DESIGN, SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF THE COFFEE SHOP, RESTAURANT AND DINING AREA AT THE WOMEN'S AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL WITHIN WALSGRAVE HOSPITAL
PROJECT: To design and fit out a modern public restaurant for the women’s and children’s wards of Walsgrave Hospital, the largest such PFI project to date; to include retail space for sandwiches and snacks, stationery and gifts.
Hallmark were asked to design the café and select equipment suitable to the menu which includes a range of hot dishes, deli counter, hot beverage service and snack merchandising.
Hallmark Kitchens is one of two kitchen project management houses employed by ISS Mediclean and had previously been recommended to ISS by Foster Refrigerator, according to Andy Jones, Director of Catering.
Projects successfully completed for ISS prior to Walsgrave include the design and installation of a coffee shop at Worcester Hospital and a restaurant at Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough.
Walsgrave Hospital is being rebuilt in stages and is operational with around 2000 of the usual 3000 patients on site.
The Java Café project was additional business to Hallmark’s £2million 2003-2007 contract to install catering facilities throughout Walsgrave.
There were major problems at the outset over the construction of Java Café. ISS had agreed to take over this retail area, originally on the assumption that the main building contractor, Skanska, would fit it out. However, as the deadline for catering installation work came ever closer, it became clear that Skanska did not have the scope to fit the area out and consequently none of the primary services – such as water, waste, drainage, ventilation and power – would be provided.
Time was now of the essence as ISS was contracted under financial penalty to open the Java Café within an 8 week timescale, at the start of which Hallmark were presented with a ‘base-build’ concrete and breeze-block box to take from initial design, through procurement to the serving of hot food.
The fastest and most efficient resolution to the problem, following urgent negotiations between Hallmark, ISS and the building contractor, was for Hallmark to supervise the installation of all relevant services.
During the construction process, some very hospital-specific requirements emerged, such as the need to use protein-free floor screeds, which acts to prevent the growth of the MRSA’superbug’.
Hallmark offers more than equipment supply – and it was able to provide the necessary expertise and manpower to resolve the services issue.
Hallmark also implemented a demonstration training programme for the Java Café’s catering staff, headed by Hallmark’s Project Manager and supported by the Technical Manager, both of whom worked closely with ISS Mediclean Service Development Planner Darren Hughes. Specialist manufacturers were invited to attend within the same timescale, to ensure the event was as seamless and instructive as possible.
“Hallmark had 3 weeks from approval of the final design to install”, says Andy Jones.
“And so it turned into a massive, massive project. We were not convinced Hallmark would meet the deadline. But they liaised with the builder, worked nights and weekends and pulled it off. Hallmark certainly met their customer’s demands on the day.
“I would recommend Hallmark to anybody”, says Jones. “They deliver. They pulled the stops out and hats off to them.
“The thing that impresses is the professionalism. At ISS we are caterers and cleaners – not builders. Hallmark took the onus off us having to liaise with the builders and that’s needed in these huge PFI projects. Hallmark also came in within budget for the kitchen equipment. I am happy to recommend them and we are currently working on further PFI projects for Newham, Kingston and Colchester.”
