Gabby's Work Experience - Cleeve School Case Study

After an exciting and informative week of work experience, working within the marketing team, Friday has arrived and I am able to share the Food Cube case study I’ve produced with some help!!

Having a Food Cube at Cleeve School's sixth form where I attend, it seemed a perfect opportunity to see Graphic Designer Andy in action with the camera and to see how Marketing Executive Caz works her magic with the masses of information collected and crafts it into small condensed paragraphs for the case study.

Experiencing the Food Cube myself for a hot drink on a regular basis, I was aware of the benefits it has to offer our sixth form, although this wasn’t enough information to produce a case study with. So Andy and I went on a visit to Cleeve School, where I was classed as a visitor, to interview both my peers, a member of the catering team and my teacher.

Once we arrived and Andy had snapped away, the interview with the Acting Assistant Head of Sixth Form began, during which the Food Cube was seen in action with two students purchasing a hot drink. After I had carried out all three interviews, and made over a page of notes on the benefits and uses of the Cube, it was back to the office to use this information. 

Constructing the text for the case study was a task I had underestimated - trying to include all the points made by those I had interviewed whilst keeping it short and punchy wasn’t as easy as it appeared. However with assistance from the expert herself, Cleeve School’s Food Cube Case Study was successfully completed!

Here's the finished article...

Cleeve School's Food Cube Case Study

Cleeve School, a large secondary school with busy sixth form, wanted a solution to encourage sixth form students to remain on site during their free periods. They decided to install a PKL Food Cube directly outside the sixth form centre, and created an outdoor dining area with the addition of a canopy and tables.

The Cube has proven to be hugely popular within the sixth form, especially as it is an exclusive outlet not available to the rest of the school community. It offers menu items not available in the main canteen, such as hot drinks, and is open throughout the day rather than just at lunch and break times.

An added bonus of the Cube, manned by Julie from the catering team, is that the sixth formers have been able to build a great relationship with her. This has not only increased the Cube’s popularity, but has also made students more confident in putting forward their own menu suggestions and ideas.

 “The students really enjoy having the Food Cube and being able to come and use it on a regular basis throughout the day. The sixth form students really like the privilege of having it to use for themselves, and we have seen an improvement in students staying on site. I would definitely recommend it.” – Emma Smith, Acting Assistant Head of Sixth Form

For more information on PKL Food Cubes, click here.

A Snapshot of PKL’s 2015: Part 1

In such a busy company, it's impossible to tell you everything we've been up to this year, so instead we've picked just one photo to represent each month of 2015, to give you a quick snapshot of our year! Here's Part 1 - January to June. Part 2 to follow soon...



January - ExtensionPods Launch
In January, we introduced our range of “ExtensionPods” – modular buildings which can be joined onto existing buildings as an alternative to a traditional extension. They can be used to create an open plan space, or be kept as separate rooms with their own doors. The range includes the KitchenPod, PrepPod, DishwashPod, StoragePod and LaundryPod, each offering bespoke options to suit your requirements.



February – Food Cube Diner at Stratford-upon-Avon School
February saw the installation of our first ever Food Cube Diner – a Food Cube with integrated dining room – at Stratford-upon-Avon School. The Food Cube Diner was built to ease pressure on the main canteen when the school moved from a double to a single lunch hour and introduced a “stay on site” policy. The diner is used exclusively by Year 11, but it also has an external serving hatch available for use by other year groups. The dining room is also used by clubs and as an exam hall when not in use.



March – New Event Kitchens Website
In March we launched our brand new event kitchens website, dontforgetthekitchen.com. This website is designed specifically for our event clients and offers an instant online estimate system as well as access to details of all our kitchens and equipment for hire, case studies, and health and safety information. It also gives access to crockery, cutlery and glassware from our partners at Well Dressed Tables.



April – Large Scale Temporary Prison Kitchen 
We undertook a large scale modular kitchen project for a prison client in April, who needed a 6-month temporary kitchen solution during a major refurbishment. Comprising 35 kitchen units, and with a footprint of over 500m2, the facility was initially constructed at PKL (construction phase shown above!), with the mechanical and electrical fit-out taking place here as well as the extraction and equipment installation. It was then disassembled into individual units, delivered and re-built at the client’s site ready to go.



May – Cake Sale for Nepal Earthquake Appeal 
At the beginning of May we held a cake sale to raise money for the Nepal Earthquake Appeal. Throughout the year, we also held fundraising events for Comic Relief, Macmillan Cancer Support, the Royal British Legion and Children in Need, raising a total of over £365 for charity.



June – Temporary Kitchens at Cavendish Primary School
In June, we installed a temporary kitchen and dining facility at Cavendish Primary School in Manchester. As well as areas for preparation, production, dry and cold storage, and dishwashing, the large facility also features a dining hall, staff room and toilets. It will be on site for 18 months while the school’s old facilities undergo a major refurbishment.