Case study · Schools & education
Broadstairs College, Broadstairs
Three teaching kitchen refurbishments for Broadstairs College, part of EKC Group — independent extraction systems, induction cooking suites, delivered in a four-week term break.
Client
EKC Group
Location
Broadstairs, Kent
Project value
£100k+
Build time
4 weeks
The brief
Three teaching kitchens, one term-break window
Broadstairs College, part of EKC Group, runs one of Kent's most established hospitality and catering programmes. Its three teaching kitchens were built around a centralised extraction system that had reached the end of its serviceable life — unreliable, inefficient, and no longer meeting compliance requirements for independent teaching environments.
The brief was to refurbish all three kitchens in a single programme: decommission the shared extraction plant and replace it with three independent, fully compliant systems; replace the gas cooking appliances with an all-electric induction specification; and complete all works within a four-week window between teaching terms. Kitchens had to be fully operational and signed off before students returned.
What we did
Three independent systems, induction throughout
Extraction overhaul
The old centralised tempered-air unit was decommissioned and removed. In its place we designed and installed three bespoke, standalone extraction systems — each engineered to the specific layout and load of its kitchen. Each system is independently controlled and maintained, removing the single point of failure that had made the original shared plant a recurring problem for the college's facilities team.
Induction cooking conversion
All gas cooking appliances were removed and replaced with a full induction specification. Rational iCombi Pro and iCombi Classic combi ovens for batch cooking and teaching demonstrations. Falcon induction ranges and solid tops across the cooking lines. The switch to induction also simplified the extraction load calculations for each kitchen — lower heat output means smaller, more efficient canopies and reduced MUA demand.
Supporting works
Electrical supply upgrades to support the new induction loads across all three kitchens. Ductwork installation for each independent extraction system. Hygienic wall finishes and non-slip safety flooring throughout. All works sequenced and managed as a single programme by one project manager — no handoff between trades, one point of accountability throughout.
Equipment specified
All-electric, teaching-spec
- Rational iCombi Pro — intelligent combi oven, batch cooking and live demonstrations
- Rational iCombi Classic — combi oven across second and third kitchens
- Falcon induction ranges — cooking line across all three kitchens
- Falcon induction solid tops — secondary cooking positions
The installation
Inside the refurbished teaching kitchens
The outcome
Three kitchens operational, on time
All three teaching kitchens were handed over within the four-week term-break window, fully signed off and operational before students returned. The independent extraction systems resolved the reliability issues that had affected the shared plant, and the move to induction brought the college's cooking environment in line with current professional kitchen standards. EKC Group is one of Kent's principal further education providers — this project is part of a longer relationship built through direct appointment.