Kitchens International grows hospitality portfolio with Fingal commission

Kitchens International, an award-winning Scottish specialist in luxury kitchens and living spaces, has added floating five-star hotel, Fingal, in Leith, to a growing portfolio of hospitality clients, including Nick Nairn’s Cook School and Tony Singh’s Supper Club.

The company created a bespoke kitchen for the chef's table, in the bridge, the ship's former command room, which now seats up to 10 guests for a chef's-table dining experience.

The space, which sits on Fingal’s top deck, has never had a working galley of its own. Now, each course is prepared a few feet from the dining table, with Fingal's chefs able to interact with diners as the meal unfolds.

The commission is the latest in a run of hospitality projects for Kitchens International, which has built a commercial client base alongside the residential work the business is best known for. Fingal is the first kitchen the company has installed onboard a ship.

Built in 1963 as a Northern Lighthouse Board service ship, Fingal was converted into a floating luxury hotel in 2019 by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust. With 23 cabins on board, each inspired by Fingal's maritime heritage, the ship also has a two AA Rosette restaurant, Lighthouse, featuring waterfront views and art-deco interiors.

The Kitchens International installation was designed in close collaboration with Fingal's executive chef, Mark Alston.

Graham Johnston, chief executive and owner at Kitchens International, said:“Designing a kitchen for a private-dining setting with so much history and character was a real privilege for Kitchens International. This is the first project of its kind for us, and it drew on everything our design team has learned across years of bespoke work. 

“We worked closely with Fingal’s executive chef, Mark Alston, and the galley team to design a small open kitchen that sits comfortably within its surroundings while functioning as a professional working space.

“A custom-made kitchen was central to creating a strong visual flow between the chef's table and the open kitchen, and Gaggenau appliances complement the subtle modern detailing found throughout the ship.

"Our hospitality work has grown steadily alongside the residential side of the business, and projects like this one reflect our design team at its most inventive. It was a pleasure to work with the team aboard Fingal, and we are proud of what we have created together.”

www.kitchensinternational.co.uk

www.fingal.co.uk

Photography: Ruth McQuiggan, of left-right, chefs Andrea Sendon Alonso and Pedro Barriera, and Graham Johnston, Kitchens International chief executive