Space Catering Equipment was tasked with designing and installing a kitchen that could deliver the very best in 21st century Cotswold fare, within the confines of a grade 2 listed property. What’s more, the hotel’s executive chef was yet to be appointed, so Space had to draw on its extensive experience in kitting out five star eateries, to calculate the best possible layout and predict how a first class head chef would want to navigate the area.
A large main kitchen now prepares food for the 90 cover fine dining restaurant and private dining room, while a smaller satellite kitchen serves the brasserie that seats 40 and the function suite for upto 150 people. The main kitchen is divided into three distinct preparation areas, with a large cooking island that includes a heavy duty Blue Seal six burner convection oven and gas four burner, as well as two Blue Seal gas solid top ranges, a Falcon stockpot and a Rational 10 grid combi-steamer. Adjacent to this is the pastry preparation area which has its own undercounter Gram freezers, Blue Seal convection oven, and a dedicated pastry and dessert pass. Along from the pastry section is a well equipped meat preparation area stocked with Gram and Adande refrigeration units, a specialist Europa meat slicer, as well as a blast chiller and meat fridge both by Foster. A large walk-in Storer cold store is also close by.
The smaller brasserie kitchen now features two 10 grid Rational combination ovens, a Valera quad induction hob and Hatco Salamander grill.
The Space team also worked very carefully with the fabric of the building to install a Britannia ventilation and extraction system, with UV systems built into the canopies to reduce smells. This was then connected to the existing input and extract vents, so that there was no impact to the outside of the building.
“This kitchen project was full of complications on so many levels but the Space team rose to the challenge and delivered an exceptional solution on time and within budget,” comments Paul Brook, senior partner, Architect CT of Manchester. “The rave reviews that the restaurant has received since opening are a testament to the fact that the Space kitchen was spot on and is working well.”