Care homes need their kitchens to be operating 365 days a year. 
So if the kitchen needs to be shut down then an alternative has to be arranged. The best alternative is usually a temporary kitchen.
Container Kitchen Systems (CKS) specialises in providing temporary kitchen facilities and has considerable experience of the care home sector. Here Mark Kingston (Managing Director) offers advice on hiring a temporary kitchen.
There are three primary reasons for a care home to hire a temporary kitchen. Firstly, a temporary unit may be required if the permanent kitchen is being closed for refurbishment. All care homes will need to refit their kitchens at some point. A temporary kitchen means the foodservice can continue uninterrupted.
The second reason is when there’s an emergency. Typically this will be when a kitchen has to be closed, perhaps because of a fire or other disaster. Again, a temporary unit means business can continue as usual.
The third reason is for a particularly busy time or event, where the current kitchen can’t cope.
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Temporary kitchens are available in a huge range of sizes, to feed from 30 to 3,000 or more. And not just kitchens. Companies like CKS also offer coldstores, dishwash rooms, washrooms, dining areas, prep rooms; they’re all available to hire and can be linked together to form a large complex when required.
Most temporary kitchen specialists will offer to hire a kitchen for just about any amount of time - from one day to several years. The longer the contract, the lower the ‘price-per-day’. There will also normally be a separate charge for delivery and collection.
Pick a kitchen…
There are various factors to consider when selecting a temporary kitchen and the size will depend on how many people need to be fed, how many chefs are working, what equipment is required, the services required (gas, water, waste, electric) and the amount of space available to house the kitchen, along with ease of access to the site.
The issue of access is absolutely critical, but there’s no need to fret about installing a temporary kitchen past apparently insurmountable walls or tight corners: specialists are used to these problems and have a range of solutions for just about any eventuality.
A temporary kitchen can either be connected up to the mains services - power, gas, water, waste - or it can be a stand-alone unit, with its own generators and so on. However, if the kitchen is going to need to be moved during the contract, then the supplier will take this into account and advise accordingly.
Fitting out your temporary kitchen
A temporary kitchen can be adapted and supplied to suit whatever type of food you are cooking. The best temporary kitchen hire companies will offer a wide choice of equipment, so that you can select exactly what you want - combi, microwave, range, hob, or whatever. In fact, the temporary kitchen can be set up to mimic the kitchen and equipment the chefs are used to.
Energy efficiencyBecause a temporary kitchen may be on site for weeks or even months, companies are very aware of energy efficiency: they want customers to be happy about running costs, so coldroom modules need high performance insulation, kitchens must have effective ventilation and cooking equipment is selected for its energy efficiency - whether gas or electric powered.
Ideally suppliers should separate cooking and refrigeration equipment and select units that are big enough, without being too big. Choosing the right equipment and layout can make a difference of up to 30% in terms of energy running costs.
For more information, brochures and details, contact Container Kitchen Systems direct, by phone on 0845 812 0800, email sales@cksltd.co.uk or on the web at www.cksltd.co.uk.
2010-08-27 14:56:57
