Designing a high-end commercial kitchen isn’t just about stainless steel and spec sheets. It’s about translating a chef’s vision into a physical space that delivers consistency, speed, and longevity every single service.

After more than 30 years building kitchens for restaurants like Frog by Adam Handling, Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, The Savoy Grill, and most recently The 3 Acres in Huddersfield, we’ve seen what works and what can quietly derail even the best projects.

Here are the top five challenges we see most often – and how to solve them before they cost time, money, or sanity.

1.DEFINING THE MENU BEFORE DESIGNING THE KITCHEN

The challenge:

Too many projects start with a floorplan rather than a food concept. The chef’s menu defines everything from extraction load to refrigeration volume to how many passes the plating team needs. If that menu isn’t locked early, the design keeps moving and costs creep.

The solution:

Lock your menu direction and service model before any layout work begins. Ask the chef:

• How many covers at peak?
• What’s the average ticket time?
• Is there a tasting menu element or à la carte volume?

At Frog by Adam Handling, for example, the tasting menu format shaped everything – compact prep zones, maximum plating space, and tight temperature control near the pass. We designed the kitchen around that workflow, not the room size, which is why it delivers such consistent performance during 80+ cover services.

Tip: Never finalise kit selection until the chef’s mise en place and plating flow are confirmed. Function dictates form.

 

2.VENTILATION AND EXTRACTION – THE UNSEEN DEALBREAKER

The challenge:

Ventilation is the number one factor that defines whether a kitchen will pass compliance, stay cool in summer and meet environmental health expectations. Yet it’s often left too late, squeezed into ceiling voids or shaped around pre-existing structure.

The solution:

Design from the canopy down. Extraction determines where cooklines can go, what power sources are viable, and how quiet or efficient the space will be.

When we rebuilt The 3 Acres after the fire in 2023, the first drawings we created were of the extraction route, not the pass. The site’s age and structure meant we had to thread a new high-performance system through 19th-century beams. By setting that early, we avoided rework and kept the reopening on schedule.

Tip: Always confirm your extract route, fan location, and make-up air design before signing off any layout. It’s cheaper to move a range on paper than on site.

 

3.BALANCING PERFORMANCE KIT WITH POWER,SPACE AND BUDGET

The challenge:

High-end kitchens demand precision equipment – from combi ovens and planchas to induction suites and sous-vide stations. The temptation is to specify everything the chef wants, but each addition impacts utilities, ventilation and cost.

The solution:

Map the core production load and prioritise multifunctional equipment. A well-chosen combi or FlexiChef can replace three standalone units.

At The 3 Acres, for instance, we specified a Josper for chargrill quality, a Rotisol rotisserie for volume, and an MKN FlexiChef for prep versatility. Together they gave the brigade full menu flexibility while keeping energy draw and heat output manageable.

This “good-better-best” thinking is key:

• Good: Base-line kit that meets HACCP and throughput.
• Better: Energy-efficient, modular units with built-in service diagnostics.
• Best: Fully connected smart systems with pre-set programs, saving time and waste.

Tip: Always include a power and gas audit early. You can’t fit a £30,000 suite if the incoming supply can’t feed it.

 

4.WORKFLOW AND ERGONOMICS – THE REAL EFFICIENCY TEST

The challenge:

In fine dining, seconds matter. Poorly planned layouts – crossovers between hot and cold prep, awkward dishwash access, or cramped passes – cost time and cause frustration. Once walls and ducting go in, it’s expensive to fix.

The solution:

Design the workflow like a relay race. Every zone should support the next step with minimal backtracking.

When we designed Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, the kitchen footprint was tight, but we achieved a one-way service loop: cold prep to cookline to pass to dishwash return. It’s the same logic we use for hotel banqueting or bistro service – staff flow defines efficiency.

Keep these clearances in mind:

• 1,200 mm between main cookline and opposite counter.
• 900 mm minimum for single-user runs.
• 1,800 mm behind the pass for plating teams on tasting menus.

Tip: Mock the layout with tape on the floor before fabrication. It costs nothing and often saves hours of debate later.

 

5.MANAGING BUILD COMPLEXITY AND TIMELINES

The challenge:

A bespoke kitchen install isn’t just plug-and-play. It involves builders, electricians, plumbers, ventilation engineers, and the kitchen fabricator – all working in tight sequences. Delays in one trade can ripple through the rest.

The solution:

Appoint a single accountable project manager – ideally from a full-service firm that designs, manufactures, and installs. That continuity ensures problems are solved, not passed around.

For the BBC MasterChef studio kitchens, our modular build had to be installed, dismantled, and reinstalled across filming cycles. We developed a pre-engineered section system with plug-and-play services – no loose ends, no downtime. That experience now informs every site we manage, from temporary hotel kitchens to multi-phase refurbishments.

Tip: Build in contingency. Add 10% to your budget and 10 working days to your timeline. It protects you from the unknowns – and there are always unknowns.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

A truly bespoke, high-end kitchen doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of hundreds of small, correct decisions made in the right order – starting with the menu and finishing with the final polish on the pass.

If you take nothing else from this:

1. Design around the menu, not the room.
2. Let ventilation lead.
3. Choose multifunctional kit with realistic power in mind.
4. Plan your workflow on the floor, not just on screen.
5. Keep accountability simple — one team from design to install.

That’s how we’ve helped venues like The Savoy Grill and The 3 Acres achieve kitchens that perform day in, day out – through the lunch rush, the tasting menu, and the years that follow.