Gastropub kitchen — this case study by Kent Commercial Kitchens.
Case study · Pubs & gastropubs
The Kings Arms, Elham
Specifically, A new-build gastropub kitchen built around a charcoal Robata show grill, delivered in 6 weeks inside a Grade II listed pub in the Elham Valley.
Client
Contemporary Pubs Ltd
Location
Elham, Kent
Project value
£100k+
Build time
6 weeks
Listed status
Grade II
The brief
Gastropub kitchen: show kitchen for a Grade II listed gastropub
Additionally, Contemporary Pubs Ltd appointed Kent Commercial Kitchens to design and build the commercial kitchen for The Kings Arms, a Grade II listed pub in the Elham Valley reopened as a high-end gastropub. Furthermore, We had already delivered the group's kitchen at The Tiger Inn, Stowting, and were brought back for this flagship refurbishment.
Moreover, The brief was a compact, high-output kitchen that could hold a busy gastropub service while putting the cooking on show. Also, A charcoal Robata grill would sit behind glass as the centrepiece of the dining room, so the design had to handle open-flame cooking and its ventilation without compromising the finish or the customer experience. In particular, Hygienic, hard-wearing surfaces throughout, tight back-of-house space, and a programme tied to a wider new-build extension on the same site.
What we did
A Robata centrepiece, built in-house in 6 weeks
The Robata show kitchen
A gastropub kitchen design for Elham.
Specifically, designed around a Clay Ovens charcoal Robata grill set behind glass as the focal point of the dining room. In particular, to handle open-flame cooking on display, we designed a bespoke twin-canopy ventilation system: a wall-mounted canopy over the main cookline and a custom island canopy over the Robata, sized for charcoal and engineered to keep the show kitchen clear and comfortable. Also, a Rational combi and a Blue Seal cookline complete the hot section.
Hygienic, hard-wearing finishes
Additionally, bioclad uPVC hygienic wall cladding through the kitchen, dishwash and service corridor for a wipe-clean, food-safe finish. In particular, altro Stronghold slip-resistant flooring laid throughout. Also, a walk-in cold room and freezer added refrigerated storage without taking floor space off the line, and bespoke stainless steel fabrication was built in our own workshop for the benching, hot pass and warewashing.
Built in-house, around a live site
Furthermore, every trade on this project was our own team, from CAD design and fabrication through extraction, cladding, flooring and equipment install. In particular, the kitchen formed part of a wider new-build extension, so we coordinated closely with the other trades on site and held the programme despite delays to the external groundworks. Also, no subcontract chain, one team accountable from survey to handover.
Notably, Equipment was specified manufacturer-by-manufacturer for a compact, high-output gastropub service, with refrigeration and warewashing sized to keep pace at peak.
Equipment specified
Specified for a busy gastropub service
- Clay Ovens charcoal Robata grill — dining-room centrepiece
- Rational combi oven — production cooking
- Blue Seal cookline
- Foster walk-in cold rooms and refrigeration
- Maidaid pass-through dishwasher
- Meiko RO glasswasher — bar and front of house
- True refrigeration cabinets
- Scotsman ice machine
The installation
Inside the finished kitchen
Rational combi oven at The Kings Arms" loading="lazy">
The outcome
A working show kitchen at the heart of the pub
Therefore, The Kings Arms reopened as a gastropub with the Robata grill on show at the centre of the dining room. Consequently, The kitchen was delivered in 6 weeks, built entirely in-house and handed over ready for service, on programme despite the wider new-build extension running alongside it.
Indeed, "Their practical input helped us maximise efficiency, workflow, and available space without compromising on quality. In particular, the finished kitchen has transformed our operation and provides a fantastic working environment for our team."
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