Athanor suite takes pride of place at Margo

Grande Cuisine recently completed the design and installation of a bespoke Athanor cook suite at Margo restaurant in Glasgow. Margo is part of the Scoop Restaurants Group and received a coveted Bib Gourmand at the 2025 Michelin Awards.

Jonathan MacDonald, owner and director of The Group was looking for a purpose-built suite that met some very specific requirements in terms of energy efficiency, build quality, and long-term reliability. “Although we were already familiar with the Athanor brand, we did feel that it was important to consider other manufacturers in the first instance. However, once we had visited the Athanor factory, met the team, including Djamel and Margaux, and seen the passion and attention to detail evident in every stove they make, we knew that Athanor was the right choice.”

The re-design of the kitchen layout, carried out by Kevin Thomson and the team at Prois, was shaped by several challenges: the space constraints, the presence of structural columns and the shape of the actual kitchen itself. Fortunately, it’s in situations like this that bespoke Athanor suites really come into their own and it meant that Prois were able to optimise what was a very challenging space. Together with Grande Cuisine, they carefully planned the kitchen layout to maximise efficiency while maintaining flexibility for future changes.

Initially, Jonathan and his team considered a combination of induction AND plaques for the suite but after detailed discussions with Grande Cuisine, Athanor and Prois, they opted for plaques after being fully briefed on the advantages that this would bring to a high-volume, fast-paced kitchen. The two plaques, both of which are in a “two plus one” configuration, giving a total of six zones, offered greater flexibility and were better suited to the demands of the operation in terms of cooking speed and performance over the expected lifetime of the suite. Other equipment built into the suite includes two double fryers and a multi-cooker.

“First and foremost, we were looking for a cook suite that combined energy efficiency, build quality, and reliability,” says Jonathan. “Having previously relied on mid-range modular appliances – which served us well but required frequent repairs and maintenance – we decided that we would opt for something that was altogether more durable. The new Athanor suite not only provides that durability, but it is also much easier to clean, whilst eliminating many of the operational inefficiencies we had experienced with the old equipment.

“Despite the space constraints, the bespoke design of the suite has made for a much more streamlined kitchen layout which is built around three hot sections. Two of these sections are on the Athanor suite and the third is focussed around the Mibrasa oven. The inclusion of touch screens at each hot section optimises the workflow and enables the chefs to focus on cooking, rather than organising tickets, so each of them knows exactly what to prepare, and in what order, thereby enhancing the kitchen’s overall efficiency during service. The six plaque Athanor zones can be used in a variety of different combinations for either direct or indirect (pan) cooking which was an important consideration because it gives us the flexibility to adapt the cooking style to accommodate any future menu changes or evolving operational needs.

“The project’s complexity meant that the design and installation process took a little longer than anticipated, particularly due to the complicated ventilation requirements, but thanks to the excellent work done by Kevin, and the team at Prois, the outcome has been well worth the wait. Now fully operational the kitchen is performing exactly as we wanted, with the team expressing great satisfaction with the new cook suite – they feel very fortunate to be working on such high-quality piece of equipment every day.

“I would also like to mention that the personal attention we received throughout the project from Steve and the team at Grande Cuisine added significant value by ensuring that our unique requirements were met every step of the way. This level of service, combined with the obvious passion of the team at Athanor, is what sets Grande Cuisine apart from other manufacturers and distributors and is what helps to create lasting business relationships built on trust and quality.”