What Is Commercial Kitchen Fabrication?
Commercial kitchen fabrication is the process of manufacturing kitchen equipment from raw stainless steel sheet, tube, and section — welding, cutting, forming, and finishing individual components into complete kitchen equipment. Fabricated equipment is either standard (catalogue sizes built to a standard specification) or bespoke (custom-dimensioned to a client's specific layout and requirements).
In Kenya's commercial kitchen market, fabrication is the primary method of equipment supply for most items. Unlike imported equipment — which arrives in fixed catalogue sizes and may not fit non-standard kitchen footprints — locally fabricated stainless steel equipment is built to your exact site measurements, in the exact configuration your menu and workflow requires. This is why the majority of restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and institutions across Kenya specify fabricated stainless steel equipment rather than imported alternatives.
Grade 304 vs Grade 316: Which Stainless Steel Does BCK Use?
Beyond Commercial Kitchens fabricates all standard commercial kitchen equipment in Grade 304 stainless steel (also written as 18/8 or EN 1.4301). Grade 304 is the international standard for commercial kitchen equipment. It offers excellent corrosion resistance in normal kitchen environments, is fully food-safe, and meets KEBS and HACCP requirements for food contact surfaces.
Grade 316 stainless steel (18/10/2, EN 1.4401) is specified for applications with significantly higher corrosion risk: coastal environments with salt-air exposure (Mombasa and the Kenya coast), food processing facilities using strong acid or chloride-based cleaning agents, and pharmaceutical or clinical environments. Grade 316 contains molybdenum, which provides superior resistance to pitting corrosion in these conditions. It costs approximately 20–30% more than Grade 304.
For most restaurant, hotel, hospital, and school kitchen applications in Nairobi and inland Kenya, Grade 304 is the correct and cost-effective specification. We will advise on Grade 316 where the environment or use-case specifically requires it.
What Does the BCK Fabrication Workshop Produce?
Standard fabricated equipment: stainless steel worktables (wall-mounted, freestanding, with or without undershelf), prep sinks (single, double, triple bowl configurations), pot wash sinks, hand-wash basins, wall shelving and wall cladding, extraction canopies (wall and island types), pass shelves, bain marie frames, mobile trolleys, dunnage racks, and dry store shelving.
Cooking equipment: island cooking stations, range frames, solid-top and open-burner range bodies, salamander brackets, fryer tables, and hot cupboard bodies. Note: cooking equipment is fabricated in stainless steel and fitted with commercial-grade burners, ovens, or heating elements sourced from vetted suppliers.
Custom fabrication: any item fabricated to a client's drawing or site measurement. Includes non-standard dimensions, unusual footprints, serving counters, food display units, custom drainage channels, and processing line components for food manufacturing facilities.
Fabrication Quality and KEBS Standards
All Beyond Commercial Kitchens fabrication uses minimum 1.2 mm sheet thickness for work surfaces (the KEBS minimum for commercial kitchen equipment), with 1.5 mm or 2 mm specified for high-impact areas, legs, and structural members. Joints are TIG-welded and ground smooth — no exposed weld beads, no crevices where food residue or bacteria can accumulate.
Edge treatment on all food-contact surfaces is critical for HACCP compliance. Our fabrication uses folded and welded edges (not raw cut edges), coved internal corners where surfaces meet walls or upstands, and sealed drainage points to eliminate harborage points. These details pass county health inspection and third-party food safety audits.
We provide material certificates confirming stainless steel grade on request — required for food processing clients, export-grade facilities, and institutional procurement processes that specify material traceability.
Fabrication Lead Times and Delivery in Kenya
Standard items from our catalogue — worktables, sinks, shelving in common sizes — are typically fabricated and ready for delivery in 1–2 weeks from order confirmation. Custom-dimensioned items (same equipment type, non-standard size) take 2–3 weeks. Fully bespoke fabrication — new design, complex multi-component assemblies — is typically 3–4 weeks depending on order volume and workshop schedule.
Delivery to Nairobi and Thika is direct from our workshop with our own transport. Delivery to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, and other upcountry locations is via contracted freight, with delivery costs and timelines confirmed at order stage. Installation services are available nationwide — our installation crew handles delivery, positioning, levelling, and commissioning.