Renovate your commercial kitchen with us
Did you know we offer a full kitchen planning, design and installation service? Working together with our in-house specialist and our trusted partners, you can be assured we can deliver your project for you. Give us your brief and we’ll see your kitchen installation through from the initial designs to installing the final product. This service also includes removals and a repair service.
How it works
Step 1
We’ll always start with a site survey. At this first step, we’ll talk through your requirements and make sure we can deliver a bespoke service designed around you.
Step 2
We’ll start refining your requirements with our design agency. Once the brief has been agreed, we can bring your new kitchen to life, using our installation team.
Step 3
We start the work! Throughout this process, our team will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Step 4
You can start enjoying your new kitchen. We can arrange demonstration days so your team can get the most out of your newly installed equipment.
Leasing options for your business
Whether you’re setting up shop or upgrading your existing kitchen, you deserve the best quality equipment for your venue.
Kennet Leasing can provide flexible leasing options, helping you spread the cost of essential catering supplies over a period of up to 5 years.
*Minimum lease orders over £1000. Available on machines, refrigeration and specific goods to an order value over £1000. Subject to status.
Best sellers
What we can offer
Fabrication
Standard & bespoke stainless steel benches, sinks and dishwash tabling manufactured to suit your needs.
Food service counters
Whether it’s static or mobile, drop-in or free-standing, we can design a solution bespoke for you including your choice of finishings.
Extraction systems
Designed in accordance with DW172, Gas Safe and HSE regulations, we can provide gas interlock systems, replacement or input systems with tempered air and fire suppression.
Cold & freezer rooms
We offer a full range of bespoke or modular cold freezer rooms made to measure.
Our experience and expertise
“I’ve spent 38 years in the hospitality industry, including running my own restaurant with a team of 96 employees. That experience gave me strong, hands-on knowledge of commercial kitchens and major appliances. Now, I put that expertise to work leading full front- and back-of-house refurbishments at Brakes Catering Equipment." – Alan Mckenna, Capital Equipment Sales Manager
Customer Testimonials
"Brakes Catering Equipment is our reliable partner, offering solutions for all sourcing needs. Their one-stop shop excels in front & back-of-house operations, delivering top service & quality."
Joe & The Juice
"Brakes Catering Equipment's personalised account management is superb, ensuring our business's homes receive fantastic care and attention to detail."
Aria Care
"We're impressed by Brakes' consultative selling, integrated with personalised account management. Their one-stop solution streamlines operations, boosting efficiency."
Azzurri Group
The average commercial kitchen measures at around 1,000 sq ft. Smaller operations tend to range from 200-600 sq ft, while high-volume kitchens are often larger than 1,200 sq ft.
The size of your commercial kitchen space directly impacts your operational efficiency. Several factors play a role, including menu complexity, order volume, staffing and more. Undersized kitchens don’t allow for safe foot traffic or adequate storage space, and oversized kitchens result in high overhead costs and higher maintenance.
A standard rule of thumb is to allocate approximately 0.46 square meters (approximately 5 sq ft) of kitchen space per dining seat, with the kitchen usually occupying about a third of the total restaurant.
Yes, you can install a kitchen in a rented commercial shop.
You first need to check your lease, to ensure you have exclusive use of the space and are allowed to make structural alterations, as well as reach out to your landlord for permission. Then you need to go to the local council for planning permission, which may involve changing the premises’ use class if it hasn’t been used for food service before.
After this, you can proceed with designing your kitchen, while ensuring it’s compliant with health and safety regulations so it can pass inspections after registration.
When designing a commercial kitchen, the first thing to consider is space. Generally, 60% of the kitchen space should be dedicated to food preparation and cooking, while 40% is allocated to storage, dishwashing, and circulation.
Factors like equipment required and menu complexity will play a role in the layout you choose, but zoning is something to take into consideration. Dedicate zones of your kitchen to preparation, cooking and plating and that the entire space is easy to keep clean.
Avoid “bottlenecks” by ensuring that the main walkways are at least 4ft wide, to allow staff to pass safely. The layout should align with other health, fire and safety codes too.
Commercial kitchens have different requirements to home kitchens; all choices made in designing commercial kitchens prioritise health and safety regulations.
For example, wall and flooring choices are made around how easy to clean the materials are; stainless steel wall panels to avoid contamination and non-slip flooring that can be flooded for mopping are ideal. Robust ventilation is also key, with extraction canopy and ducting systems being mandatory.
Other requirements include:
Three-compartment sinks
A fire extinguisher, and other fire suppression options
Proper drainage
Commercial refrigeration
Strict pest control measures.
Speak to our team for a full breakdown of the elements required for a commercial kitchen.
Installing a commercial kitchen in the UK typically costs between £10,000 and £75,000, depending on the size of the establishment, whether commercial kitchen fitters are needed, and the equipment required. If you're designing a commercial kitchen for a small food truck or cafe, the quote will be modest, but larger kitchens for hotels or large restaurants can incur many more costs, sometimes exceeding £100,000.
Speak to a team for a commercial kitchen installation quote, and an analysis of the costs involved so you have clear guidance on where you can maximise your budget.