9 Key Elements of a Commercial Kitchen Layout
When designing a commercial kitchen, there are a few key features you can’t afford to forget. From essential health and safety aspects to the facilities that allow you to handle the high demands of your venue, these elements are a must whether you’re planning a hotel, community or restaurant kitchen design.
To help you, we’ve compiled a list of the nine most important elements of your commercial kitchen floor plan to ensure your design is practical, compliant and efficient.
For more expert advice on designing your commercial kitchen floor plan, see our commercial kitchen layout guide.
1. Functional Delivery Area/Goods In
Every commercial kitchen will receive deliveries of ingredients and products, necessitating a suitable delivery area. This should include ample parking space near a clear loading and unloading area. It should also be suitably close to storage areas but away from the main kitchen area to prevent congestion.
2. Sufficient Storage Space
It’s crucial to include appropriate storage for ingredients and equipment within your commercial kitchen floor plan. This includes:
- Centralised storage for dry goods and non-perishables
- Commercial fridges and freezers for correct storage of perishables
- Cupboards and racking for kitchen equipment, utensils and crockery
3. Food Preparation Areas
Food preparation areas should be constructed from food safe materials, such as stainless steel and the layout should account for multiple food preparation areas linked to the number of covers and diversity of the menu. There should also be multiple sinks to reduce the chance of cross contamination, especially when handling allergens or keeping meat separate.
Ensure each preparation area is appropriately sized for the work taking place and has the required storage for any necessary utensils and equipment.
Food preparation areas should also be close to refrigeration and storage places so that perishable goods can be stored away efficiently at food safe temperatures. They should also be kept away from dishwashing areas to prevent contamination.
4. Cooking Stations
Of course, the layout of a commercial kitchen is never complete without a cookline, which will usually contain multiple cooking stations. These may consist of appliances such as combination ovens, ranges, griddles, and fryers. However, the cooking area equipment configuration will mainly depend on the food that will be prepared in your commercial kitchen. Specific cooking equipment may be applicable to different restaurant concepts so this can vary considerably.
5. Waste Areas Away From Preparation And Cleaning Stations
Managing food waste safely and hygienically is essential. This means waste disposal areas must be easy to reach but far enough from food preparation and cleaning areas to avoid contamination.
6. Service Areas
The service area in your commercial kitchen set-up is used for plating dishes. A priority for this area is to ensure food doesn’t get cold before it reaches the diners. Therefore, it should be as close as possible to the dining area and fitted with heat lamps to keep food warm while waiting for service.
7. Dishwashing Areas and Plumbing
Dishwashing and utensil cleaning should be ideally placed where used crockery is returned to the kitchen. This should also be outside of the main cooking and food preparation areas.
In a design further consideration must also be given to how grease is managed within the kitchen area, specifically the dishwash inlet table sink drains. This may be mitigated by grease traps to prevent Fats, Oils and Grease (FOGs) from entering the wastewater system.
8. Extraction, Ventilation and Gas Safety
Safety is absolutely vital in kitchens due to the fumes, vapours and heat produced by the cooking process. Therefore, your air management system is one of the most vital parts of your restaurant kitchen layout. Extraction and ventilation, such as hooded fans and vents above cooking units are essential for maintaining safe and efficient operation and must be considered as part of any kitchen layout. These systems must also be compliant with DW/172 which are the regulatory requirements for safe operations in these areas.
Gas safety is important for health and safety and is also a key legal requirement for your commercial kitchen, according to the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
These regulations also require your gas safety system to be checked yearly for the issue of a fresh Gas Safety Certificate, a service that Airedale happily provide.
9. Catering Flow
Achieving a balance of the above is critical to achieving an efficient, productive kitchen. A good designer will create a layout that combines the above, mitigating issues like cross contamination, and promoting efficient movement and flow that optimises catering operations. Creating a holistic design that balances these elements will always be the key to a successful layout.
Commercial Kitchen Maintenance
Once your commercial kitchen is fitted with the necessary elements, you’ll need to maintain and clean it. Luckily, at Airedale, we provide a holistic service, meaning we not only fit your commercial kitchen but also keep it running efficiently with our Planned Preventative Maintenance service.
Contact Airedale today to fit your commercial kitchen or request an engineer for commercial kitchen maintenance.
