St Paul’s Hounslow West had sat neglected and empty for two years before a local bishop’s mission moved in. A small congregation was formed to start work on rebuilding the church and its congregation. While the kitchen was at the top of the renovations list from the start, it would be another two years until they were ready to call Steelplan Kitchens.

“We started as a small plant group, moving from St Stephen’s church to become the St Paul’s Bishop’s Mission Initiative within Holy Trinity parish,” explains Buildings Manager Graham Neilson. “We managed to reopen the church in October 2012 with a congregation of less than 20!”

A lot of work needed to be carried out on the fabric of the building from the start. Extensive repairs were needed on the stone work and spire, and the church needed to be brought up to safety standards, which quickly ate up much of the church’s initial funding.

Eventually, in 2015, the church received a lottery grant and renovation work could begin in earnest. By 2016, the committee were ready to install a much needed kitchen.

PLANNING THE KITCHEN

The existing kitchen dated back to the late-nineties. A domestic MDF model, it had aged badly, with peeling laminate exposing the MDF underneath, rusted hinges and deteriorated surfaces making it an unsafe food preparation space (not to mention an unpleasant place to volunteer).

The committee were recommended Steelplan Kitchens by the architect who had worked on the rebuilding project. “We did have other quotes, but we liked what Steelplan offered,” says Graham.

STEELPLAN’S SOLUTION

The powder-coated steel kitchen offered by Steelplan gave the church a semi-commercial option rather than a difficult choice between a sturdy (but imposing looking) commercial kitchen and a domestic model.

“The other fully commercial models were more expensive, and didn’t look as good,” explains Graham. “As we could have a Steelplan Kitchen customised with our own colour choice, we ended up with a kitchen that looked like a nice, modern B&Q kitchen, but had the strength of a commercial model.”

Food prep: Stainless steel countertops
Dishwasher: Commercial dishwasher (cleans dishes in a matter of minutes)
Cooking: Electric range
Storage: Powder-coated cabinets, full fridge/freezer

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

The new kitchen allowed the small congregation to expand their presence in the local community and attract new members. The kitchen now supports events throughout the week, including a mother and toddler group on Mondays, an open café twice a week and an over 50s breakfast morning on Thursdays. The team also run a weekly foodbank.

“The café is always busy after Sunday service, and on Wednesdays it regularly attracts 50 – 60 people,” says Graham. “That’s without all the occasional events: at Christmas we hosted a three course meal, which we just couldn’t have done in the previous kitchen.”

Graham adds, “The kitchen has really helped us to reach out to the community, and help a relatively new congregation to connect. It’s become a real part of our Sunday service.”

From such humble beginnings, the congregation has now grown to over 100 and is a thriving part of the local community.

SUMMARY

The Church
St Paul’s Hounslow

The space
A mid-sized kitchen built in to the church (with a lovely stained glass window)

The project
A new kitchen for a new congregation: the church had been empty for 2 years and desperately needed renovating.

The budget
Funding from various redevelopment grants and contributions from trustees

Steelplan’s solution
A steel carcass with powder coated doors, in Flash (bright white).

Food prep: Stainless steel countertops

Dishwasher: Commercial dishwasher (cleans dishes in a matter of minutes)

Cooking: Electric range

Storage: Powder-coated cabinets, full fridge/freezer