To say the church hall at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Worcester is kept busy would be an understatement. The church desperately needed a kitchen that could cope with everyday use…

The brief
To say the church hall at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Worcester is kept busy would be an understatement. The old kitchen was starting to feel the strain of everyday use, and the church needed a new kitchen that could cope with demand. The committee approached Steelplan Kitchens to find out about a more durable solution.

Decision making
“The hall is extremely well used,” explains Reverend Paul O’Connor. “Our old kitchen was getting tired and we wanted something robust, guaranteed to cope with every day use.” The church hall is used by a wide range of groups – including a children’s nursery that runs every day from 8am until 5pm, AA meetings, Spanish dancing classes and parish groups – so the space needed to be able to accommodate all of their needs, safely and securely.

Steelplan Kitchens provided the best solution. Reverend Paul explains, “We chose Steelplan mainly because of the quality of their kitchens, but also the attention we received from their team when getting quotes.”

“Most importantly,” Reverend Paul adds, “their product fit the bill completely. Our kitchen is in a fairly tight space, and it needed to have everything you’d expect to find in a kitchen – cooking, wet area, refrigeration, and servery – but still be safe and easy to use.”

Steelplan Solution
The kitchen at Our Lady Queen of Peace is square shaped, with four access points, making it a tricky space to lay out effectively. “Steelplan helped us to adjust the existing layout, as we had a few problems in the past that we wanted to overcome with our new kitchen”. Steelplan installed a semi-commercial model with a steel frame and powder coated doors – less harsh than a fully commercial kitchen but just as hard-wearing.

“The units are very sturdy,” says Reverend Paul. “It will certainly last. And we were able to make certain cupboards lockable, which was important for some of our groups and made the kitchen safer.”

The Kitchen
A steel carcass with polyester coated steel doors in White
Food Prep: Steel worktops
Wet area: welded in sink bowls and drainage area
Safety and security: Cam Lock lockable doors

Verdict
The kitchen is now a hygienic and safe space that can stand the test of time – even with daily use from so many different parties. “It looks wonderful,” says Reverend Paul. “In fact it looks so good that it’s been the catalyst for us to look at the rest of the building, and see what other areas need to be brought up to scratch.”
“My favourite thing about the new kitchen is that it gives us peace of mind, that we’re able to better serve the needs of our community.”

Final Layout of the Kitchen