Designing the perfect office kitchen for your workplace

Whether you're running a fashion boutique, a car yard or any type of commercial premises, there's no doubt that you and your staff will want to have somewhere to boil up a cuppa or prepare lunch.

The most important thing to consider in an office kitchen is creating a distinct space to prepare food and drinks, says Sarah Carrie from Mark Two Construction and Development.

"In addition to workplace safety and health issues, you don't want office clutter getting mixed up with cups of soup, or vital paperwork getting splashed with coffee," says Sarah.

Divide and conquer

Even if space is limited, there are ways of separating out your office kitchen from the general office area.

"In a long, narrow space, you could consider placing the office kitchen area at one end of the room," suggests Sarah. Screens or dividers could also be used to separate the two functional areas.

You could even designate a large cupboard as the office kitchen, equipping it with bare essentials such as kettle, microwave and bar fridge. Just make sure that the space is adequately lit and ventilated. 

Position, position, position

If, on the other hand, you have enough space in your office to dedicate a whole room to a kitchen, you may want to think about the best place to position it.

Ideally, your kitchen will be located close enough to the action to make it easy for people to grab a quick cup of tea. But you won't want it so close that those who are working are distracted by every squeak of the fridge door or whiff of someone's tuna sandwich.

Essential elements 

The exact design of your office kitchen will depend on the size of your business, the number of employees and how much time you expect them to spend in there. (If your staff are often on the road, then you can probably downsize your requirements.) 

You'll also need to consider whether the kitchen is likely to be used for catering purposes, such as preparing lunch for important clients.

Key elements you need to consider include: 

• microwave
• toaster oven
• oven
• kettle, coffee machine or other drinks dispenser
• fridge or bar fridge, perhaps with an integrated water dispenser
• water cooler
• cupboards - for storing tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits, etc.
• storage - drawers and shelving for crockery, glasses and cutlery
• dishwasher
• bench space - allow plenty, and ensure that surfaces are hard wearing.

Also think about how the office kitchen will be used. Do you expect staff to eat at their desks, in a separate room or in the kitchen itself? You may need to allow extra space for tables and chairs.

Providing a decent kitchen won't just improve your premises, it will also lift employee morale. So talk to a kitchen renovator today about creating an inviting and practical office kitchen for you and your staff.