The Community Comeback
After almost a month since the UK Government told the British public to avoid pubs and restaurants, many businesses across the country are still in a quandary about where things are going and what the future will hold for their business.
However, some things are clear, people are travelling less and are finding it more and more difficult to get hole of essential supplies through the larger supermarkets.
Local communities are joining forces and transforming their local facilities such as pubs and post offices into thriving central community hubs offering an alternative to supermarket shopping.
Public houses a common sight in many of the UK’s towns and villages have been temporarily closed as requested by the UK government in order to help fight against COVID-19. However, business owners are planning for the future and re-evaluating how and what they can deliver to their local community in order to not become a victim to this virus and come back stronger once the storm has settled.
“It is often the case that many pubs have close links with an array of local farmers, producers and suppliers, along with kitchen facilities with the ability to transform ingredients into a variety of products, as well as meals for takeaway consumption. It therefore makes sense for these sites to diversify and extend their current offerings to their supportive local communities.” Says Nicola Pedrette, Design Consultant at Target Catering Equipment.
Already recognising this are larger pub groups such as Punch Pubs & Co. who have set-up the “Pub Shop” initiative, teaming up with food supplier Brakes to deliver essential groceries to local communities.
Target Catering Equipment’s design consultants have been working closely with a number of independently owned pubs and pub groups to help do just this. With local public houses being central in many communities makes for an ideal location for a central community hub; a public house come local store, delicatessen and/or takeaway.
With carefully thought-out layout designs local communities and businesses can once again begin to thrive in these somewhat unprecedented and uncertain times.
If you’re planning for the future and are interested in expanding your offering take the first step and speak to a Target design consultant for free professional advice about how you can transform and expand your business.
Image: Punch Pubs & Co. “Pub Shop” Initiative
Strict Planning Conditions Discharged by Target's In-House Design and Consultancy Team
Target Catering Equipment get local authority Test Valley Borough Council's strict ventilation system conditions discharged for new business's.
Having submitted a planning application for 'Change of Use' from Public House to four units with multiple uses of retail, financial services, restaurant/cafe, drinking establishment with residential flats above, Amici Catering & Co Ltd was granted planning consent for The George Hotel, Andover, subject to conditions back in December 2017.
One of the conditions restricted the listed building from use as a restaurant/cafe by prohibiting the use of cooking equipment such as ovens, grills, chargrills and deep fat fryers except without the use of an approved internal ventilation system.
Ready to move the project forward, Amici Catering & Co contacted Target Catering Equipment as specialist commercial kitchen extraction design consultants to prepare a suitable ventilation system design and specification that would adhere to the planning authorities' requirements.
A main concern was that the property required a ventilation system which could withstand the demands of a commercial kitchen whilst remaining within the property. As found with many listed building, conservation and planning officers stipulate that there must be no changes to the external appearance of the building hence this specific condition being applied.
Target designed and specified a complete commercial kitchen ventilation system to suit the proposed kitchen layout and equipment specification. As the kitchen was designed with all-electric commercial kitchen equipment, there was no requirement for a high-level exhaust to atmosphere to dispose and disperse the harmful by-products of combustion and an alternative recirculating option could be implemented.
The system specified uses patented technology that removes particulates and odours and returns air independently certified as clean.
Independent air monitoring specialists, Validair confirms "The air quality from the proposed system is very clean and maintains a level of around ISO Class 7-8 for smaller particles. The larger particles are arrested during cooking periods and for these sizes ISO Class 5-8 is seen.
This means that the air returning from the proposed system unit is around a thousand times cleaner than typical atmospheric conditions."
By specifying this type of recirculating extraction system Target has made a previously unfeasible location for a commercial kitchen within a listed building, into a completely viable option with the condition being fully discharged by the local planning authorities.