A former run down gymnasium building has been transformed into a state-of-the-art café that provides new serving facilities so staff and students can choose from a wide range of freshly-made hot and cold snacks, including wraps, sandwiches, paninis, pasta bowls or main meals. A range of drinks are also available including freshly brewed tea and coffee, fruit juices, mineral water and blended ice drinks. Breakfast is also now available, with the Galley opening from 7.45am.
The building has been dramatically restyled to provide a new second storey mezzanine seating area, which enables more students to use the facilities during dedicated breaks and at lunch time. A soft-seated area is also available creating a comfortable space for staff and students to relax. The facility is fully WiFi-enabled, enabling students to bring laptops into to the café to access the Internet.
Julia Crookston, Business Manager of Plymstock School added, “Originally, when we embarked on the project to review our catering, we were looking for something new, bright and innovative – something spectacular, that the students would enjoy using, at any time of day. Previously, a general hall was used, however it meant tables and chairs needed to be taken out from storage and then removed again after each break so the hall could be used for dance or physical education classes. This wasn’t ideal. Plus, we had limited space meaning we only served two meal choices. The transformation is unbelievable. Innovate have been excellent to work with, and the project has been completed on time and within budget.”
David Farmer, Headteacher of Plymstock School said: “The new Galley Café is a wonderful addition to Plymstock School and the feedback we are receiving from students, staff, parents and governors has been extremely positive. Innovate Services have completely transformed our catering facilities, working closely with the Business Manager and the Student Council to achieve the very best results. The Galley is now open throughout the school day and provides an environment that everyone is enjoying using.”
Added Derick Martin, co-founder and CEO of Innovate Services, “Plymstock School has been an exciting project for us to work on from a refurbishment perspective. We have transformed a former gym building into a modern café that incorporates a solar-panel system on the roof to self-generate power and heating. We also built a second-floor mezzanine to take advantage of the ceiling height, providing almost double the amount of seating space. Now the refurbishment is complete, we are delivering a completely new menu to the staff and students and have already seen a dramatic increase in uptake.”
Designated as a Specialist Sports College, Plymstock School is a co-educational comprehensive school for nearly 1700 students aged 11-18 years. It has a long established record of outstanding academic and personal achievement, and was awarded an ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED in 2009.
For further information, visit www.plymstockschool.org.uk and www.innovate-services.com.
Or, for further details regarding Innovate’s specific Design and Build services and how they could help your create a modern catering environment telephone 0845 494 0005 or visit http://innovate-cdb.com/.
