Case study · Pubs & gastropubs
Lord Nelson, Dover
Specifically, Dover Pub Kitchen Design — modern commercial kitchen for Shepherd Neame's riverside Lord Nelson in Dover, fitted into an 1805 building with an external-ducted extraction canopy.
Client
Shepherd Neame
Location
Dover, Kent
Project value
£50k–£100k
Build time
2 weeks
The brief
Dover Pub Kitchen Design: modern kitchen inside an 1805 riverside pub
The Lord Nelson is a riverside pub in Dover, built in 1805 and run by Shepherd Neame. The brief was to modernise the kitchen so it could serve locals and visitors at volume, while respecting a historic building and meeting current hygiene and safety standards.
We worked alongside the main contractor, who handled the structural work, and took responsibility for the kitchen itself: layout, extraction, finishes and the full catering install. The constraint was doing all of that inside an old building without a long shutdown, so the programme was kept to two weeks on site.
What we did
Layout, extraction and a full install in two weeks
Design and layout
A CAD kitchen layout planned around the building and the way the team works, with appliance placement set for clean workflow and easy cleaning. Hygienic wall cladding and slip-resistant flooring throughout to meet hygiene and safety standards.
Extraction
A bespoke extraction canopy with external ductwork, designed to clear smoke and cooking odours from a riverside building while keeping fresh air moving through the kitchen.
Equipment and install
Supply and install of the full catering line, with bespoke stainless steel fabrication, a suspended ceiling, and all gas, electrical and plumbing works. Blue Seal cooking, Hoshizaki refrigeration, a Maidaid dishwasher, and a Scotsman ice machine in the cellar for the bar.
The whole kitchen, from layout to final commissioning, was delivered in a two-week window on site, sequenced around the wider refurbishment so the pub could reopen on schedule.
Equipment specified
Specified for a busy pub kitchen
- Blue Seal: cooking line
- Maidaid: dishwasher
- Hoshizaki: refrigeration
- Scotsman: ice machine
- Parry: stainless steel and servery equipment
Gallery
Inside the Lord Nelson fit-out
The outcome
Reopened February 2020
The Lord Nelson reopened on 14 February 2020 with a kitchen that serves locals and visitors at volume while sitting comfortably inside the historic building. The extraction, equipment and finishes were all delivered in a two-week window on site.
"Their understanding of the operational demands of a busy pub kitchen was evident throughout the project. The kitchen layout was thoughtfully designed to maximise efficiency, while the new extraction system and equipment installation were completed to an excellent standard with minimal disruption to our business. The project was delivered on time, communication was excellent throughout, and the finished result has exceeded our expectations."
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