Across the education sector, catering is a critical service that cannot afford disruption. Whether supporting primary schools, large secondary academies, or historic university colleges, the challenge remains the same: how do you maintain consistent, high-quality foodservice while kitchens are taken offline for refurbishment?
For Andy Mellon, Sales Director at PKL, a Lowe Rental Company this is a challenge he helps institutions solve every day.
What’s your role at PKL?
As Sales Director at PKL, Andy Mellon leads the delivery of large-scale temporary kitchen projects across the UK, with a significant focus on the education sector.
With decades of experience in the industry, Andy brings a depth of knowledge that spans both the technical detail and the practical realities of delivering catering continuity during refurbishment projects. From understanding complex service requirements and kitchen design, to navigating live operational environments and site constraints, his expertise ensures that every solution is grounded in real-world application, not theory.
Alongside this, Andy leads a highly experienced and specialist sales team, combining technical insight with sector knowledge to support projects across the full spectrum of education, from primary schools and specialist settings to large universities and complex, multi-site estates. This breadth of capability means PKL is equipped to manage projects of any scale or complexity, providing clients with confidence that their catering operations are in expert hands from the outset.
“Each project is different, which is what makes the work so rewarding,” Andy explains. “From space and access to heritage and service requirements, we take these factors into consideration and design a solution that ensures catering operations continue seamlessly.”
Temporary kitchen hire, he notes, should not be seen as a compromise.
“They are a continuation of the school’s catering operation. They need to perform to the same standards, support the same volumes, and integrate into environments that aren’t always designed to accommodate them.”
What trends are you seeing in the education sector right now?
“We’re seeing increasing pressure on catering teams,” Andy explains. “There’s a growing expectation to deliver higher volumes, better quality food, and more diverse menus, often within tighter budgets and more complex estate environments.”
At the same time, refurbishment projects are becoming more ambitious, placing greater importance on continuity planning.
“Schools and universities can’t afford a drop in service during a refurbishment. Expectations remain exactly the same, so temporary kitchens need to be designed as a true extension of the existing operation.”
What’s been a standout project in the education sector for you?
“Oriel College is a great example,” Andy says. “It was a complex project where the temporary kitchen needed to deliver a high-performance catering environment, while also blending seamlessly into a historic and sensitive setting.”
Unlike more conventional sites, the project required a careful balance between operational functionality and aesthetic integration.
“We worked closely with the college to ensure the facility complemented its surroundings, rather than standing apart from them. It demonstrates that temporary solutions don’t have to be intrusive, they can be designed to fit in, both operationally and visually.”
What do schools struggle with when procuring a temporary kitchen?
“Procurement can often feel complicated and time-consuming,” Andy says. “Schools want reassurance that they’re choosing a compliant, reliable solution that will deliver operationally, but navigating that process isn’t always straightforward.”
Frameworks such as YPO are helping to simplify this.
“We’re proud to have recently been awarded a place on the YPO framework. It gives schools confidence that they’re working with a trusted provider, while also making the procurement process faster and more accessible.”
By reducing complexity, schools are able to focus on maintaining service and delivering a successful refurbishment project.
What’s a piece of advice for any school hiring a temporary kitchen?
“Start the conversation early,” Andy advises. “One of the most common challenges we see is schools engaging with us too late in the process. A temporary kitchen isn’t just about commercial kitchen equipment, it’s about understanding your catering needs, menu requirements, service flow, and site logistics.”
Early engagement allows for a far more tailored solution, reducing risk and ensuring operational continuity.
“The earlier we’re involved, the more we can align the solution to the school’s exact requirements. That ultimately leads to a smoother project and a better experience for both catering teams and students.”
A Partner, Not Just a Provider
For Andy, the key to success lies in collaboration. “No two schools are the same, and no two projects should be either,” he concludes. “Our role is to listen, understand, and deliver a solution that genuinely works for each client.”
In an environment where catering is essential to daily operations, that partnership approach ensures that even during major change, meal service continues without compromise.
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