With 2024 just around the corner, now is the time to start considering your priorities for the next 12 months – and importantly, whether your community kitchen is properly equipped for the year ahead.
Time together as a community has the power to work miracles. There is nothing quite like sharing a meal with friends and family from your local community – be it in a community centre or your local church.
However, to do so, you need a kitchen that is equipped to not only withstand prolonged and heavy use, but also to help bring your community closer together.
Make 2024 the year that you help your kitchen reach its full potential. Here’s how…
1. ARE YOU CONSIDERING INSTALLING A KITCHEN FOR A CHURCH OR A COMMUNITY CENTRE?
Whether installing a kitchen from scratch or looking to upgrade your existing facilities, a semi-commercial kitchen is the perfect choice for community centres and kitchens alike. Why? Because it offers the perfect blend of functionality, durability, hygiene and personality.
Why not see for yourself?
This collection of amazing photos from our previous projects demonstrates the impact of a warm, inviting, practical kitchen for community centres. Check them out for some inspiration.
If you’re installing a kitchen for a church, you will be familiar with some of the constraints – whether it’s restoring the historic heritage, accessibility issues, or simply working around the awkward internal spaces. However, that doesn’t make it an impossible feat. Take a look at our SLG Convent case study to see how we helped them navigate the challenges.
We also have loads of advice on our website for churches and community centres looking to upgrade their kitchens, so be sure to give it a look.
2. WHICH MATERIALS ARE THE BEST FOR A CHURCH/COMMUNITY CENTRE KITCHEN? DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
While churches and community centres will obviously have different requirements and needs from their kitchen space, the best option for a functional, hygienic, welcoming kitchen is a Steelplan semi-commercial kitchen.
With a combination of stainless steel for worktops and mild steel for the carcass, the materials used are hard-wearing, durable, easy-to-clean and colourful – meaning they don’t just work well, they also fit in seamlessly with the aesthetics of your community area.
You can find out more about the benefits of a mild steel kitchen on our website, which can help you understand the properties of the materials in more detail.
Perhaps most importantly, we really don’t recommend MDF for your community kitchens. While the material works perfectly well for domestic kitchens, it simply doesn’t have the qualities needed for a semi-commercial kitchen. Here’s why.
3. I’M NOT A KITCHEN DESIGNER – HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY KITCHEN WILL DO WHAT I WANT IT TO DO?
Rest assured, you don’t need to be a kitchen designer to have a successful community kitchen upgrade – and you also don’t need to hand over the reins completely to someone else. Our free design and consultation service allows you to maintain control of the vision for your kitchen, while leveraging the expertise and knowledge of our experts for the best possible outcome.
We can even produce a 3D mockup to help you see what the end result will look like – and decide if you’d like to go ahead with the installation.
Here, you can find out more about what to expect from the service.
If it’s the kitchen planning process you have concerns about, rest assured that we are there to support you every step of the way. To get you started, see our best bits of advice.
Of course, one of the most exciting yet challenging aspects of your kitchen installation is getting the design right. You want something welcoming and cheerful – not cold and institutional. Here’s our guide for designing a colourful kitchen that represents your community, brightens up your space and promotes inclusion and accessibility.
4. HYGIENE IS A MAJOR WORRY FOR ME – HOW WILL A NEW, MILD STEEL KITCHEN HELP?
When preparing food for large numbers, hygiene and cleanliness is a top priority. Steelplan semi-commercial kitchens are hygienic by design – and we don’t just mean the materials.
From the layout of the kitchen to the thought process that goes into installation – every step is taken with hygiene front of mind, to ensure a safe and clean environment for you and your guests.
Of course, you might have a few recurring problem areas that seem impossible to rectify. Here are some of our tips on how to combat them, and how a better-designed semi-commercial kitchen will help you eliminate them for good.
5. I WANT INSPIRATION FOR HOW TO USE MY KITCHEN. CAN YOU HELP?
Having worked with various community centres and churches in upgrading their kitchens and helping them reach their full potential, we have lots of ideas and suggestions for how you can transform your kitchen area.
Why not consider hosting social cooking events to help bring your community together and build long-lasting relationships? Or, if you have some big yearly events coming up such as a summer sport’s day or a bake-off, here are some ideas to draw in the community on those ‘big days’.
Make 2024 the year of community-building with Steelplan
Whatever your ambitions for 2024, make this the year of a stronger, more connected community by upgrading your facilities and creating a space where everyone feels welcome.
Get in touch with one of our experts to find out how we can help bring your visions to life: [email protected]
