A kitchen has one primary function, and that is food preparation. However, home kitchens and commercial kitchens are very different. Getting a professional commercial kitchen design can ultimately improve the productivity of your kitchen staff. An efficient kitchen design means that front-of-house staff have easy access to pass through when necessary.
Some important considerations are storage, food preparation, meal cooking, service, and cleaning and washing. Ingredients must be kept fresh, free from contamination and at the right temperature. Therefore, your storage units need to ensure they cater to these requirements. There must be segregated areas within the kitchen to keep different types of food separate during prep. The cooking of the meals is vital within a commercial kitchen. Therefore, cooking equipment must be located in areas to ensure a smooth operation. We don’t want any food burnt or undercooked! Finally, cleaning facilities should always be accessible. This is to ensure plates, glasses, cutlery etc. can be rewashed within the same day if necessary.
Layout
When planning the layout of your kitchen, it is important to factor in the space around the equipment. For example, considerations should include; where are the exits/entrances? Where is the under worktop storage? Where is the washing up area to ensure there isn’t any contamination to the food? An efficient layout is key when it comes to commercial kitchens, so you want to get this right.
Kitchen staff do not want to repeatedly move from one end of the kitchen to the other during their shift. It is important to consider the placing of equipment. For example, meal cooking is often the final stage of the food preparation. Therefore this area should be placed close to the servery counter. Equipment should be strategically placed so that staff can take as few steps as possible.
There are several layout options you can consider for your commercial kitchen. These include having an island style, zone style or assembly line.
An island style kitchen features one main block in the middle of the main space. Often the cooking equipment is in the centre.
A zone style kitchen is divided into different sections. This could include separate areas for food prep, cooking, refrigerators etc.
An assembly line is laid out in order of use of the equipment. This is ideal for pizza restaurants or sandwich shops.
Equipment
The equipment supplied must be appropriate for the function of your commercial kitchen. There are many equipment options and each one can work differently across many types of kitchens.
It is important to consider which refrigerators you choose. For example, when planning for a small commercial kitchen, it may be best to buy a fridge line station with additional fridge units. This is where staff can keep the food when they prepare it. You could also consider buying a walk-in refrigerator unit as they come in all sizes and therefore, fit in all spaces.
Next, you should think about what storage space you will have. Equipment storage and dry storage units are essential for any commercial kitchen.
Cooking equipment is one of the most important aspects. All restaurant owners should spend time choosing the right cooking equipment. You must buy a good HVAC system. There are strict laws and regulations about proper ventilation in commercial kitchens, so be sure to do your research before buying anything.
Prep sinks should be provided in multiple areas of the kitchen. Important areas are fish or meat prep and veg prep. The crossover of raw produce is a major issue and proper segregation is important. Always include a dedicated pot wash sink and hand wash basins within your commercial kitchen.
Finally, all kitchens require extensive sanitisation and safety and fire equipment. Once again, this equipment must meet the standards and regulations of the industry.
Safety
There are obvious hazards within any commercial kitchen such as hot pans, spilled liquids and a high volume of traffic during busy periods. With careful planning, these dangers can cause little to no disruption.
Non-slip flooring is always recommended, and additional mats can be added in places that need extra grip. This may be particularly useful in wash areas where there are risks of water splashes. Floor signs are also useful to have available in areas where liquid spilling is likely.
Hygienic walls and floor-skirting are also important for maintaining cleanliness. Wipe clean and non-absorbent surfaces, such as stainless steel, is recommended throughout your kitchen within health and safety standards.
Avoid blocking any exits or entrances as this is both illegal and dangerous within a commercial kitchen environment. Deliveries, waste and equipment not in use should all have assigned areas to prevent this happening.
If you follow this guide when fitting out your commercial kitchen, we are sure you will receive all your reports and certificates to confirm the safety of your workspace, as well as creating an efficient kitchen for smooth operations.
Get touch with our team to see if we can help in planning your commercial kitchen.
