2023
KITCHEN CALAMITIES
So I will try to make this as short as I can.
Two weeks ago we got a gas company in to service the gas range. The chap arrived, took a quick look around and then promptly issued a notice to us and the Council stopping the use of gas – three hours before serving 24 people in the restaurant for a birthday party (thanks to Cate and Peter for use of their oven). Despite being in operation since at least 2011, apparently the gas bottles are not stored in a suitable place, the grill was too near the ceiling, there was an external pipe on the inside of the kitchen and we had a leak somewhere in the car park. He told us that since there was no-where obvious to store the 4 gas bottles (due to doorways, drains, the cellar and windows), and because we would have to dig up part of the car park, we should go electric. OK. So we went electric.
Ordered a new commercial electric range and a grill having been assured that all we needed was 3 phase power. Got that. All good.
So a week later the new electric equipment arrives along with an electrician to fit it. He looks at the fuse board and that is also all good (put in according to regs in 2017) but he then looks at our main supply and announces that, while we do indeed have 3 phase, in his view we need another supply cable and we need to talk to National Grid. They were really quick, unlike their proposed works. All we needed was to dig up Quay Road, getting permission from everyone in advance and giving the Council at least 3 months notice. And it was thousands of pounds. Oh, and when we unpacked the new electric oven we found that the on/off switch had sheared off in transit. At this point there was some considerable doom and gloom on my part.
However, our gas man arrived at that moment to remove the last of the gas pipes in the kitchen to make way for the new broken and redundant electric cooker. He overhead what was going on with National Grid and suddenly announced that, “oh, I suppose you could just move the 4 gas bottles up to the wall of the kitchen next to the shower, you wouldn’t have to dig up the carpark and then I could easily put a simple feed through the wall….” “Why the xxx didn’t you say that on your last visit!” was on all our lips. And remarkably, thanks to the broken on/off switch, we have been able to send back the electric oven and swap it with a shiny new gas one which is now in the kitchen waiting to be fitted next Thursday. So welcome to PNYC Melissa and Sarah. They have been amazing as this has all unfolded. But the future of the Bar & Restaurant is bright and electric AND gas!!!