🏫 1970s School Kitchen Refurbishment

Transforming a Tired School Kitchen Into a Safe, Modern Catering Facility

📍 Project Overview: Breathing New Life Into a Dated School Building

We were commissioned to carry out a complete refurbishment of the main kitchen in a school originally built in the 1970s. While structurally sound, the kitchen had become increasingly inefficient, with outdated systems, poor workflow, and non-compliant finishes.

The goal was clear: modernise the space to current standards—improving safety, hygiene, and daily functionality—all within the tight window of the summer holiday period.

⚠️ Key Challenges

• Inefficient layout with a central island canopy and bulky service spine

• Outdated electrics and plumbing unable to support modern appliances

• Limited working space due to legacy infrastructure

• A strict school holiday deadline with zero flexibility

🛠 Our Approach: A Full-Scale Kitchen Refurbishment

1. Removal of Legacy Infrastructure

We began by removing the existing central island canopy and service spine, instantly improving the usable footprint and opening up the room for better workflow.

2. New Hygienic Surfaces

• Altro non-slip safety flooring throughout the kitchen—durable, safe, and easy to clean

• Bioclad uPVC hygienic wall cladding, compliant with food hygiene regulations and resistant to bacteria and moisture

3. Ventilation, Lighting & Ceiling

• Installed a new wall-mounted extraction canopy to suit modern catering demands

• Fitted a suspended ceiling with flat-panel LED lighting for energy-efficient, even illumination

4. Electrical & Plumbing Overhaul

• Full rewire of the kitchen to support new appliances

• Complete plumbing replacement, including fresh water supply and updated drainage systems

🔧 Equipment Installation & Integration

We delivered and installed a suite of professional catering equipment:

• Blue Seal electric range ovens for reliable daily cooking

• Rational combi oven for versatile meal prep

Where possible, we reused existing equipment in good condition, including:

• A pass-through dishwasher

• The existing servery counter

This helped manage costs without compromising performance.

✅ Completion & Handover

All works were delivered on time, ready for the new term.
We provided full staff training on all new equipment and systems prior to handover.

🔍 Project Highlights

• 🛠 Full kitchen strip-out and redesign

• 🧼 Altro flooring & Bioclad hygienic wall cladding

• 💨 New extraction canopy & LED ceiling lighting

• ⚡ Complete electrical and plumbing renewal

• 🍽 New cooking equipment + reuse of existing assets

• 📅 Completed within summer holidays

• 🧑‍🏫 Staff training and system commissioning

“This was a true transformation—taking a tired, restrictive space and turning it into a bright, compliant, and highly functional school kitchen.”

📸 Scroll below to view before-and-after images of the project.
Interested in modernising your school’s kitchen? Get in touch today to discuss how we can help.