CHR Equipment Ltd delivering profitable solutions to the UK Food Service Industry
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This project presented several unique challenges that the CHR team worked hard to address. From the local geography to weather and time constraints, many complications were overcome to achieve an outstanding result.
The overwhelming success of the project led to its inclusion in the 2016 CEDA Grand Prix Awards in the Medium Sized Project category.
The chef at The Drunken Duck Inn, Jonny Watson, had struggled with the shortcomings of the existing kitchen for the previous 5 years. The main difficulty was the layout of the building, causing members of the front-of-house staff to walk through the kitchen. This caused much miscommunication and confusion in the workplace.
During his time at the establishment, Jonny had built up his own plans for a perfect kitchen. He had to wait until the owner gave the go-ahead and at that point CHR was enlisted to make his plans a reality.
CHR Service Equipment was chosen from several possible contractors due to the strength of its work at a nearby restaurant in Cartmel.
CHR were given free rein on the kitchen design and installation. The client wanted to achieve an open-plan finish similar to previous CHR projects in Lancashire and Cumbria, so interior walls were to be removed.
For the owners, Stephanie Barton and her son, Tom, a move away from gas to electric cooking was important. This was because of their environmental consciousness and a wish to conserve their energy use as much as possible.
CHR made sure an energy-efficient solution was the priority.
Team members from The Drunken Duck Inn then visited installations at Wellock’s and Lancashire County Cricket Club ground at Old Trafford as well as the factory that manufactures CHR’s equipment. This further assured them that CHR had been the right choice to complete their project.
The design of the project faced several major complications. The Drunken Duck Inn’s location is remote and the building itself also presented considerable height restrictions.
In the old kitchen, units were moved around daily to create the space needed for each service; breakfast, lunch and dinner. In an open plan design, this would no longer be possible. CHR’s team therefore considered the use of space very carefully in their design.
The pot washing station needed to be present and accessible yet hidden from the view of patrons. Daily operations and workflow were looked at in detail to find the best overall solution.
The owners required the work to be completed in a small window of only 2 weeks. This represented a challenge as walls needed to be knocked down and new cladding given time to set before work could continue.
CHR developed a tight schedule to ensure the job was completed on time. Through difficult weather conditions and crowded working environments, subcontractors from both parties worked hard to achieve an outstanding result. The rigorous timetable at one point saw 16 workmen on-site at once.
Head chef Jonny Watson was extremely pleased with the overall result, especially given the very short time-frame. The owners were relieved to see the end of gas cooking appliances and a move towards energy-saving electric alternatives.
The kitchen team were given full training and support, allowing them to get back to full output within a week of the project’s completion.
Through hard work and careful planning, CHR and the team at The Drunken Duck Inn completed their expansive project within a 2-week time-frame. By modernising the 18th Century building, Jonny and his kitchen staff will be able to cook their delicious food in the right setting, free from disruption.