Designing a Commercial Kitchen with Appeal (Steven Browns)

William Arango, a kitchen interior designer, states that "While style counts, emphasis on commercial kitchens largely border functionality." For a very long time, there was hardly any emphasis paid on the designing of the setup of the commercial kitchen. From the smaller to the big kitchens, there has never been any understanding or evaluation on the type or method to be adopted for the procurement of equipments or cost.

There have been multiple times when a design of the commercial kitchen's floor has lead to the complete overhaul of the kitchen. It leads to it being rebuild and finishing. New equipments need to be procured and new chefs hired. This expensive affair is time consuming and thereby hampers the overall building process. For most of the people, there is no difference between the domestic and the commercial kitchen. In reality, there are distinctive features of both these types. While the domestic ones are all about style, the commercial kitchen is more about functionality and ergonomics. Various services like the water, gas, drainage, fire safety, electricity, exhaust system, lighting, HVAC, and ventilation systems. When setting up a commercial kitchen, it is important that everything is got right.

The commercial kitchens are an expensive affair and therefore getting it right at the first go is very important. It is therefore advised that the kitchen designer or expert be consulted before one finally chooses the design and the equipments needed. The following are some of the basic principles that should be taken into account when setting up the commercial kitchen.

The first is the menu, which would enlist the type of food that one would want to cook and serve. This would help in determining the equipments that would be needed and the parameters of the design otherwise required. Depending on the cuisine served, the food preparation areas need to be fixed. The next aspect that should be taken into account is the space available. The general rule of the thumb is that there should five square feet of available floor area for every cover in the restaurant. If the place is limited, then it is time to pay importance to the equipments that are going to be used and the storage space. One can always opt for the custom-made equipments for the kitchen. The third factor that would determine the benefits of the commercial kitchen is the mobility of staff working within the kitchen. This would include the service, chefs and the apprentices that would need to rush and run. The standard rule is that a minimum of five square feet of space is available for each person working in the kitchen. The next aspect that should be seen in a commercial kitchen is designing an ergonomically sound kitchen. It would facilitate in working efficiently without much of walking, bending, turning and reaching. This would reduce the risk of accidents, injury, fatigue and mix-ups. The theory behind such a kitchen is that there are fewer steps that would be needed for the employee to move and complete the task better. Fifthly, the kitchen should be energy efficient that would help in saving critical money by saving on the utility costs. Setting up all cooking elements together would lessen the time in heating the equipments. Keeping all the refrigeration points together would help in saving in energy needed to refrigerate the food. However, the problem is that for an ergonomic kitchen, saving money becomes an issue. Lastly, it is the appeal of the kitchen and the flexibility that it would offer to the staff in working in and around the kitchen.

Once the budget has been fixed and the design settled, it is time to reinvent the commercial kitchen. With a well designed kitchen, one would be bound to save money on utility costs and save energy.

The commercial kitchen should be designed according to the cuisine that is going to be served in the restaurant. To know more about the commercial kitchen or commercial catering, contact firstdegree.com.au

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Mandates in Building a Commercial Kitchen (Steven Browns)

Most of the commercial kitchens would include comprehensive range of cooking tops and appropriate equipments that would operate the different stations. The variety of cuisine provided by the restaurant, the principles of head chef, the preparation techniques of different workers and the focus of the restaurant would also affect the appeal of the kitchen. The available floor area of the restaurant is considered. This would act as the criterion factor for the restaurant's equipments. These cooking areas are usually larger and more complex than the traditional residential cooking areas. The following are some parts of the commercial kitchen.

Stations

The commercial kitchen would be dependent on the type of cuisine offered in the restaurant. This would determine the number of food preparation counters and cooking stations. Most of the time, the simple station would include catering, grilling, baking and saut? stations. The stations are further equipped with space and necessary components that would help in the preparation of the dishes to be served as menu offerings. They are equipped to provide everything that the chef needs. The restaurants that also provide specialized cooking classes would also features that are needed for the classes. It would include the raw materials, plating, all everything else that the chef would need to cook. Sometimes, these kitchens have specialized cooking prepping areas that would let the chef watch over the students or even give a briefing to the assistant chefs on the menu of the day.

