As any restaurant owner knows, the absolute top priority for their business is hygiene. It’s no good aiming for Michelin-standard cooking if customers end up with food poisoning and you’re shut down by the environmental health officer. It’s essential that premises are hygienic, both to safeguard diners and to comply with the very stringent regulations, including the Food Safety Act 1990, which govern places where food is prepared for consumption by the general public.
Fitting out premises for food service therefore needs to be very specific in terms of the design, the materials used and the way the work is carried out – and that’s before you get on to your interior decoration and furniture.
Here’s what you need to consider to ensure a fit out for a rigorously hygienic and successful commercial kitchen:
Floors, walls and ceilings
Materials and paint must be high quality, durable, non-porous and of a condition to tolerate regular cleaning and disinfecting as well as withstand mould and condensation. Ceilings in particular should be constructed to avoid any possible shedding of dust or other particles.
Windows and doors
These must be specified to prevent a build-up of dirt and mould – smooth and impervious surfaces are recommended if possible, but if that doesn’t work, a suitable easily-cleaned paint or sealed finish would comply. All opening windows, and doors if they are left open for any period of time, should be fitted with insect-proof screens, and these need to be easily removable for cleaning.
Layout
The most efficient kitchens are designed around the natural flow of meal production – ingredients storage, preparation, cooking, service and washing – to avoid cross-contamination and speed up the process. In the UK, large commercial kitchens should allow 140cm as a minimum space between units for people to pass safely.
Toilets and sinks
Unless it’s a takeaway with little or no seating, restaurants are expected to provide sufficient toilets for customers. Toilets for kitchen employees must be situated so that there are at least two doors and an intervening space between the cloakroom and the food preparation area, and there must be no food storage or preparation in that space to avoid contamination. Sink provision is also carefully regulated. In areas where open food is handled, there should be one or more sinks exclusively for the use of handwashing. There need to be separate sinks for washing cooking equipment and washing food. All need to have a proper supply of both hot and/or cold drinking water and all must be connected to a functioning drainage system.
Structures, fittings and work surfaces
Most fixed food equipment should be installed above floor level to ensure the floor can be fully cleaned underneath and behind it. Flexible extended connections can be used for cookers or sinks so they can be moved for scouring, and wires and pipes should also be boxed in to make cleaning easier.
Heavy units can be secured to the floor, but must still have clearance underneath for full cleaning. Otherwise casters or legs can be attached or wall-mounted brackets utilised. Mezzanines or platforms can also be inserted which will need input from a structural engineer to account for the total load, including point loads and uniformly distributed load (UDL). Whatever method is used, all structures, fittings and work surfaces must be smooth and easily cleaned and disinfected – exposed screws, bolts or rivets should be avoided on any surfaces as they could become contaminated by food scraps. Although they look attractive, wooden surfaces, unless completely sealed, are non-compliant. This is why so many commercial kitchens are a mass of stainless steel – it fits the bill perfectly.
Ventilation
The installation of a good ventilation system is vital in a hot kitchen, particularly in areas which attract grease such as above cookers. Ductwork and filters will need to be accessible for cleaning, and must also be fitted to ensure they don’t let in pests such as rats, which are very ingenious when it comes to searching out free food!
Lighting
Commercial kitchens, which are often windowless, require good lighting with a minimum of 500 lux, although for areas used for more detailed tasks 800 lux would be recommended. Lighting mustn’t create glare which could cause eyestrain in food preparation areas, and it must be suitable for an environment in which water, steam and grease are widespread in order to prevent electrical faults and possible electric shocks and fire hazards.
Waste removal
Facilities must be included for the hygienic storage, recycling or removal of food waste and other types of rubbish such as packaging.
At Oakwhite, we’ve undertaken refits and refurbishments for numerous restaurants, bars, hotels and clubs and we’re experienced in the necessary compliance to ensure impeccable sanitary standards. We pride ourselves on completing projects on time and on budget and we haven’t failed yet!
If you’re undertaking a commercial kitchen renovation or fit-out project, why not contact us via email, or give us a call on 01403 259225. Our expert and helpful team members would be delighted to discuss your project with you.