Commercial Kitchen Design Guidelines
The aim of planning a commercial kitchen layout is to achieve a work area which creates maximum efficiency, keeping wastage of labour, energy and materials to a minimum, whilst also being safe for staff and customers, complying with all commercial kitchen design regulations.
Whether a large or small catering kitchen for a restaurant, hotel or pub, the following basic commercial kitchen requirements apply and should be considered when designing your commercial kitchen equipment layout:
1. DELIVERIES:
Delivery vehicles should have good access to your premises and where possible a direct route to the catering area.
A dedicated goods in point is preferred where deliveries can be received, eliminating the need for delivery personnel to enter food prep zones.
Allow adequate space for storage of dry, chilled and frozen goods to ensure efficient sorting of goods in.
2. STORAGE:
Ideally separate/dedicated refrigeration storage for meat, dairy, fish and fresh vegetable products.
Dry goods stores should have adequate ventilation to avoid damp conditions which can affect dried produce.
Separate COSHH lockable storage should be available for storage cleaning chemicals and hazardous products.
3. FOOD PREP:
Consideration should be given to segregating raw food from prepared food although this may not be possible when space is limited.
Position prep areas between bulk storage and main cookline.
Ensure adequate prep sinks, hand wash sinks and pot wash sinks.
4. COOKING EQUIPMENT:
When choosing cooking equipment always consider your type of menu.
Where possible, the installation of energy efficient cooking equipment should be considered. By installing induction cooking equipment, combination ovens and energy efficient grills not only will you save on energy costs but this will also speed up the delivery of dishes to customers and cut down the amount of time spent on cleaning and maintenance of cooking equipment.
When designing the layout of a professional kitchen safety and workflow should be thought about carefully.
Make sure that the flow through the kitchen suits your style of service. Fast cook equipment such as fryers, griddles and salamanders should be positioned nearest to the service point and bulk cooking equipment such as convection ovens, combi ovens, bratt and boiling pans furthest away.
5. MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS:
Consideration should be given to the type of services available. In remote areas a gas connection is not always possible. Target Catering Equipment's induction hobs and cooking suites offer an ideal alternative to traditional gas cooking ranges.
Always check the incoming electrical supply is able to cope with equipment specified, a three-phase electrical supply may also need to be installed.
An important part of a well-designed kitchen is the service spine or service manifold. Within this structure most, if not all of the associated services can be located for equipment situated around it. This is usually installed as an island unit and incorporated into the design of the ventilation system.
6. VENTILATION SYSTEMS:
Commercial kitchen ventilation is a key part to your catering kitchen where gas cooking equipment is specified there are stringent rules and regulations, and gas safety interlock systems need to be installed.
You can chieve a cheaper ventilation system solution, which does not require expensive gas safety interlocks, by installing an all-electric kitchen including induction hobs and commercial induction ranges which Target manufacture to order.
7. FOOD SERVICE AREA:
Adequate space for holding hot and cold food prior to service should be allocated. The provision of heated gantries will help food to stay hot and a correctly designed food service area will enable smooth transition of dishes from the kitchen to the dining area.
8. DISHWASHER AREA:
The dishwashing area is of paramount importance to the successful running of a catering business. Consideration should be taken to providing enough space for the storage of clean items as well as disposal of rubbish and waste food. Target Catering Equipment manufacture dishwasher tables and complete dishwashing systems to suit exact requirements.
A condensate canopy may need to be installed in order to remove steam produced during the dishwashing procedure, Target manufacture stainless steel condensate canopies to suit all requirements.