Farm Ed - Evenlode Valley, Oxfordshire
Farm Ed, an amazing philanthropic project with a mission to accelerate the transition towards regenerative farming and sustainable food systems by providing space and opportunity for inspirational education, innovative research, practitioner led knowledge exchange events and personal development.
Based on a working farm in the rolling Oxfordshire Cotswold area, a stone’s throw away from a GWR main line railway station at Shipton under Wychwood and Matthews Cotswold flour mill, Farm Ed is home to two brand new impressive eco-buildings - one built to provide a space for conferences, lectures, workshops and special events; and the other a farm to fork kitchen and food space, and a regenerative business incubator.
In 2019, with the structural build under way, Owner Ian Wilkinson approached local catering equipment firm Target Catering Equipment to assist with the design, supply and install of a suitable commercial kitchen facility that would meet the needs and beliefs required for this project.
PROJECT BRIEF
Ian tasked Target to design a modern kitchen facility on a budget, to be used for Farm Ed’s aptly named Farm Eat facility. The very compact back of house kitchen space was to be multi-functional so that it could be a space for start-up businesses to test out their concepts, whilst also operating as a kitchen to service the function rooms as well as the food hall that was soon to be home to a traditional Italian wood fired oven, the main focal piece installed specifically for the use of cooking fresh produce and keeping the facility warm.
THE PROCESS
Target’s design team set to work designing a commercial kitchen concept that would incorporate a combination of new and used catering equipment. A sustainable option for the start-up concept that was also fitting of the project’s ethos, giving pre-owned products a second life. As the structural build neared completion, the small kitchen design evolved, it was decided that for the cookline there was a preference for a gas open burner oven range that was simple to use and common to most chefs, particularly those new to the industry just starting out that would be transferring from a domestic style kitchen to a commercial operation. This was to be complimented by the UK’s very first “ventless” Hoodini CombiSlim combination oven, complete with its android based operating system that could be used for so many different styles of cooking including roasting, baking, steaming, and grilling etc.
For more information on Ventless Catering Equipment - Click Here
The choice of a ventless combination oven meant ventilation costs could be kept down as it allowed for a standard Lincat SmartVent canopy that would be gas safe interlocked with air quality monitoring built-in to safeguard staff from potential harmful by-products of combustion from the gas fired equipment in the kitchen and solid fuel wood fired oven used in the food hall.
The small basic cookline with a larger than expected potential capacity would be serviced by the flexible prep area consisting of bespoke manufactured prep sink that easily transformed into a work bench through the use of sustainable bamboo chopping boards. Gram refrigeration prep counters and upright fridge and freezer with touchless foot operated opening doors, designed and specified to reduce touch points in the kitchen, along with Lincat hot cupboard to hold food warm for service with heated gantry over to maintain piping hot food.
And finally, the dishwashing system made up of bespoke dishwash tabling and Meiko Upster passthrough dishwasher with Mechline GreasePak and BioCeptor drain maintenance system to address FOGs produced within the kitchen. This was also complimented by Mechline Basix hands-free hand wash station featuring knee operated taps, so once again reducing touch points for infection control within the kitchen facility.
THE END RESULT
Following a quick and easy installation with Farm Ed’s local contractors providing all plumbing, mechanical and electrical services for Target’s installers to connect to, the kitchen was complete and ready to use. Farm Ed received on-site training of the new equipment and are now up and running with a catering facility dedicated to the production of quality sustainable food.
Farm Ed and Farm Eat offer wonderful facilities with an environmentally sustainable ethos that is unique and will promote all that is good in agro-ecology - what better legacy for the future could one provide. Hats off to all the team at Farm Ed and Farm Eat for what they are doing and achieving to make a real difference.
Camberley Heath Golf Club - Camberley, Surrey
Camberley Heath Golf Club welcomes prestigious guests, members and visitors to enjoy their facilities in Camberley, Surrey on a daily basis, whilst also hosting various special events throughout the year.
With a large kitchen facility the golf club offers a variety of food throughout the day, into the late evening along with catering for larger events and private dining.
However, as the kitchen was powered soley by gas fired equipment, this meant each year it would run up huge utility bills due to the in-efficiency of this equipment.