Selection of equipments

The commercial cooking areas would be distinctly separate from the residential ones. The residential ones are not able to deal with the large-scale food preparation. The equipments would not require frequent replacements. Usually these commercial versions employ durable versions of machineries that would be able to handle the mass preparation of food. These devices are incorporated with safety features that would render them safe to use for long hours. Not designed for residential purposes, the equipments available in these kitchens would include finger guards and safety shields.

Layout of the Kitchen

Most of the time, the layout of the commercial kitchen would depend on the cuisine it caters to and the availability of the space. These are vastly different from the residential ones. There are various kinds of codes that the state, county and local governments have set for the protection of the workers working in the kitchen. These commercial cook tops also comes with additional electric and natural gas outlets. They contain floor drains, and multiple sinks for hand washing and utensil cleaning. There are multiple refrigeration and storage units that are needed to maintain the temperature needed to store perishable items.

Safety Codes

One of the major requirements in most commercial kitchens, there are some definite rules that they should adhere to, like there should be exhaust fans over the cook tops. It should also have an automatic fire suppression system that is controlled by sensors. There should be non-slip flooring especially in areas of washing. Padded flooring is mandatory in places where the employees have to stand for longer periods. It should have an active industrial extinguisher and fire retardant systems that is incorporated within the structure of the building.

Health codes

The kitchen should adhere to various health code requirements that are needed to maintain hygiene. Preparation of food needs careful hand washing and hygiene system. To avoid contamination of bacteria, these health codes also mandates the disposal system of various refuse in the kitchen.

Commercial Kitchens needs to follow some rules and regulations that are necessary for the successful operation of the kitchen. Steven Brown thinks that commercial kitchens are vastly different than the residential cooking areas existing in our homes.

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Setting up a Commercial Kitchen for Making Chocolates (Steven Browns)

Different kinds of artisanal chocolates have gained popularity in the market. These chocolates have provided individuals with the opportunity to enjoy doing what they love the most. It is making various kinds of chocolate delectable and yet not having to compete with the multinational candy corporations that exist. Most of the states do not allow making any kind of food in the home. Most of the chocolate makers have their own set-up that needs to be catered to. Before beginning with the business, it is important that cooking area be set up at a viable location. The following are some of the steps that need to be taken when setting up required kitchen.

The first step in building a commercial kitchen for chocolate making is to find out from the various state governments the licenses needed to produce the required food in the area. These kitchens have to follow multiple mandates and therefore the individual should be aware of multiple licenses that would be needed to obtain the health inspection. This usually takes time and therefore needs to be properly attained as cancellation of a license would stop the production immediately.

The second step in this entire process is to build a space for the commercial kitchen. It needs stove and electric burners. However, even if the kitchen has to function properly, even for a gas connection, there has to be certain licenses that need to be met. There should be enough space for tempering of the chocolate. Associated with this place, there needs to be specific table for molding and packaging the finished chocolates. If the entrepreneur does not have sufficient capital to invest in the kitchen, it is wise to consider a lease option wherein it would act as a business incubator. The space can then be altered once the necessary capital is acquired from different investors.

The third step is finding the appropriate suppliers. Since it is an artisanal chocolatiers it is important to find fine grade suppliers of the same. More often than not, cacao bean suppliers are located in different geographical locations. It is important that the chocolate be sourced from farms that do not use forced or child labour, by employers who pay fair wages, and suppliers that adhere to the rules of industries. Depending on the requirement of the chocolates, the fine grade and superior grade cacao beans suppliers can be approached. Fine grade chocolate is made of Criolla and Trinitario cacao plants. This is grown in Antilles and since it is pricey, the entrepreneur can always opt to buy bulk chocolate as an alternative. The most easily available is the Forastero variety of cacao bean. The bulk chocolate can be bought from various candy supply retailers and baking shops.

The fourth step is in buying the equipments that are needed to make the chocolate. This can be bought in wholesale. The materials would include a tempering stone, packaging, candy molds, double boilers and quality candy thermometer. These are bought from a baking, candy or any chocolate supply company. Sometimes the chocolate need cream, fresh nuts, delicate edible decorative items, fresh fruits and sugar, all these can be bought from the local supermarket. However, storing these perishable items is sometimes difficult and there may be the need of a bigger refrigeration system. Buying locally would also be cost effective, as it would save shipping charges.

