EP Insights & Action

How will we cater for the
rise of tall office towers?
Paul Greenwood, Business Development Manager at Tricon looks at the
potential effect on future catering service delivery.
With stringent constraints and space implications, how will contractors deliver innovation
solutions for the tower buildings?
The majority of the 455 tall
buildings (described as 20 storeys
or more) planned for London’s
skyline will be residential, though
despite Brexit fears, the requirement for new
office space also shows no slowing. The last
ten years has seen a boom in the construction
of tall buildings, fuelled by the demand for
modern office space and high house prices.
Planning permission granted for tall office
buildings, in some cases, continues to be
controversial and this has led to a number
of conditions that could affect directly any
future kitchens or restaurants within the
offices. One example of the conditions being
imposed by planners is restrictions on the
permitted weekly number of deliveries/
pickups and the size and type of vehicles that
will be used. If the building is to be multitenanted,
the typical number of deliveries for
the food and beverage operations alone will
far exceed the permitted allowance. These
factors, along with the ever increasing cost
of space within buildings, are challenging
the strategy and design for future catering
operations and require innovative solutions.
In the very early stages, one of the
developer’s key considerations is to maximise
the letting potential of their building. One
area where a foodservice consultant can
add real value is to identify what hospitality
facilities and services could or should be
provided within the tower and develop the
potential demand model. The design team
can then consider the impact on space,
If the building is to
be multi-tenanted,
the typical number of
deliveries for the food
and beverage operations
alone will far exceed the
permitted allowance.
distribution logistics and MEP provision at
base build stage, taking into consideration
the potential for tenants to provide their own
hospitality and catering facilities against the
landlord providing centralised amenities.
This strategy would consider the implications
of either a single operator providing all
services, a multi-operator model or a hybrid
solution with a master caterer ‘curating’ a
range of niche or specialist providers.
Traditionally a single firm of 1,000
employees might have to relinquish 500m 2
to support catering at a cost of circa £600k
per annum in rent, energy and operating
costs. In a tower, with the potential for
10,000+ employees across a single or
multiple tenants, this has significant bottom
line cost implications.
So how can the contractors deliver
innovative solutions for these towers?
With the stringent delivery constraints and
space/cost implications one solution is for
contractors to build and operate a central
production kitchen (CPK) outside of the
City. Such a facility could then operate as
an off-site commissary for a number of F&B
operations, receiving and decanting bulk
deliveries direct from suppliers prior to
consolidation and transportation to meet
individual client site requirements. Fresh
food (anything from salads and sandwiches
to full main meals) can be prepared in bulk,
providing economies of scale and meaning
that the onsite kitchens, at individual units,
will require only holding, service and, if
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48 | Insights & Action | July 2017