Catering supplies and equipment: How to make the most of your commercial space.

There is a lot more to creating a commercial kitchen than one might originally think. It’s not like furnishing a home kitchen where the focus is split between what looks good and what is useful.  There is much more to think about than where the kettle and the toaster look the best.

When kitting out a commercial kitchen the emphasis is put on maximising a space and ensuring that every inch is filling its potential. This can make choosing the catering supplies and equipment for a commercial kitchen a stressful task. Of course, every kitchen is different and what works well in one may be completely inappropriate for another. That’s why there are so many different products out there designed to help you get the very best from your space whether that space is a restaurant, café or even a local bakery or delicatessen.

There are many suppliers out there offering a huge range of catering supplies such asgrills and ovens, food preparation equipment like mixers and slicers, food service equipment like bainmarie’s and food display cabinets, warewashing glass and dishwashers, hot and cold beverage equipment, chillers, freezers, bar equipment, storage, janitorial and even furnishings for front of house.

One of first decisions that needs to be made is what your business is trying to do, there is no point in buying every product that the brochures and websites tell you that you need only to see them gather dust, or worse than that, waste valuable space.

Secondly, before you start buying you should be extremely aware of the size of your space, there is little use in buying the biggest, most expensive freezers and industrial microwaves if there is nowhere to put them and they limit the rest of the working space. At the same time, however, there is little use in buying a service fridge only to realise that your own products do not fit.Shop around until you find the perfect fit.

Another important factor when choosing catering supplies and equipment is to be very clear on the available budget and prioritise accordingly. Work out which products are vital to getting you started and what can wait for a later date. For example it might be more prudent to buy the correct fridges and ovens and peel the potatoes by hand before splurging on an electrical potato peeler. 

A great way to find out about the products that are on offer is to visit trade events where you can get first hand advice on how to get started as well as a good look at and feel for the products that you will be investing in. One of the leading events is called Hospitality which is the UK's largest food service and hospitality show providing an opportunity to source new ideas and products.

So always remember your priorities, your budget and your main business goal when you begin and don’t let yourself be blind sighted by the sheer volume of products available.