Looking for advice, Head Chef, David Heath contacted Target to discuss possible solutions in becoming a more efficient and sustainable commercial kitchen.
The existing cookline contained three six burner gas ranges, a gas solid top range, a gas salamander grill and two Rational combination ovens. The main concern was the excessive wasted energy generated by the gas ranges and the gas salamander grill.
This resulted in the replacement of the existing gas equipment with two bespoke induction suites which incorporated a French plancha and FriFri filtration fryer alongside heavy duty induction cooktops. Accompanied by a fast action rise and fall salamader grill and Blue Seal Turbofan® convection ovens.
With it's limited ventilation system requirements, the commercial kitchen induction stove setup was ideal for producing the la carte menu and offering an early morning back bar cooking facility whilst complimenting the cooking capacity of combination ovens for events and wedding catering.
INSTALLATION
New Target Bespoke Commercial Induction Stove
Existing Gas Fired Catering Equipment
With the kitchen was being used on a daily basis, it was imperitive that there would be minimal downtime and disruption during installation. With this in mind the Target bespoke induction ranges were the perfect choice for Chef David as they are manufactured completely off-site for quick and easy installation to pre-installed services. The access to the kitchen was up 3 flights of stairs. The units were therefore specially designed as two modular sections rather than a large single unit to enable them to be lifted easily and safely into position.
The Target installation team arrived on site for an early start. The golf club's local gas engineers were on-site to remove the exisitng gas equipment with the Target team following swiftly behind installing the new induction suite, having it all up and running ready for the 9am start for breakfast.
The kitchen now operates efficiently with their new Target bespoke commercial induction range in place, and with happy chefs working in a more comfortable working environment.
For more information on Target bespoke commercial induction ranges CLICK HERE.
Jordans Mill - Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
Located on the banks of the steady-flowing River Ivel stands the historic flour mill, Jordans Mill. Purchased by the Jordans Family back in 1893 at a time when Bedfordshire was home to over 400 flour mills and a major centre of flour production within the region. In 1894 a tragic fire tore through the entire mill which presented the family with the opportunity to carry out a full rebuild, replacing old milstones with the latest milling machinery, turning Jordans Mill into one of the leading most advanced of its time, that is still standing today.
Over the 20th century Jordans Mill continued innovating, becoming part of the worldwide granola movement which started in the 1970's and created the famous Jordans Original Crunchy that fast became one of the nation's favourite breakfast cereals.
Since 1992 when William 'Bill' Jordan (VI) and his brother David Jordan took over the family owned mill, the business has grown and diversified through the introduction of new products and has since opened its doors and gardens, becoming a vistors centre and facility for corporate and private events.
COMMERCIAL KITCHEN DESIGN PROCESS
Opening to the public in April 2013 by HRH Prince Charles, Jordans Mill decided to introduce a basic food offering to the vistors centre which included lite bites, breakfasts, teas, coffees and cakes, along with buffet style hot meals which proved to be a massive success. However due to the variety of visitor types Jordans Mill needed to cater for, the food offering rapidly grew and the set-up became in-efficient and unable to keep up with demand. In 2016 both Bill and David decided it was time to review the catering side of the business.
Wanting to focus the food offering and improve the operational efficiency within the commercial kitchen through investing in the latest innovative commercial catering equipment they began their search for a company that could take control of the entire project from the initial concept design, through complete commercial kitchen design, manufacture, supply and install.
PROJECT BRIEF
The existing food hall offered a buffet/self service style of operation which was causing queues at service and payment points. These bottle-necks would encroach into the dining area, taking up usable cover space, whilst also causing a disruption to the operation of the kitchen, which in turn affected the quality and consistency of food being produced. Because of this, management at Jordans Mill decided they wanted to implement a table serviced restaurant style operation.
The poorly laid out kitchen was making use of an inefficient and slow 6 ring electric radiant plate range and outdated combi-oven, which impacted greatly on consistency and resulted in extremely high utility bills. This, combined with a lack of work space resulted in cross overs between prep and cook areas within the kitchen which became a main concern due to the potential for cross contamination.
