Daventry based Catering Design Group, one of the UK’s leading restaurant and commercial kitchen design companies, has been awarded the contract to design and fit the commercial kitchen and café area at the landmark new iCon building.

Due to open in spring 2011, the iCon will be an innovation centre for businesses working with green technologies and sustainable construction techniques. The building will provide over 60 offices for small businesses in the sector, as well as on-site support and advice. It will also feature a state-of-the-art conference hall for up to 300 people, a public piazza, exhibition space and a café/restaurant.

As well as being home to a diverse range of innovative, green businesses, the iCon will be a leading example of energy-efficiency and sustainability in its own right. The £8.5 million building has been designed to achieve an ‘excellent’ rating from BREEAM, an environmental assessment method adopted worldwide. It also recently won a National Green Apple Award for the Built Environment and Architectural Heritage. These awards recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world.

The team at Catering Design Group will play an active role in complementing the building’s high environmental rating. Kitchen equipment includes the latest in induction cooking and hydro carbon gas refrigeration; whilst the café area, which will be open to the general public, will showcase the latest innovations in cutting edge design.

Philip Howard, Managing Director, Catering Design Group, comments: “It is a real pleasure and a privilege to be working on such a prestigious project. We are especially proud that the finished construction will become such a landmark building not only in our home town but across the country. As Investors in People, it is an added bonus to have a project right on our doorstep, where the whole team can visit to see the results of their hard work and also enjoy all that the facility has to offer.”

David Walker, Chairman of iCon East Midlands said: “We have made a planned and concerted effort to encourage local companies to play a lead role in the construction of the iCon, and Catering Design Group is the latest example of that. They are a well regarded company who will be best placed to meet the high standards that we have set and expect for this iconic building.”

Funding for the iCon has been obtained from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC).

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