“If you can’t stand the heat – take a look at your kitchen!”
In a professional kitchen, every second (and every step) counts. For chefs, the physical and mental demands of long hours, high heat and constant focus can take their toll. That’s why thoughtful kitchen design goes beyond efficiency to include wellbeing, too. At Gratte Brothers | Foodservice Solutions, we believe that a commercial kitchen should be designed with the kitchen team at its core.
Our decades of experience, combined with our team of passionate catering industry professionals, gives us the unique perspective of what really works to optimise flow & reduce chef fatigue. We’ve summarised the 7 most crucial design principles:
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Optimised Layout & Work Triangle
This one might sound obvious, but it’s often overlooked (or overcomplicated). We often work in older buildings that come with obstacles to overcome, our expert team are old hands at working with a space to get the most out of it. For example, we once fitted a vital piece of large equipment into Brown’s Hotel’s basement kitchen. We dismantled the oven to navigate the narrow corridors and get it into the kitchen. We then rebuilt it in place – it now proudly sits in its nook with mm to spare! Our team assesses the available space to produce an expertly considered, intelligent layout design. Designing a kitchen with efficient flow reduces unnecessary movement. By optimising the kitchen work triangle (linking prep, cook and wash areas) and ensuring wide aisles, chefs can work efficiently and safely without constant pivoting or reaching.
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Ergonomic Workstations
Proper work-height prep tables and strategically placed equipment reduce strain on the back, shoulders and legs. Anti-fatigue and non-slip flooring further support comfort and safety throughout long shifts. Optimal counter height varies depending on the height and build of the kitchen team. For instance, a family-run or culturally specific restaurant may have a team with similar physical builds. We take this into account during design, ensuring the workspace suits the people who use it — whether that means slightly lower countertops for a shorter team or higher ones for taller chefs. This said, we also take a long-term view, recommending non-standard counter heights only when it’s clear they’ll remain suitable for the team and business in the years ahead.
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Better Lighting for Energy & Focus
Good lighting transforms a workspace. Natural light (or well-designed LED systems that mimic it) can boost mood, reduce eye strain and maintain focus deep into service. As well as practicality, lighting can also be used to add an element of fun – we’ve previously been asked to install a disco light to keep the vibes up, and we have to say, it was a great addition! On a more practical level, we remove any fluorescent lighting in situ when starting a project – the flickering (whether consciously detectable or not) can cause headaches and eye strain. To reduce fatigue, we install LED lighting, which has the added benefit of being more energy & cost efficient, too! The colour temperature of lighting is another design element we consider: a cold, bright white light can reflect off the stainless-steel surfaces and be too dazzling. A warm neutral lighting avoids this, and when twinned with under-cabinet lighting, creates a shadowless, invigorating, practical yet ambient space.
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Noise Reducing Materials
We know the scene all too well; you’re struggling to hear each other over the sound of pots & pans clattering, machines whirring, and food being seared, fried or boiled. Poor acoustics can turn a busy shift into a nightmare! We recognise that the trick in a commercial kitchen is managing noise, as you’ll never be able to eliminate it entirely. So, ensuring equipment is well-maintained, using quieter models and installing acoustic panels all work to create a calmer environment that facilitates better communication between the team and helps to avoid over-stimulation. In larger, busier kitchens, we tend to integrate noise-absorbing countertops – achieved through layering MDF sheets under stainless steel surfaces to absorb the sound. Many noise-reducing steps also improve the efficiency of equipment. For instance, commercial dishwashers are built with a cavity between their two walls to deaden the noise. This has the added benefit of improving energy efficiency, as the insulated cavity helps the dishwasher retain heat and maintain consistent water temperatures, reducing both heating time and energy consumption. Reducing noise isn’t just about reducing chef fatigue, though. It has a much more crucial advantage: equipment faults and even gas leaks can go undetected in a noisy environment. Managing noise levels makes it easier to hear the hiss of a pipe leak, or any audible equipment malfunction.
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Air Quality & Temperature Control
High-performance HVAC systems, improved ventilation and cooling zones help maintain air quality and comfort in a busy commercial kitchen. We’ll mention equipment maintenance again here! Making sure your equipment is running efficiently avoids overheating – a bonus for your team, and your equipment! For our clients, we integrate temperature control systems that bring in fresh air from the outside, neutralise any odours or bacteria, and regulate the air’s temperature before filtering it into the kitchen. Access to fresh air is crucial for managing fatigue and boosting wellbeing.
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Comfortable Break Areas
Break spaces with comfortable seating, hydration stations, natural light and some more noise-reducing materials will give your team the well-needed breaks they need (when they can find time to take them!). Gratte Brothers regularly optimise staff break rooms for hotels and B&I (Business & Industry) clients, upgrading servery counters, refrigeration units and seating. Well-designed, functional and relaxing staff areas can pay dividends in revitalising staff mid-shift.
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Smart Storage & Collaboration
Efficient storage solutions keep tools and ingredients close at hand (but out of the way), reducing unnecessary steps around the kitchen. A popular choice for efficiency is overhead suspended racking systems: kitchen teams can maximise storage space, sliding shelving aside to access the one they need. One of the first things we do when designing a kitchen is to observe how the team currently uses the space – areas of high & low traffic, bottlenecks, pain points, but also anything that works well for the team. We collaborate with chefs to tailor layouts and include features that truly support their ways of working.
We have a wealth of experience in designing, installing and maintaining commercial kitchens in a range of sectors from fine dining to garden centres, office buildings, schools, and more! If you’d like support with your next kitchen project, Contact Us today for a no-obligation chat.