Darlington College

In October 2016, Darlington College’s main kitchens were destroyed in a fire. “The damage was far greater than we’d initially thought,” says James Butterfield, head of estates and facilities. “It was quite a shock when we realised we’d need a complete refurbishment.”

With approximately 1500 full-time and 1500 part-time students to keep fed, this unexpected refurbishment obviously required prompt action. As well as being a vital service for the college it is also part of its educational portfolio. “The kitchen is essentially split into two,” explains James. “One half is for the food served in our food court and coffee shop, the other half produces food for our restaurant, both of which are run by students, supported by staff.” “We needed expert help in getting the kitchens back up and running as quickly as possible,” says James.

“This is why we called in GastroNorth. We’ve used them in the past on smaller projects, so we know they’ve got the expertise to be able to provide exactly what we need”. GastroNorth got to work and chose equipment that would be able to handle the demands of commercial production while meeting the educational needs of Darlington’s students.