MIDKENT COLLEGE
MAIDSTONE CAMPUS
As part of an ongoing campus re-modelling, MidKent College purchased the adjacent former UCA Campus Library Building with the view to conversion into new accommodation for the Hospitality and Catering Faculty, relocating tired and outdated training kitchens, associated administration and changing facilities.
A&E Catering Design were employed to design all catering facilities from Stage 3, through tender, providing package supervision through to handover. The College also added the Block D Refectory refurbishment to the scope. This included re-design of the existing Refectory Kitchen and new serving counters.
The flat roof above the Training Kitchens provided an ideal location for all air handling equipment associated with the kitchen spaces. A&E also took on board the full design of the kitchen ventilation system, including ductwork design and specification of fans, canopies, fire suppression and control systems.
A&E created two new training kitchens with associated ancillary areas, dry goods, refrigerated and equipment storage. The first, a Pastry Kitchen with sixteen (16) individual workstations arranged for practical learning complete with a Lecturer Demonstration Bench and AV connectivity. The second, a fully functional Restaurant Training Kitchen designed to replicate the ‘commercial’ environment, serving an adjacent 80 seat á la carte Training Restaurant. To be as cost efficient as possible the design accommodated an existing Charvet cooking suite. A&E coordinated its disassembly, refurbishment and transportation across campus to the new facility. This was complimented by two newer smaller suites, one by Charvet, the other by Menusystems incorporating induction with slide technology.
MIDKENT COLLEGE
McLEOD'S@MIDKENT MEDWAY
“McLeods is a real restaurant led by a professional head chef and hospitality manager, staffed by students on work experience learning about the hospitality business. The experience they receive in McLeods, and everything they learn there, really improves their chances of finding a new job when they leave College.”
A&E Catering Design were approached by CCStudio Architects to join their team to create a Training Restaurant of the highest quality, built to commercial standard, a showcase facility to other colleges to illustrates the ‘best’ in training establishment design for the 21st century. The restaurant delivers the highest standard of fine dining and obtained Rosette status for culinary and service excellence. The kitchen facility was designed to service between 40 – 60 covers with a full restaurant table service offering a choice of four starters, five main dishes and four desserts accompanied by a selection of good quality wines by the glass or bottle. All food is prepared from fresh, seasonal ingredients, with each student being responsible for delivering a particular aspect of the menu. By incorporating induction cooking by MKN and other energy saving technologies A&E Catering Design were able to secure for the College an innovation grant to contribute to the project cost.