How PKL Enabled Uninterrupted Dining Services Throughout Oriel College’s Historic Redevelopment
Established in 1326, Oriel College is the oldest royal college in Oxford and is home to around 600 students from more than 55 countries. While rich in history and tradition, the college continually invests in its facilities to ensure students and staff benefit from a modern and efficient environment.
As part of this commitment, Oriel College embarked on a significant redevelopment of its kitchen and bar facilities in late 2023. The project aimed to modernise the catering infrastructure while ensuring that daily meal services could continue uninterrupted throughout the construction programme.
Maintaining a high standard of food service was a priority for the college. Rather than moving catering operations off-site, Oriel opted to keep dining services within the college grounds, locating a temporary kitchen facility in the Second Quadrangle. This approach minimised disruption for students and staff while preserving the convenience of centralised catering.
To support the project, PKL Group supplied a bespoke temporary kitchen complex comprising 16 modular units. Designed to mirror the functionality of a permanent commercial kitchen, the facility included dedicated areas for food preparation, cooking, refrigeration, warewashing and dry goods storage, enabling the catering team to continue operating efficiently throughout the refurbishment.
Given the historic surroundings, careful consideration was given to the appearance of the temporary installation. Working closely with Oriel College and a graphic designer, PKL developed a customised exterior finish featuring printed panels that replicated architectural features of the neighbouring Senior Library building. This innovative solution helped the temporary facility blend naturally into the Grade I-listed setting, preserving the visual character of the quadrangle while maintaining full operational capability.
Alongside the kitchen installation, PKL coordinated closely with the college's estates department and local contractors to manage all supporting infrastructure requirements, including foundations, drainage, utilities and service connections. Detailed planning and collaboration ensured the facility was delivered and commissioned on schedule, allowing catering operations to continue without interruption.
The project was delivered through PKL Group's fully managed rental service, providing Oriel College with a flexible and cost-effective solution. By choosing rental over ownership, the college avoided a significant capital outlay and benefited from predictable monthly costs throughout the project. The arrangement also included ongoing maintenance and technical support, giving the college confidence that any operational issues would be resolved quickly and efficiently.
Reflecting on the project, Colin Bailey, Master of Works at Oriel College, said:
"From discussions with other colleges and the university, it was clear that PKL Group had a strong reputation for temporary kitchen provision. That gave us confidence from the outset. We worked closely with PKL and our local contractor to ensure everything was prepared in advance, including foundations, drainage and utility connections. The installation proceeded exactly as planned, and the facility was operational very quickly."