Catering Manager Tom wanted to review the choice of current equipment in order to improve the quality and consistency of food as well as being able to cater for large corporate and private events with ease. Not only that, but being an open kitchen, it was improtant that the kitchen would be easy to keep clean and organised, allowing kitchen staff to run a smooth operation.
COMMERCIAL CATERING EQUIPMENT
With efficiency, speed, consistency and volume in mind Target Catering Equipment design consultants were instructed to prepare a complete new kitchen layout and servery design.
During the design process the in-efficient existing equipment began to fail and it became a necessity for the main cooking range to be replaced. With the knowledge that they wanted to switch to induction technology and with the power supply available, management decided to purchase an "Off The Shelf" Standard Target Restaurant Range with fast action rise and fall salamander grill over, which would be available immediately for use, and would keep operations going until the scheduled refurbishment.
The new cookline was then designed to incorporated this unit and was transformed with the addition of a Frima 112T VarioCooking Center, a Lincat/Rational SelfCookingCenter and a Target Bespoke commercial induction range with built in FriFri fryer and refrigerated drawer. All selected and approved following site visits to see the new innovative commercial kitchen equipment technology in use.
All new cookline equipment was to be situated in a new island configuration and completed with a new service manifold, designed to support the new 5.3m extraction canopy. This extraction canopy was only part of the new extraction system which also included new fans and ducting, which had to accommodate very low ceilings and duct outlets pre-formed in the green oak framed visitor centre and reuse existing outlets with no visable external alterations to the building.
Combined with the new cookline was a separated prep area complete with Gram refrigerated counters and Robot Coupe food preperation machines, and a new utensil/potwash area complete with Granuldisk Granule SMART machine.
The bespoke service counter was designed to use natural materials that would replicated the current style of the property whilst also being functional with hot cupboard and heated gantry over.
COMPLETE KITCHEN INSTALLATION
With designs being signed off in September 2016 and a refurbishment shutdown period scheduled for January 2017, this gave the Jordans Mill project management team 3 months to source and schedule local sub-contractors who would be involved with the project.
A complete set of installation drawings including M&E service drawings, bills of quantities and detailed specifications were prepared specifically for the project to be put out to tender to local subcontractors who would work alongside the Target Catering Equipment kitchen installation team in order to keep project labour costs to a minimum.
As scheduled in January 2017 works began which involved rip out of old equipment, counters and services, the installation of new commercial catering equipment, new Altro vinyll floors and PVC wall cladding, a new electrical distribution system, a complete new ventilation system including 5.3m long extraction canopy and service manifold, along with building work necessary to improve the flow of the kitchen.
With the help of the careful planning provided by the project management team, the complete commercial kitchen installation carried out by Target Catering Equipment ran like clockwork and was completed on schedule by the end of January 2017 ready for the new season.
This refurbished facility now showcases the very latest kitchen technology as chosen by Owners David and Bill Jordan, who still remain very hands on when it comes to keeping the mill at the top of the league and a destination of choice for discerning visitors in Bedfordshire.
Kingsholm Stadium (Gloucester Rugby) - Gloucester
KINGSHOLM STADIUM CHOOSES ELECTRIC INDUCTION COOKING
Target Catering Equipment beat off fierce competition to secure a place supplying and fitting the new fine dining kitchen in the Legends Lounge Restaurant at Gloucester Rugby Kingsholm Stadium.
Gloucester Rugby's finance director and club secretary, John Parker, wanted to upgrade facilities at the club in preparation for Rugby World Cup 2015 corporate entertainment. Several local catering equipment businesses were invited to tender for the works.
After considerable research, the club decided that an all electric kitchen incorporating a commercial induction stove was the answer. Designed, manufactured and installed by Target, the commercial kitchen design utilised to the full the tiny space available and would allow for meals to be prepared and cooked efficiently in house at this famous sports venue.
Along with solving the kitchen ventilation issues associated with the enclosed kitchen, and complying with the fire and saftey regulations at the staudium, Target's energy efficient and safe induction cooking range would once again provide the centre piece for the kitchen.
Target's innovative commercial kitchen design and bespoke manufacture combining induction cooking with a Blue Seal convection oven, rational combi ovens and a balanced air ventilation system proved to be a winning combination at Gloucester Rugby.