Temporary kitchen specialist Container Kitchen Systems (CKS) says that care home caterers who have not used temporary facilities before are often stunned to find that they are far more sophisticated than they’d expected – often just as good as the new kitchens they are having installed.
This is a good reason for being adventurous and ‘impatient’ to get the latest features when choosing facilities to tide you over during a refurbishment, argues CKS managing director Mark Kingston.
"By their nature, the best catering staff are not just loyal and long serving, but also uneasy about working with new equipment," he says. "They’ll happily try out new foods and recipes, but usually only with their existing equipment.
"That’s why many healthcare catering managers ask us for a temporary kitchen that’s as much like the old one as possible. They worry about not disrupting the catering while the existing premises are refreshed or rebuilt.
"However, if you are planning a new kitchen – or even just a refurb – then there’s a real plus in your temporary one being as advanced as possible. Firstly, staff know it’s temporary, so they are more understanding and flexible about it. Secondly, both the temporary kitchen and your staff can give you extra ideas as you rebuild, and you can test new layouts, equipment or working practices."
Doing it this way, he argues, is the best way of trying out the most advanced equipment, to see how it can help menu quality, working practice and costs.
Another major worry in care-home catering is the growing demand for hygiene legislation. This is something that it’s easy to handle with CKS’s temporary kitchens, which automatically meet the very latest regulations.
CKS has a wide variety of temporary kitchens and facilities, from all-in-one ready-fitted kitchens that can be delivered and working in a day or two, through to specialist units such as storage rooms, refrigerated and freezer coldrooms, self-service facilities, temporary dining areas and washroom facilities.
CKS is one of the UK’s leading temporary kitchen specialists. The company also offers a professional kitchen installation service and operates a catering equipment maintenance division. 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.