The Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) has five campuses around New Zealand and recently completed a full refurbishment of its hospitality school training kitchen and classrooms in Queenstown. In a tight construction schedule, work began after the final teaching week of the year and had to be completed and commissioned ready for the following academic year.

Designed by Bill Mackintosh of Beattie McDowell Architecture, the training kitchen caters for 18 students and is fitted with all the latest gear. The equipment list includes nine Waldorf electric ranges, a six-tray Turbofan demonstration oven, and a 12-tray Turbofan oven for teaching a range of speciality bread and pastry recipes, along with other specialised appliances.

The Queenstown layout is similar to SIT’s Invercargill training kitchen, which works well for students and tutors, offering good sightlines for demonstrations and a safe operating environment for trainee chefs. Kitchen finishes meet B2 Durability and G3 Food Preparation requirements of the New Zealand Building Code for commercial kitchens.

HardieGlaze Premium and Invibe by James Hardie line the walls, and ceilings are the Fenta™ Ceiling Tile by Bates Surfaces in a suspended ceiling grid. The high-gloss, light-reflective surfaces of both the white Fenta tile and HardieGlaze panels means light is bounced around the room for maximum energy efficiency, providing excellent lighting conditions for the precise work required for food preparation and presentation.

Made in New Zealand for over 35 years, Fenta Ceiling Tiles are specially designed for the humid conditions and cooking residue of commercial kitchens. They feature a 100% UV-cured painted surface on a 4.5mm James Hardie cement board. The antibacterial, scratch-resistant and non-porous surface makes them a benchmark product for these environments.