The Pig at Studland – in and out in a day

Under normal circumstances we like to allow ourselves plenty of time to install an Athanor cook suite – these things can’t be rushed! But sometimes we don’t have that luxury, as was the case at ‘The Pig On The Beach’, at Studland.

With stunning views of Dorset’s sandy coastline bookings soared as soon as the hotel re-opened following the easing of lockdown restrictions. And so, with the restaurant and hotel booked solid, there was absolutely no chance of shutting the kitchen for any great length of time to carry out the installation of the new Athanor suite. What followed was a great example of co-operation between the distributor HCE, who managed the project, and the Grande Cuisine installation team.

Removal of the existing range, made up of modular equipment, began at 8am in the morning and, remarkably, the new Athanor suite was installed by 4pm the same day, all ready for evening service. Complete with a four zone Plaque Athanor, gas solid top, two radiant hobs, central shelf, pass-through storage under and three heated drawers, the purpose built suite is mounted on a stainless steel plinth for ease of cleaning.

‘With it being such a busy kitchen, removal and disposal of the old suite, and installation of the new one, had to be done in one day and this required meticulous planning, co-ordination and project management,’ says HCE’s Sales Director, Adam Horvath. ‘As this was effectively a working kitchen we also had to contend with working around the existing structure, equipment and extraction canopy, no mean feat in itself.

‘This is the latest in a line of “Pig” sites to feature an Athanor suite and, once again, Grande Cuisine did a superb job of working with HCE and the chef to configure a suite that enhances the workflow in the kitchen, improves energy efficiency and creates a better working environment for the brigade. Furthermore, the elements that go to make up the suite make it flexible enough to deal with the exacting demands of a modern fine dining menu. As always, Grande Cuisine’s ‘can do’ attitude and excellent communication during the project, along with excellent after-sales service, have made them a pleasure to work with.’