Dartmouth Apprentice - Dartmouth

This is a wow factor restaurant designed in an old Church, situated in the centre of Dartmouth. Allsop and Pitts were contacted at the early design stages to input our experience in this training restaurant for homeless young people.

Space being at a premium it was an interesting and demanding project to provide work stations for 6 in the cooking areas, along with a Dishwash area and all the storage out of view. The floor area was preset so we did not have the luxury of choosing the shape of the kitchen. The Architects, who have sympathetically incorporated some original slab flooring and the Font, determined this.

The kitchen has been designed to be practical for the restaurant yet still providing a training opportunity around the island suite. The ventilation was a very demanding design project with a requirement to keep the noise level down, as the Church is adjacent to houses on both sides; we also had to keep odour to a minimum. The Odour Control System we installed is a new system, in fact it is the first of this type to be installed in the UK, and claims to totally eliminate odour at the same time as cleaning the ductwork. This odour control system has been working in many establishments in France with excellent results so we have installed this with confidence in association with Nobel Fire Systems, who also supplied and fitted a Fire Suppression System within the canopy and ductwork.

The restaurant has a theatre kitchen enabling the clients to see the chefs at work preparing and cooking the meals they are to be served. All the leading lights were retained and much of the wall finishes are original.

The Eating Areas are split into two floors, the Tratoria on the ground floor, where the bar is situated and the Fine Dining Restaurant on the First Floor, around the walls forming an Atrium through to the roof with spectacular lighting and hanging decorative panels to blend in with the Church Mid way up.

Being an Italian Restaurant the Coffee is very important so they have installed a machine on each floor to make sure there are no delays and the coffee turns up, as it should.

Allsop and Pitts also supplied the operational aspect of the Bar, supplying IMC Bar Tender Equipment in the Main Bar with Glass Washing and Ice Storage built in. Allsop and Pitts who worked very closely with the high quality timber bar manufacturers, who have done a fabulous Job, also supplied the Back Bar Stainless Steel Counter and Bottle Coolers.

Included in our project was the vinyl floor covering and the hygienic Wall Cladding the Fire Barrier Roller Shutter across the front of the pass and all of their Sundry Items, including Crockery and Cutlery. So we have actually carried out a complete Kitchen Package, one of which we are very proud of. This is now being supported by on going training from manufacturers and ourselves.