Kitchen solutions when budgets are cut

As capital budgets are squeezed ever harder there are strong signs that many organisations are turning to outsourced and contract hire solutions that can be met from revenue budgets, particularly within the healthcare and education sectors.

There are many organisations, particularly in the public sector, where there is a desperate need to upgrade catering equipment or kitchen buildings but capital funds simply aren’t available.  The long-term hire of catering equipment, or even an entire new kitchen building, is a real capital-free alternative because the cost is met through a monthly fee. In addition, the service provider assumes the financial risk relating to the equipment.

PKL offers a wide choice of hire options, ranging from the ability to specify a complete kitchen equipment estate with inclusive service and maintenance, to permanent modular kitchen buildings that can be designed and configured to end user choice.

Using the contract hire option to procure new kitchen buildings or to replace or upgrade a current kitchen estate provides a viable alternative to capital purchase and is particularly relevant during the current squeeze on funding. In addition, outsourcing all service and maintenance means that there will be no additional costs once a kitchen is in place.

It seems clear that we will see even tighter restrictions placed on capital budgets over the next few years but many organisations can’t wait that long to upgrade their kitchens.  PKL are happy to work with any of these bodies or the FM companies or caterers contracted with them, to evaluate their needs, identify the best solution and explore the options that are open to them.

More information regarding the contract hire of catering equipment or permanent modular buildings can be found by clicking on the links below:

Contract hire

Permanent modular kitchen hire

Pop-up kitchen for pop-up restaurant

Studio East Dining. Photo courtesy of Luke Hayes

PKL has supplied a temporary kitchen for Westfield Stratford City’s “Studio East Dining Pavilion” - the innovative temporary ‘pop up’ restaurant by Westfield in collaboration with Bistrotheque and Carmody Groarke.

The restaurant was erected on the roof of the 35m high Westfield Stratford City development, currently being constructed in East London. The restaurant was open for just three weeks, feeding around 2,000 people while treating them to breathtaking views across London.

Studio East Dining was the brainchild of Westfield, working in conjunction with Bistrotheque, who initiated the pop-up restaurant trend. The restaurant launched Westfield’s Studio East initiative which is designed to harness young, creative talent by providing commissions across art, fashion, product design and environment for the Westfield Stratford City project.

Designed by architects Carmody Groarke, the restaurant was made from scaffolding and boards borrowed from the site and covered in recyclable plastic sheeting, in keeping with its setting. PKL’s kitchen facilities - comprising a ‘mini-kitchen’, preparation kitchen and dishwashing area - were pre-fabricated off-site and delivered to site in portable buildings, reinforcing the ‘construction site feel’ of the project. The kitchens were designed to Bistrotheque’s strict specification.

All of the materials will now be returned to site. The 1.9m square feet Westfield Stratford City will be the largest urban shopping centre in Europe and will form the prestigious gateway to London’s Olympic Park.

Ex Rental KitchenPods for Sale

We have two ex rental KitchenPods that will soon be available for sale. Both units are available in an attractive wood cladding finish and can be used as a permanent kitchen building. Available with your specification of catering equipment, KitchenPods can be used for preparation, cold or full hot food production.

For more details about this offer, click here.

For more details regarding PKL KitchenPods, please click here: