The brief
The kitchen at St Philip’s Reigate was a domestic model, given to the church second hand. As a temporary solution, it did the trick, but with more and more groups – including a local college – using the kitchen, the church needed something more resilient.
We spoke to Mary White from St Philip’s, to find out how Steelplan Kitchens provided the perfect semi-commercial solution.
Decision making
“The second hand kitchen we had at St Philip’s was about 5 years old,” explains Mary. “It was a domestic kitchen to start with, so it was starting to look a bit worse for wear. The worktop had a very busy pattern, too, which it made it more difficult to see how clean it was.”
When a local college, who already used the kitchen, wanted to start cookery lessons on the premises, the need to install something that was easy to clean and hard-wearing became more urgent. Yet it still needed to look the part – as part of a busy, friendly church, a fully commercial steel kitchen would be out of place (not to mention unpleasant to cook in).
Once the committee spoke to Steelplan Kitchens, they decided not to look elsewhere. “Steelplan approached us,” explains Mary, “and after they showed us what they had done for other churches in the area, we didn’t need to get another quote.”
Steelplan’s Solution
The kitchen was fitted into the same space as the previous kitchen – which was installed second hand five years earlier. Steelplan’s semi-commercial kitchen provided a solution that fitted the health and safety needs of a bustling church kitchen, but still had the warm, welcoming aesthetic that a church space needs.
“Steelplan were very good,” states Mary. “they helped us with queries and have responded brilliantly to every problem or concern we’ve had.”
The Kitchen
A steel carcass with polyester coated steel doors, in Sand
Food Prep 304 grade steel worktops
Wet area Welded in sink bowls with built in drainage
Safety and security: Cam lock lockable doors
Community Kitchen
Rather than open new opportunities for the church, St Philip’s new Steelplan Kitchen has helped them to fulfil their existing obligations in the community, including their weekly coffee gathering after service on Sundays. “The local college will start using the kitchen for cookery lessons once the new school term begins, and all of our other groups are thrilled with the end result. It’s a much nicer space to work in – and it’s easy to clean, which is important in a busy hall!”
Final Layout of the Kitchen
