Back in September, we were delighted to start work on an exciting new project in Hertfordshire. This was for an existing client of ours who used to own a restaurant but wanted to focus on the world of butchery. He bought a retail unit and having worked with us on his hospitality business, he got back in touch for our help with the design and build. The Pickled Pig in Cuffley is a high-end butchery and deli which includes a charcuterie and fromagerie.

Tools of the trade

Our role was to design, build and project mange the preparation and shop area. We put in cold rooms, stainless steel sinks, a butcher’s block, mincers, band saws and specialist refrigeration equipment. Michael has many years’ experience of working in the butchery sector and along with the designer had a wealth of insight to add to the project. The designer created the full design with drawings which helped everyone working on the project, from builders to electricians to plumbers. Using his knowledge of the trade, Michael steered the designer on what equipment would be needed whilst the designer advised on the practicalities within the space. Professional equipment included display fridges which have special lighting to ensure the meat is well presented. The fridges are also set at the optimum temperature for meat storage and presentation.

The challenges of COVID-19

Obviously, a large amount of this project was done during Lockdown 2.0 which did present some challenges. However, our ability to adapt quickly came in handy as we wanted to guarantee the shop would open on-time. This did result in some alterations to chosen suppliers and equipment but in situations like this you do what you need to do so the customer isn’t impacted.
The pandemic also affected the layout of the shop. We had to consider social distancing and how this changed the flow of customers through the shop, ensuring the 2-metre rule could easily be adhered to.

A big thumbs up

We’ve had fantastic feedback from the client who has had a successful first few weeks of trading. The equipment has been working effectively and he’s had lots of positivity about the look and feel of the shop. Setting up a new business during a pandemic could have been extremely stressful, but through our project management we have taken many headaches away.

Working in partnership

We built strong relationships with other suppliers by doing regular site visits so that power, drainage, and water all worked effectively. Our team were on site for equipment delivery so that we had the manpower to put everything into position for the client. You can imagine how big and heavy some of this equipment was to get into place, so this did prove a challenge at times. On projects like this the co-ordination must be seamless.