The last step is setting up the commercial kitchen for the maximum efficiency. There is the need of multiple stations. This would include stations for melting, tempering, pouring into molds, making truffles and packaging the rest. The tempering stations should be located away from all heat stations, as this would melt the chocolate. The packaging station should be placed near the molding station. The chocolates need to be packaged immediately after being removed from the molds. Handling the chocolate too much would lead to melting and eventually destruction of the taste.

The author thinks that commercial kitchens would need certain aspects that need looking into. If it were for making various artisanal chocolates, it would need certain specific things for the restaurant.

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The Process by Which Commercial Catering Operates (Steven Browns)

Whether it is a gallery opening, book signing, bar mitzvah, rehearsal dinner, there would be catering involved to complete the experience. If in a wedding or in a fundraiser one would taste good food and it is mostly the catering team's effort. The term catering sounds simple. It means to cook some food and serve it. This is the basic concept, however, there is more to it. This article would try to cover the many aspects of catering. Starting from the initial customer-catering meeting to the execution of the final event, catering is a whole lot more than cooking. It involves selection, food planning, preparation, teamwork, creativity and equipments.

Let's understand what the term Commercial Catering means today. Food remains the main component in the catering world. However, it is just a part. Most companies would agree that catering involves full event planning. The focus has morphed into a full on event-planning model. The focal point has moved on to a broader mission, more aptly, towards the satisfaction of all senses like the sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. With the appropriate atmosphere, the catering agency can appease all the senses and thereby make the event memorable. Beautifully prepared food would appeal to the senses; however, it is subtle enough to not outshine the main event. This is the reason that tableware, glassware and even the decorations used would have the same impact. Everything used starting from the flatware, flowers to lighting and linen used should complement the food to create a unified experience. The key lies in continuity. It is important that each element be in sync with each other. There are certain things that matters in offering the overall experience. Like, whether the venue is apt for the occasion, season and pax. The menu should befit the occasion and taste of the group. For example, the retirement celebration would love tapas stations. Lastly, the decor should suit the venue and the event. The white linen, china and crystal stemware may not be ideal for a casual barbeque party. Whatever be the party type, the goal remains the same, to deeply satisfy the guests.

Most catering agencies come up with the mantra of "How can I make it happen for you?" but the most important thing to remember is that each caterer is actually worth his or her salt. It is duty of the caterer after being contacted to figure out what is wanted and decide how the company would accomplish this. The process starts with client-caterer meetings. The idea is to share and discuss as much information that would help in developing the proposal. As the customer, they may have to face questions on topics like the time and date of the event, the cause, budget, guests and venue. Depending on the answers, the other set of questions come into conversations. This forms the backbone of the caterer's proposal and therefore it is advised to be as explicit as possible. Most of the time the customers think only about budget, yet it is important for the caterer to understand the budget and the expectations. Most caterers are professionals and they are equipped to help you.

Once the Commercial Catering company understands the requirements of the customer, they move forward in creating the proposal. The foundation of the proposal is based on general inquiry with the prospect client. Now, armed with the information, the caterer moves to construct the main menu, beverages and itemised listing of rented equipments and other details. This greatly depends on the theme of the occasion. For example, for the cocktail party it is mainly hors d'oeuvres that are served. Other than this, the amount of food intake is less in cocktail parties. These criteria would be included in the proposal. The other considerations include are as follows:

Balanced menu: This would ensure that the menu served to the guests have a balance of two proteins, one starch and one vegetable.

Courses: There are can be multiple courses in a seated dinner and each course should complement the other. The entree can be venison, and the antipasto can be seafood, which would also give variety to the dinner.

Buffet stations: The number of buffet stations would correspond to the total number of guests attending the event.

Beverages: The wine and all other alcoholic beverages are listed in this proposal.

Once the caterer's proposal is ready, it is given to the customer to verify. This is done in the next meeting.

After the approved proposal, the caterer moves on to the next thing that is planning the event. Everything including the decor, the food, flatware, glassware, linen, and decorations, etc. is scheduled according to the requirements of the customer. The idea is to impart an overall outlook that would satisfy the senses of the invitees.

The Commercial Catering business requires thorough planning and analysis before its appropriate execution. Steven Brown thinks that the process requires seamless customer and caterer interactions.

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