When one speaks of structure one means, not only the building infrastructure in the strictest sense, but also the logistical position ing, the internal sub-divisions and the equipment which is available in a kitchen.
It is well-known that until a short time ago, the space and location given to the kitchen was secondary to the areas dedicated to the clients e.g. the restaurant, the meeting room etc. (especially where hotels and buildings of historical interest were concerned).
This is not because the kitchen is less important than the restaurant but because it is felt that the kitchen can be placed anywhere and the needs of the clients should come before those of the employees. At times, one also needs to add that there can be strict structural limita tions, as in the case of villas and old buildings, where their historical nature does not allow for complete and free re-structuring of the building.
Often, it is necessary to position the required equipment, which can be cumbersome e.g. storage rooms, cooking angles etc., in a very limited space. This can be when a cold room becomes an area for storing every thing from meat and fish to salami and vegetables; when an area for starters/hors d’oeuvres is also used for confectionery (with the possibility of dangerous cross-contamination) and when a vegetable preparation area is used for fish and meat.
Whether for the stocking of products or for service in general, one is often faced with difficult access to these areas. This results in the fact that the pro-
curement of required products is carried out in unsuitable and awkward places, with possible dangers from degradation and contamination of the food products and slow and dangerous service (for example, the danger of falling and the accidents that can be caused by flights of stairs which waiters must negotiate as quickly as possible).
Without forgetting, of course, the clearing away of the crockery zone, which is nearly as important as that of preparation. This is often sited in risky zones e.g. adjacent to the preparation or cooking zones. It is true that all this can be overcome by adapting to the situation but these vari ous problems must not be considered in isolation (even if they can be easily resolved) but as a whole. The kitchen is a laboratory where every thing is fundamentally important and has to be perfectly organised to achieve the final objective; profit and client satisfaction.