North Yorkshires Stately Home
You might recognise this stunning kitchen from MasterChef. It was here, five contestants created culinary delights for much-loved judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.
Here at The Main Company, the transformation of this disused Servant kitchen was a fantastic project to be part of. Tucked away in rural Yorkshire, Carlton Towers is a magnificent building, brimming with history and character. So, we thought we would take you on a tour of the new and improved kitchen turned cookery school.
Our brief was to create a functional and practical space to be used as a cookery school, whilst being sympathetic to original features and the characterful surroundings. The large open plan space was to be designed to house a central island as well as 10 workstations for the cookery school.
The first thing we noticed about the space was the original chequerboard tile flooring, this formed part of the inspiration for the wider project. Traditional shaker style cabinetry was used for large storage cupboards and the central island, where the classes would take place. The classic cabinetry was handcrafted at our Yorkshire workshop using Tulipwood, reclaimed teak and redwood. To finish the look, we used Little Greene Paint in shades French Grey and Felt, this contrasts the colours of the floor tiles and the exposed redwood perfectly.
It was important to maintain original features and not to fit anything too modern, we worked with the original shutters and shelving, enhancing them and making sure they worked seamlessly with the new kitchen. We also fitted brass pipes to the walls so we didn’t have to lift the flooring, and installed a traditional style butler sink with classic gold taps. These features lend themselves beautifully to the surroundings.
Whilst restoring and incorporating older features, we also added some state-of-the-art equipment to be used by the budding chefs, including modern AEG steam ovens and induction hobs.
Not only does this kitchen look great, it’s also a fantastic space for a cookery school and has been finished to the highest of standards to ensure that it can withstand any wear-and-tear. The Carlton Towers is an outstanding building and we think that this kitchen fits in perfectly!
To catch up on BBC’s MasterChef ‘The Finals’ click here.
Find out about cookery classes at Carlton Towers.