Back in 2007, Stockland Green Methodist Church began to toy with the idea of a major refurbishment. The church committee visited churches across the country, to see how other parishes had altered their buildings to improve their service to their congregation and community.

THE BRIEF

A recurring feature of the busiest churches seemed to be the community café – a place where the congregation could get together outside of Sunday Service, and encourage new members into the church. If the church at Stockland Green was going to have a café, it would definitely need a brand new, commercial grade kitchen. Steelplan Kitchens had the answer.

STEELPLAN’S SOLUTION

To cope with the demands of a fully functioning café, Steelplan needed to provide a durable, semi–commercial. Unlike many church kitchens, the emphasis would be on commercial rather than cosy, as the space would be used to prepare large amounts of food on a daily basis. That said, the kitchen would be predominantly used by church volunteers, so still needed to provide a warm and hospitable place to work.

The committee wanted to offer a varied, but realistic, menu, which meant that the space needed to incorporate a large oven, plenty of counter space and – importantly – a commercial dishwasher (washing up after a few people is bad enough, let alone for a café that seats over 40 people).

Painted in neutral mushroom and white tones and overlooked by a striking deco-era stained glass window, the café itself was designed to be a calm, welcoming space. Aesthetically, the kitchen was made to match, with clean steel countertops and neutral coloured door coatings housing a robust stainless steel framework.

NEW CHAPTER FOR THE CHURCH

Since the café opened, it has been a huge success, popular with both church-goers and the wider community. In the first five months, the café had a footfall of over 4,721, and is regularly packed out with visitors. Feedback locally has been excellent, with visitors dubbing the church café their ‘home from home’.

THE VERDICT

The Minister who oversaw renovations, Reverend Nichola Jones, said after work was completed: “We are delighted with the kitchen – it looks good and is so easy to clean, making it look like new every day! The cupboards and doors are well made and the units are strong and sturdy but look smashing – so many thanks for the semi-commercial kitchen we now have. In fact, we were so pleased that we recommended you to our sister church.”

SUMMARY

The Church
Stockland Green Methodist Church

The space
A church built in the 1930s, with a newly restored deco-era stained glass window

The project
To fit a kitchen that could be used by church volunteers and support a thriving community café.

Steelplan’s solution
Food prep: Steel work tops, with small area of laminate workspace.

Cooking & heating: 4-ring gas hob, built-in double oven, professional style range hood to remove fumes.

Wet area: Cross head pillar taps over welded sink bowls; overhead rinse hose.

Additional features
Under-cabinet downlights to improve visibility

Steelplan Kitchens offer a free consultation and design service to help you design your Church’s perfect kitchen. To find out more, call us on 0844 809 9186.

In the meantime, take a look at some of our other Church case studies:
St Joseph’s Havant
St Nicholas Church Thames Ditton