunity for expansion.

Air ventilation and extraction are always important considerations but never more so than when cooking in confined spaces. On the other hand it may be easier for one person to service the menu when every appliance is within arms length. In our case changing the menu resulted in a kitchen that was much larger than required. Re-designing the layout to minimise walking distance was now one of our main considerations. It was achieved by purchasing a mobile plate warmer and a small commercial microwave operated by a chef in one of the hottest parts of the kitchen.

Health and Safety

It's only when it starts to give you problems that you realise it's importance. I'm talking about your spine. Mount those Rationale ovens at eye level to avoid bending down. Don't mount them too high though, as dishes come out of ovens and microwaves filled with hot contents! Choose work surfaces that are at a comfortable height to reduce leaning forwards. As we are all different heights this can vary, but a neat trick for taller members of staff is to change your stance. By standing with your feet further apart, when chopping vegetables for example, you can reduce your height and so minimise bending forwards. If you are having any doubts about asking your staff to do this, I promise you it is less controversial than asking the shorter members of staff to stand on boxes. Source a floor surface that will be non-slip even when wet.

Every fitting in a commercial kitchen is hard so avoid collisions wherever possible (or wear kitchen armour, which as Nisbets don't stock it you know it ain't going to happen!) Position fixtures so that corners don't protrude into areas of restricted access and keep hot surfaces away from busy thoroughfares. This will take careful planning, so get to know the geography of your work areas and trial them yourself to identify risks. Here your experience and imagination will serve you in the prevention of accidents that could have been avoided. Where do the cheffing staff need to walk? Can this be reduced by moving certain appliances nearer or by buying a new appliance? Where will Waiting On staff walk? Does the kitchen layout encourage Food Operatives and Front of House staff to move in different areas? The quality and brightness of your lighting is also very important.

Ease of Cleaning

The ideal floor will gently slope towards the centre of the room where a drain will carry away any excess water. Then, at the end of each session, detergent and sterilising solutions can be sluiced, scrubbed and squeegeed without standing water forming under the fridges. Choose wheeled tables etc. where possible, that can be easily moved and replaced. Replace work surfaces that have become scratched or corroded so that they are no longer smooth and capable of being sterilised. If you use a range or other fixed cooking appliance, can it be positioned so that you can clean under and behind this work station?

Your walls will probably get steamed daily, so apply the toughest, diamond hard paint and make sure surfaces are entirely washable. This of course also applies to ceilings. Here circular ceiling lights are much less likely to harbour dust than most other fittings while also being generally more waterproof. All these requirements will be taken into consideration during Food Hygiene inspections, so good planning and design will save you time and money in maintaining high standards and compliance.

Article: Ensure no stone is left unturned when it comes to a deep clean with our Ultimate Cleaning Guide.

The Right Equipment For The Job

"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail" is as true in catering as it is in examinations. Every night is an examination of your ability to perform under pressure in a commercial kitchen. You need the best equipment, performing optimally and fit for the job. A perfectly good domestic blender will soon burn out preparing gallons of soup. Prepare yourself for the white heat of the kitchen with tools that are hard enough for the job. There are such a wide variety of products available that it is worth doing your research.

Consult established Food Operators as they alone will fully understand the challenges of professional catering. Sales Representatives speak to dozens of people in the trade every day and can be a mine of information. A good Environmental Health Officer, while taking care not to recommend actual brand names, can point you in the direction of practical solutions to the unique problems of your own operation. When I'm on my way to visit my old Mum in my home town of Bristol I like to visit the Nisbets showroom in Avonmouth. Every time I find irresistible bargains in the Clearance Shop. Everyone's kitchen will be different. In the Nisbets Shop and catalogue you will find the catering equipment you need to make your kitchen "ideal".

Article: For help on finding the best kitchen equipment, read our guide on Kitting Out A Commercial Kitchen.

Profile: Brian Matthews

"The hospitality industry has been my passion since I started my own business over 10 years ago. It took a lot of work to make it the success it is today, I’ve certainly experienced the rough and the smooth! I believe you never stop learning and I plan on keeping you up-to-date on the subjects which will resonate with you in this ever-changing industry.” Brian Matthews, owner, Pen-Y-Bont hotel.