Office Kitchen Facilities Ideas & Requirements

Kitchen facilities are an integral part of the office environment. Providing not only a clean and hygienic area to prepare food and beverages, but the office kitchen is also an important social space which impacts on staff happiness and wellbeing.

There are some essential office kitchen facilities which must be provided by law, and some additional ways to make your office kitchen space more pleasant and enjoyable for employees.

In the next section we look at some ideas to make your office kitchen a relaxed and enjoyable space for your staff to use, then take a look at the office kitchen essentials required by law.

Office kitchen space ideas

In a competitive labour market, it is important to take steps to provide a caring and considerate environment for your employees, as this can contribute to the morale of your workforce. Let’s take a look at some ideas for providing a kitchen in your office space that goes above and beyond simply the legal requirements.

• Additional facilities can be provided for employees such as a microwave, coffee machine and other cooking appliances. Going that step further to provide these facilities can positively impact staff.
• Providing outside eating space where possible can be a good idea, encouraging employees to eat outside during the warmer summer months,
• If possible, it’s a good idea to allow plenty of natural light into the eating area. This can be done with windows, skylights or simply reconsidering where tables and chairs are positioned in a room.
• Seating is a legal requirement, but the quality of the seats provided can be very different. When staff are on their lunch break allow them to relax with comfortable seating options.
• Complimentary fruit can be a great way to encourage staff to snack on healthy items and a healthy workforce will reduce sick days and positively impact productivity.
• Your kitchen can double up as a collaborative meeting space. In most offices meeting space is constantly in demand, so provide your employees with an alternative to a traditional meeting room. The kitchen can also help meetings to feel more casual and relaxed, embracing the feeling of a coffee shop meeting culture.
• If space allows it can be a good idea to provide a breakout activity such as a ping pong table or air hockey table, allowing employees to relax during truly relax during their breaks, before refocusing on their tasks when returning to their desks.

The kitchen is an essential part of the space in your office, and evidence suggests that a well-designed kitchen area that is well-equipped with facilities means happier employees, and happier employees means increased productivity. The kitchen provides a space giving employees, in most cases, a much-needed break from their computer screen and the opportunity to talk to colleagues. A well-designed kitchen can become a social and wellbeing hub of your business.

Essential & legally required office kitchen facilities

There are some essential facilities that must be provided in a workplace kitchen by law, as defined by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations Act 1992. It is a legal requirement that staff have access to hygienic facilities to prepare and eat meals whilst at their place of work.

Facilities that must be provided include:

• Tables and seating with back support must be provided for people to sit comfortably whilst they eat.
• Washing facilities must be provided to allow for the washing of hands and utensils including a sink, draining board, hot and cold running water, hand soap and washing up liquid to allow for adequate washing. Utensils must be provided for staff to effectively clean their dishes such as a sponge and dishcloth.
• Food warming facilities such as a microwave must be provided.
• Storage facilities such as cupboards and drawers need to be provided to keep utensils clean and free from dirt and dust.
• A fridge needs to be provided so staff can store perishable food safely. The fridge also needs to be large enough that all employees have space to place their food within it.
• Waste bins should be provided for the disposal of any waste and any bins provided should be emptied at least once per day.
• Access to clean drinking water and boiling water needs to be provided. The drinking water supply should be separate from any basin used for washing hands. Ideally, an appliance that provides boiling water when required is preferable. Alternatively, a kettle can be provided.
• Hand drying and utensil drying facilities also need to be provided to allow staff to dry their hands or utensils after washing. A clean tea towel or blue roll can be supplied for drying.

When providing office kitchen facilities, all of the above should be considered and implemented to ensure that the dining facilities allow for staff to rest and eat in hygienic conditions that supply for all basic needs.

How the office kitchen affects employees

The design of your office kitchen and the equipment within it will impact how staff use their kitchen space, how they interact with it and each other, and impacts how they feel about the office and the business itself. A well-designed kitchen providing a range of high quality facilities can help to encourage a positive atmosphere within the workplace, leading to more contented employees who are more productive and more likely to see a long-term future at the company.



View offices with exceptional kitchen space in Surrey

Sometimes the rules of the landlord are a limiting factor, making it difficult to provide the kitchen space you would like to provide for your employees. The Tanshire Business Park Management team has worked with a number of our tenants to ensure that they provide exceptional kitchen space to their employees, working with each business to make sure their ideas become a reality.

Our office spaces are perfectly located in Surrey, within easy reach of surrounding towns such as Guildford, Godalming and Farnham. If you would like to come and see what an office space at Tanshire Business Park could offer your business, then please arrange a guided viewing by calling 07841 397151 or email jonathan@tanshiremanagement.co.uk.

Alternatively, find out more about Tanshire Business Park, and why locating your business to the stunning Surrey hills is the best solution for you.