A prison has to feed everyone inside, every day, without interruption. When a kitchen closes for a refurbishment, fails without warning, or can no longer meet the numbers required, catering still has to continue safely and securely, and the regime depends on it. PKL supports prisons and the wider secure estate in two ways: temporary kitchens and catering equipment that keep meals running through planned and unplanned disruption, and permanent modular kitchens where an existing facility is no longer fit for use or capacity needs to grow. Both are delivered as a fully managed service, planned around the security requirements of the establishment and the way it operates.
Our Solutions
Designed for secure environments, our temporary and permanent kitchens keep prison catering running through refurbishments, emergencies and rising demand. Every project is delivered by teams experienced in working within the controls of a high security location, from a single production kitchen to a large open-plan facility feeding an entire establishment.
One Partner from Design to Handover
Keeping Prison Catering Running During a Refurbishment or Emergency
The most common reason a prison comes to PKL is an unexpected kitchen closure. Equipment failure, a utilities issue, a fire, or a flood, can take a kitchen out of service with little warning, yet meals still need to be prepared and served without disrupting the regime. With a 24-hour emergency response service and the ability to mobilise rapidly, PKL helps prisons restore catering operations at short notice.
We also support planned kitchen refurbishments and extension projects, providing temporary kitchen facilities that operate alongside the works so catering can continue as normal until the permanent kitchen is back in use.
For each of these scenarios, we supply temporary kitchens, production facilities, cold storage and commercial catering equipment, specified to the prisons regime, menus and daily meal volumes. Units can be hired individually or combined into larger complexes, providing a flexible solution for both emergency response and planned projects.
A Permanent Modular Kitchen for Replacement or Expansion
Where a prison’s kitchen is beyond economic repair, or capacity needs to increase, PKL supplies permanent modular kitchens, including full production kitchens, built off site and installed with minimal disruption to the regime. Each modular kitchen is designed around the prisons numbers, menus and security requirements, and can be procured outright or on a contract-hire basis, giving a lasting facility without the disruption of a conventional on-site build.
A Complete Kitchen Solution
Security comes first on every project. Our installation teams are experienced in working within secure establishments and to the vetting and clearance each site requires, and we plan delivery, positioning and installation around the regime, escorted-working arrangements and the establishment’s access and tool-control procedures. Every kitchen is commercial grade, prepared, tested and inspected at our specialist facility before it’s delivered, so time on site, and inside the prison, is kept to a minimum. Once the facility is in place, a 24-hour technical line supports it for as long as it is needed.
Site
Survey
Kitchen
Design
Equipment Preparation
and Testing
Delivery and
Installation
Dedicated
Service Team
Prisons we have Supported
We have supplied temporary and permanent catering facilities across the secure estate, including temporary kitchens at HMP Blakenhurst, HMYOI Swinfen Hall and HMP Channings Wood, and a permanent modular kitchen at HMP Wayland. In each case, meals continued to the regime throughout the work.
Why Prisons Choose PKL
We hold the accreditations public-sector procurement expects: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, along with CHAS, SAFEcontractor, Constructionline, Gas Safe and CSCS, and we route buyers through compliant frameworks including ESPO and YPO, which removes the need for a separate tender. Beyond compliance, we bring scale and a fully managed service. We operate a fleet of more than 600 kitchen units, have delivered over 15,000 temporary kitchen facilities in more than 35 years, and handle the whole project, from site survey and CAD design through delivery, installation, support and removal, as a single accountable partner.
FAQs
- 1
Can you keep catering running during a kitchen refurbishment?
Yes. A temporary kitchen runs alongside the works so catering continues to schedule throughout and the regime is unaffected, then we remove it once the permanent kitchen is back in use.
- 2
Are your teams experienced in working within the secure estate?
Yes. Our installation teams work to the vetting and clearance each establishment requires, and we plan every project around the regime, escorted working and site access and tool-control procedures
- 3
How quickly can you respond in an emergency?
We run a 24-hour line, 365 days a year, and can often deliver an emergency kitchen the same day, depending on what is needed.
- 4
Can you provide a permanent replacement or extra capacity?
Yes. We supply permanent modular kitchens, including full production kitchens, where a facility is beyond repair or capacity needs to grow, built off site and installed with minimal disruption.
- 5
Can a facility be scaled to a large establishment?
Yes. Units link together into large open-plan kitchens and complexes, so a facility can be sized to feed an entire establishment.
- 6
Is there a minimum hire period?
No. A temporary kitchen can be hired for exactly as long as the refurbishment or repair requires.
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