Event Kitchen Hire for Taekwondo Championships
The European ITF Taekwondo championships came to Liverpool’s Echo Arena iand required a large scale catering operation to feed 1,200 athletes and competition staff three times a day, for one week.
It was also essential to create a menu that made all competitors from 32 different nations feel at home, while providing them with the nutrition they needed to perform at their best.
Proton Partners’ (the caterers for the event) Chief Executive Mike Moran, called on the services of ex-military Master Chef Royston Smith-Strane to coordinate the catering operation. Both agreed that they needed to call on PKL to provide the catering infrastructure they needed to support the challenge.
“I’d worked with PKL before as a supplier and Royston had used them to support military catering installations in Europe,” said Mike. “We knew they had the equipment and expertise we needed to do this very important job properly. What they’ve achieved is magnificent.”
Three large storage areas were set up in the venue’s loading bay, while an additional production kitchen and prep area allowed Royston’s team to create a smooth flow, from food storage and preparation, to production, and then out to be served at one of four serving stations, all of which were provided by PKL.
“The work we did with PKL to plan the kitchen around our menu meant there was no congestion during the cooking process,” said Royston. “We created a smooth system with the PKL designers that has allowed us to cater for thousands, using a small, dedicated team. We’re delighted that PKL’s attention to detail, and having the right equipment in the right place, has helped us create such a successful design.”
PKL’s support team and materials also helped the team to have peace of mind. The provision of a tablet computer with all the kitchen design layouts, equipment instructions and risk assessments proved vital on the very first day of operation.
“We were visited by the EHO on opening day,” said Royston. “It was so easy to just pull out the tablet, and take them straight to the risk assessments. They were delighted.
“We’ve been so pleased with the support we’ve received from PKL’s team. When there has been a problem, it has been solved within hours. PKL’s catering infrastructure has allowed us to provide a great food experience for thousands of international athletes. I’m not sure we could have done it without them.”
