Projects / Mobile training kitchens
Project · Culinary arts · 2026
A chef training room that rearranges itself for every lesson
Four fully mobile kitchen islands with plug-in power and water, built-in extraction and a central teacher console. The same classroom now works for practical cooking, theory lessons and VR training.
Year
2026
Programme
Chef / culinary arts
Workstations
4 mobile islands
Capacity
8 learners cooking
Control
1 teacher console
The challenge
One room, two problems
A training kitchen is expensive floor space. In most schools it sits idle whenever the timetable says theory, and when it is busy, one teacher has to watch every hob in the room.
01
Fixed kitchens block the room
Theory lessons, demonstrations and VR training need open space. With fixed cooking lines the classroom could only be used for practical work.
02
Large groups are hard to supervise
With a full group at the hobs, one teacher cannot see every station. There was no way to cut power to one station without walking over to it.
The solution
Kitchens on wheels, services from the ceiling
Each island rolls on lockable castors. Power and water come down from a ceiling service rail through quick-release connectors, so an island can be disconnected, moved and reconnected between lessons.
Practical cooking
All four islands connected. Eight learners cook in pairs while the teacher controls each station from the console.
Theory lesson
Islands disconnected and rolled to the walls. The centre of the room takes desks.
VR training
Islands parked in a row. Free floor space for VR headsets and movement.
The mobile island
A complete cooking station for two learners
Every island carries what a pair of learners needs for a full practical task. Nothing has to be shared across the room.
| Worktop | Stainless steel with raised edge and integrated sink |
|---|---|
| Cooking | Built-in induction hob, no open flame |
| Extraction | Automatic hood above the hob |
| Storage | Lockable drawers and cabinets for knives and tools |
| Mobility | Lockable castors, moved by one person |
Ceiling service rail
Plug in power and water, then roll away
Supply and waste water, and power, run along an aluminium rail under the ceiling. Each island connects with quick couplings and an industrial power plug.
| Water | Supply and drain hoses with shut-off ball valves |
|---|---|
| Power | Industrial plug-in connector per island |
| Floor | Kept clear: no cables or pipes on the floor |
Teacher console
The teacher controls every station from one place
From the touchscreen, every island can be switched on or off separately: hob, water, lighting and sockets. If something goes wrong, the teacher cuts power to that hob without leaving the group.
| Access | PIN code on the touchscreen |
|---|---|
| Emergency | Keyed emergency stop for the whole room |
| Protection | RCBO residual current and overcurrent protection |
Built for teaching
Designed around how chef programmes are taught
2 learners per station
Every pair has its own hob, sink and storage, so each learner completes the full practical task.
Central isolation
The teacher can isolate power and water per island or for the whole room from one console.
Induction only
No open flame and no gas in the classroom. Induction hobs heat only the pan and cool down quickly.
Food-safe surfaces
Stainless steel worktops and sinks support hygiene training and are easy to clean between groups.
Extraction at the source
Each hob has its own hood, so steam and fumes are removed where they start.
Lockable tools, clear floor
Knives stay locked in the island. Services come from above, so there is nothing to trip over.
Gallery
The finished room
Planning a training kitchen?
Send us your room plan and group size. Our engineers will propose an island layout, services and a control setup for your programme.
or write to vocetra@vocetra.com