Chelmer Valley High School – Kitchen Refurbishment

Key Facts:

Client Name: Chelmer Valley High School
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
Type of client: Specialist Engineering and Leadership Academy
Services provided by M+C: Design (including kitchen layout) | Procurement | Project Management
Value: £135,000
Contractor: Millane Contract Services Ltd.
M+C Lead: Barry Lawrence

Chelmer Valley High School is a popular secondary academy serving the Northern side of Chelmsford, Essex.

As a busy school, with a proactive catering contractor on board, the uptake of school meals at the school are consistently high. Throughout the year, this places significant pressure on the catering facilities.

This need resulted in a gradual decline in the quality of the catering facilities, placing increased concerns over the contractor’s ability to maintain the necessary hygiene requirements.

Coinciding with a re-tender of the catering provision, Chelmer Valley High School decided to undertake a complete kitchen refurbishment to tie in with the new contract start. A design was developed to ensure that all surfaces could be hygienically cleaned with ease and were easily interchangeable. New floors and whiterock walls were specified, further enhancing this ability.

New extraction was also specified, featuring a harmonious ventilated ceiling system offering improved extraction. LED lighting was also installed throughout to reduce operating costs.

The scheme was developed in advance of the summer recess period, and programmed to be undertaken throughout the break. Despite the works incorporating a total strip out and re-installation, the kitchen was completed and fully commissioned ready for the new school year; a major scheme completed within just six weeks.