When Bob Downie, Chief Executive of the Royal Yacht Britannia had a vision of recreating the look of the Britannia in the Bahamas in the 1950s with its original awning up on the Royal Deck, he chose his Architects 442 Design and specialist kitchen and galley manufacturers, R H Morton of Glasgow to bring his ideas to fruition.
The new space is enclosed with glass walls to provide a fantastic and elegant additional Bistro and Events location.
Established in 1948, R H Morton has developed and broadened its depth of experience on both land based and offshore vessels and platforms, so it was well aware of the problems which could be encountered when fitting out the Royal Yacht Britannia at her berth in Leith.
With an enviable portfolio of quality kitchens in Scotland which has included five with Michelin Stars, the company was a good fit for the high standards and attention to detail expected on this well loved tourist attraction.
Finding enough space on vessels can be difficult at the best of times, but the Design Team at R H Morton was certainly presented with a task and a half to meet the needs of fine dining, speedy Bistro food and top end function menus all in a very narrow space, with a mast coming through the galley, a lift built in its centre and the interior of the funnel at one end.
As is their normal practice, R H Morton templated the walls and corners for bespoke fabrication which is manufactured at their Glasgow factory. Dishwash tabling, preparation areas and the service pass were all fitted by the tradesmen who made them to minimize dirt traps and maximize hygiene and to get all the tops and shelves level and looking good for the chefs to work with. Installation and commission of the equipment were undertaken by R H Morton’s service team who will provide a full After Sales Service on everything they supplied.
Joining some of Europe’s top establishments, the all electric ranges are from French manufacturer, Charvet with whom R H Morton has worked for some twenty years. A Rational 10 Grid Combination Oven was chosen by the Head Chef to go with a couple of Alto Shaams, and the lift was designed to take these Hot Cupboards from the Main Galley three decks below up into the new facility to maximize the investment and use them from both galleys.
With Winterhalter a sound choice for both Dish and Glasswashing, and Gram the quality option on Refrigeration, all the main equipment is high specification and some of the best available.
The 2-tier Morton Sapphire Servery was designed and made to the Chef’s requirements with a small Bain Marie section to one end and Heated Drawers incorporated into the serving side with sliding doors to both sides to maximize access.
Mark Rodden, Project Manager at that time and Managing Director, Judith Tatham worked with Head Chef, Michael Soeder, Head of Retail Experience, Sonia Lee and Derek Miller who was Head of Maintenance and Security and whose detailed technical knowledge on the vessel was both amazing and hugely valuable.
The Royal Yacht’s team had attention to detail at the top of their agenda and that suited Morton’s down to the ground. “Working with people who are really interested and totally committed to what they are about is so rewarding for us” says MD Judith Tatham. “It was vital to get every inch at either side of the galley, and the contractors were very good in finding that extra width for us to ensure sufficient walk space by the cooking ranges. The glass structure looks fantastic and the Edinburgh based Architects, 442 Design have done a great job”
