Elite Foodservice Design (EFD) is renowned for transforming commercial kitchens into state-of-the-art culinary spaces. Our recent project with The Coach and Horses in Dersingham, a historic pub undergoing significant refurbishment, exemplifies our commitment to innovation and excellence in kitchen design. Working closely with the owners, Nick and Tom Suiter, we have created a top-of-the-range kitchen that will position The Coach and Horses as a premier destination for high-quality pub dining in North Norfolk.

The primary objective of this project was to design a kitchen that would allow The Coach and Horses to establish itself as a leading venue for exceptional pub food. The focus was on creating a kitchen capable of supporting a menu that showcases the finest locally sourced ingredients, including meats, fish, vegetables, and house-baked bread, while also accommodating the anticipated high demand from both locals and visitors.

Foster Refrigeration To support the preparation of diverse and fresh local ingredients, we integrated a range of Foster refrigerators and coldrooms into the kitchen. This included G3 fridge cabinets and counters, which are celebrated for their superior energy efficiency and precise temperature control. The combination of door and drawer storage will allow the kitchen team to store different types of ingredients, such as meats, vegetables, and baked goods, in optimal conditions, ensuring the highest quality in every dish they prepare.

Electrolux Cooking Suite At the heart of the new kitchen is an elegant, all-electric Electrolux cooking suite, designed to maximize efficiency and versatility in a busy pub setting. The suite includes:

  • Two 4-zone induction ranges: Offering rapid heat-up times and precise temperature control, these are ideal for the wide range of cooking techniques the pub plans to employ.
  • Twin fryer and plancha: Essential for a menu that will likely include crispy fried dishes and expertly seared meats and vegetables.
  • High-speed Hatco salamander grill: Perfect for achieving a golden finish on dishes or for tasks like melting cheese quickly and evenly.

The cooking suite is supported by a bespoke stainless steel services spine, which houses all electrical outlets and isolator switches, ensuring a clean, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing workspace.

Rational iCombi Pro Ovens To further enhance the kitchen’s capabilities, we installed two stacked Rational iCombi Pro ovens at the rear of the kitchen. These ovens are expected to be a cornerstone of the culinary operation at The Coach and Horses. Their multifunctional design allows for steaming, baking, roasting, and grilling, all within a single unit, making them indispensable for a busy kitchen. The iCombi Pro’s intelligent cooking systems will enable the chefs to consistently produce dishes of the highest quality, reducing the need for manual adjustments and ensuring that every meal is cooked to perfection.

Given the constraints of refurbishing an older building, maximizing available space was a key challenge. EFD designed the kitchen layout to utilize every millimetre effectively, creating a space that promotes seamless workflow and productivity. By integrating undercounter storage solutions and carefully planning the placement of each piece of equipment, we ensured that the kitchen is both highly functional and efficient.

In a unique addition to the design, we created a dedicated basement bakery prep area, where the team at The Coach and Horses will be able to bake fresh bread daily. This space is specifically designed to meet the needs of artisan baking, ensuring that the bread served to customers will be of the highest quality, adding a distinctive touch to the pub’s culinary offerings.

To ensure the design met the chef's expectations, EFD employed cutting-edge visualization techniques throughout the design process. We created a series of 3D visuals that allowed the chef to preview the kitchen’s layout and functionality before construction began. Furthermore, we used augmented reality (AR) to provide an on-site walk-through, enabling the chef to experience the space in real time. To enhance the experience further, the design was also made available in virtual reality (VR), offering a fully immersive view of the kitchen before the final sign-off.

Once operational, The Coach and Horses will aim to become a cornerstone of North Norfolk’s dining scene, offering a menu that highlights the best of local produce. With its new kitchen, the pub will be ideally equipped to serve a variety of dishes that celebrate fresh, locally sourced ingredients, including succulent meats, fresh-caught fish, and hand-picked vegetables. The in-house bakery will allow them to offer fresh bread, baked on-site daily, further enhancing the quality and uniqueness of their offerings.

The kitchen design at The Coach and Horses by Elite Foodservice Design is a testament to our ability to create culinary spaces that are not only functional but also inspiring. By combining advanced refrigeration, a versatile cooking suite, and innovative design techniques, we have delivered a kitchen that will enable The Coach and Horses to achieve its vision of becoming a leading destination for high-quality pub food in North Norfolk. As they prepare to open their doors, the new kitchen stands ready to support their culinary ambitions, ensuring that every dish served meets the highest standards of quality and taste.