Jointly funded by Eltham College and its caterer Chartwells Independent, the renovation will include works to the kitchen, dishwash area, a walk-in cold storage area, staff changing area, office, as well as remodelling the servery and school dining hall.
It forms part of school’s on-going programme of investment to “secure its future as one of the UK’s leading independent schools.”
Eltham College bursar Susan Roxby said: “Our existing dining and kitchen facilities are inefficient. The servery and dining space is large but with poor flows, acoustics and lighting, and is ill-suited for our younger users.
“We are keen to increase the quality of the experience for our students, staff and guests as part of our drive for high standards across Eltham College.
“Academic excellence has always been at the heart of the education we offer. But outstanding schools are never just about academic work; it is just as important to us that we consider the wider wellbeing of our community.
“Our dining hall and kitchen stand at the heart of our school and the time is right to invest in these facilities.”
This will see CDG reshape existing areas as well as building a corridor between the existing servery and kitchen to create ‘more usable space’ in the dining hall.
A former art room will be remodelled to a staff changing, office and storage room for the on-site catering team, while a scissor lift will “facilitate the movement of bulk food items from the dry store up to the kitchen.”
Phil Howard, managing director of CDG, explained: “We initially supported Chartwells Independent with design concepts as part of its tender bid for the catering contract at Eltham College.
“They subsequently won the contract and we then worked directly with Chartwells and the school to develop a scheme to meet the brief, which was clear and detailed.
“Eltham College wanted to create a more sophisticated and welcoming dining hall and to modernise and upgrade the food preparation facilities. Another key part of the brief was to increase capacity in the dining hall.”
The project will run over three phases and is due for completion in August.