The Royal Mail Head Office based in Old Street, London underwent a major refurbishment. 11,500m2 of existing office space was refurbished to create the headquarters of Post Office Ltd.

As part of the works, the existing large kitchen was mothballed and a new grab and go shop and hospitality kitchenette were created out of the existing deli, servery and dining area.

The shell for the new catering facility was provided by the main contractor. Martek were employed to fit out the new coffee shop to include bespoke joinery, new flooring, ceiling, lighting and decoration. The design was undertaken by Ferro Design Ltd in conjunction with the caterers Quadrant. The main challenge with the space was the reduced head height which was restricted by structural beams within the area.

The finishes were chosen to reflect the Royal mail/Post Office image. In order to achieve the vibrant post office red, we used a material call Zodiac by DuPont, which is an advanced composite material made of 93% quartz; this gives the product an unusual clarity and consistency of colour, qualities which combined with exceptional strength and durability made the perfect finish for this commercial catering environment.

The colours we reflected through the seating area with giant vibrant graphics helping to create a more high street retail feel to the space.

We also fitted out some catering storage areas as well as a small hospitality kitchen, which would be used for servicing the catering needs of the meeting rooms throughout the building. Some of the equipment was salvaged and reused from the mothballed kitchen, which helped to reduce the budget.