Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

• • Who needs a commercial kitchen?
    If you cook for yourself or your family or friends in the privacy of your own home you do NOT need a commercial kitchen. But with virtually all other types of cooking you will do. If you handle, prepare, store, cook or serve food to others, even something as simple as tea and cakes in a village hall, you need a catering environment where professional standards of safety and hygiene can be upheld – and this is what we class as a commercial kitchen – no matter how small – no matter how uncommercial it may seem to the user.  
  • What makes a kitchen “commercial”?

    A commercial kitchen is built to handle the demands of professional use, ensuring safe working practices are always maintained in the interest of the welfare of those who use the kitchen and those who consume the food served from it. This means the kitchen, its units, appliances, and even the room itself, must be constructed from specific materials, mainly stainless steel, and that equipment is laid out in a manner that encourages safe use. Effectively, whether you are volunteering or being paid to work in a catering space, then that organisation is, by default, liable for your safety and providing a commercial environment is the only way of truly assuring that liability.

  • What about ventilation? Do I need to worry about it?

    Yes, ventilation is crucial, and we’ve got you covered! All commercial gas and electric cooking appliances must be placed under a proper extraction canopy which is connected to a source of controlled, mechanical ventilation. The fume-laden air extracted then needs to be deposited to a location where it is dispersed to the atmosphere and replaced with a calculated volume of fresh breathable air. There are many regulations that govern this area, but we’ll always advise you on exactly what your kitchen needs. Ventilation isn’t a factor that can be opted in or out of.

  • Is having a commercial kitchen installed a complicated process?

    A commercial kitchen installation is a carefully coordinated effort between several trades. It might sound complex, but for us, it’s what we do every day and we are comfortable project-managing the various other works required. As the installers of the kitchen we are typically the last contractors on site. The builders who provide the walls, floors and ceilings and the individual trades who provide the gas, electric and plumbing services all complete their works prior to our arrival and we excel at navigating their efforts in order to have the kitchen ‘prepared’ exactly as we want it.

  • How much does a commercial kitchen cost?
    Well, we start our process with a consultation and a site survey (if there is a site to survey at this point), and this part is free of charge. We need to learn everything – from what you intend to cook, how often and for how many, and what space you have to work with. After discussing your kitchen’s intended use, we’ll create designs that fit your needs and budget. As for the overall cost, you will appreciate that we produce kitchens for anyone from a local church hall who may spend as little as £12,000, to a huge luxury hotel who may spend upwards of £500,000. But whatever your venture, nothing is agreed upon until you’re completely satisfied.

  • How long does it take to complete a commercial kitchen project?
    This is another question where the answer can range from the small to the vast. Some projects can be turned around very quickly and the kitchen itself can be installed within 3-4 days, but always bear in mind that our installation is only the final phase of your overall project. On the opposite end of the scale, we work on projects that can be anything up to two years in the planning, and 3-4 weeks to install. And needless to say, there are hundreds of steps in between these extremes. What we can promise is that we’ll always work to your timeframes as realistically as possible and communicate with you and your team every step of the way.

• • Why choose Nelson Commercial Kitchens?
    It is important that you make your own choice as to who you work with but, as we demonstrate across our website, we have amassed nearly 50 years’ worth of experience working across a broad range of industry sectors and understand the diverse range of requirements, budgets, and limitations. Nelson brings extensive experience to all types of commercial kitchens, and our specialised knowledge of the huge range kitchen types allows us to offer unique and valuable service. We don’t favour the small or the huge, the community or the prestige – if you need our help we are happy to talk to you any time.

• • How do I get in touch with you? 
    If you are in need of a commercial kitchen for a community centre, a pub, a restaurant, hotel, sports club or virtually anything else, simply give us a call or send an email! We’re happy to speak to anyone and also happy to meet you at your location for an informal chat about your needs. It’s always worth a short chat just to establish what you need and easy to progress to the next stage where there is scope to do so.