These days, anyone using a kitchen within a church or church hall, and providing food for other people (even if it’s just tea and cakes), needs to adhere to professional food hygiene rules and health and safety standards. From coffee mornings to Sunday roasts, whether paid for or given away charitably, this is classed as commercial activity and therefore requires a commercial kitchen.

It ensures that food can be stored safely and hygienically, that it can be cooked properly, that the equipment is safe and that the kitchen is easy to keep clean. It also covers ventilation, lighting and waste management.

It means that the kitchen is built to withstand the vigours of professional use, to ensure hygiene can be maintained and that safe practice can be upheld. The kitchen must conform to the minimum health and hygiene standards required by all catering organisations. This means that not only the kitchen units and appliances, but the room itself must be constructed from stipulated materials.

This very much depends on who will be using it, for what types of function and how frequently it will be used. If there really is no chance that its purpose will go beyond serving tea, you will need very little – probably just a water boiler and a sink. However, by including just two or three items of equipment – an oven, a hob and a microwave for example, the kitchen will be capable of providing the food for a reasonably sized function. Our designers can explain this more fully.

Yes – and we can help you with this too. All gas and electric cooking appliances in commercial environments must be sited beneath a suitable extraction hood and the air being extracted must be replaced by a calculated amount of fresh air. There are many regulations which govern this subject but we will always advise you on what your kitchen needs.

It really is worth considering the many benefits a kitchen can bring and weighing those against the possible cost. The allocated space does not necessarily have to be large and an existing, underused room might be sufficient. Alternatives include partitioning off an area or even adding an extension.

Possibly – but only in a positive way. A refurbished or new kitchen will, invariably, be far easier to use. It will be safer, the layout will be more straightforward and logical and there will be a place for everything that anyone might need. Most importantly, it will be designed around your specific needs so that even somebody who hasn’t used the kitchen before should find it easy. It goes without saying that we will always make sure that key people are familiar with everything before we hand it over.

It may sound complicated but it’s what we do every day, we’re good at it and we enjoy the challenges we come across. We are very familiar with all aspects of the legislation and working out a good, safe design that adheres to the requirements is second nature to us. There are solutions to every problem and we pride ourselves in being able to spot them.

Any major investment in your building can be expensive but a commercial kitchen will probably compare to the price of a high street domestic kitchen. We always provide a free site survey and, once we’ve discussed how the kitchen will be used, we produce a design that meets your requirements but stays within your budget. Everything is agreed before any money changes hands.

The procedure of us delivering and installing the kitchen will only take a few days. There will be preparatory work that needs to done by your plumbers and electricians. We will provide them with our service drawings and then liaise with them at every step of the way on your behalf. The whole process will require an element of planning and scheduling but we will work closely with you and your people on this.

The obvious benefits are that you will be operating safely and legally and that people working in the kitchen will have everything they need to practice proper safety and hygiene procedures. Beyond this, it opens up many opportunities to increase church revenue as it can safely and legitimately be let out to groups and committees – even for functions. Other churches we have helped have confirmed that their new kitchen opened up many possibilities.

Because we have worked with a great number of churches and other religious institutions and understand the requirements, budgets and limitations that are likely to apply to this type of kitchen. In fact, Nelson has a great deal of experience in all types of commercial kitchens but, with our specialist knowledge of certain types of kitchen, we can provide a unique and valuable service.

Simply phone or email us and we’ll come and meet you at your church and have an informal discussion about your kitchen.