[Cob] cob and commercial kitchens

[ocean at woodfiredeatery.com]

Greetings to the Coblist from Intaba's!

Amanda's comments are helpful, especially regarding the Internet Cafe's
owners getting the Health Dept on board from the planning phase.  At
Intaba's we worked with both the City Building Department in a
"Pre-Development Meeting" and with the Health Department, submitting plans
and having numerous conversations with various officials.

Since you are "farm-based" you might find different regulations than
restaurants.  For instance in Oregon, farm kitchens are covered by the
USDA "Ag & Markets" inspector, while restaurants are covered by the county
health department.

Some issues I am certain will universally apply include:

1.  Structural Codes.  All buildings have to be approved as structurally
sound, which usually is covered by your city or county buiding code, which
is usually based upon the Universal/International Building Code. Ditto
with Electrical, Plumbing, Heating code compliance.

2.  Sanitation/Health Code.  Your discussion of wanting to use lime washed
walls raises the issue of the code requirements for "scrubbable surfaces"
in all food prep areas.  Our health inspector allowed us to use high gloss
paint over drywall, in lieu of stainless steel or formica.  I don't know
how you'd be able to scrub limewash; maybe if you added linseed oil to
your surface.  (We found later that we wished we'd put formica or
stainless backsplashes in certain places of high usage - the drywall has
lots of "dings" in it.)  Other sanitation issues:  We use vinegar on
tables, but must use bleach buckets in the kitchen.  Our waste company has
given up 55 gallon bins for recycling glass, office paper, etc.  We have a
local organic farmer pick up compost bins every week or so, as long as the
area is kept clean no problem.

3. Fire Code.  We built our oven outside, but later wished we'd built it
indoors, for efficiency of baking and grilling.  The fire inspector was
lenient, we think, and only scrutinized the penetration of the chimney
through the roof, for which we used as standard zero-pass insulated double
walled stove pipe and flashing.  Again, conversations with the appropriate
inspector or official are key.

If you'd like to ask me other questions, please feel free to call or email
(thru the contact form on the website).  Good luck!

Blessings,
Ocean Liff-Anderson
Owner/Designer Intaba's Restaurant
http://www.intabas.com
phone: 541-754-6958

>
> Amanda wrote:
>
> random ideas from here.
>
> I was in the new "Internet Cafe" in Collinwood Tennessee (population
> probably under 4000, I hope they go great guns) the other day when the
> conversation turned around the health inspector's recent visit--they're
> right proud of their "95" rating, rare for a new operation.  They had
> some  stacks of things on the floor, no tubes over their fluorescent
> lights, a  couple of other odds and ends.  The building had been a
> restaurant before,  so that did help, although because of a fire there
> they are not allowed to  deep-fry stuff, but they can use the microwave.
>  I think that the owner had  asked for a walk-through or at least had a
> long list of questions answered  by phone before they had the official
> inspection.  So you will have a lot in  common with anyone starting a
> restaurant, bakery, or other food-related  business, not just the
> all-natural types.
>
> Sinks (triple, I'd expect), things like good water pressure, hot water
> on  demand, water that passes tests, plumbing, probably a septic tank,
> not to  mention electric wiring to codes.
>
> Another local restaurant was saving their coffee grounds for me, got a
> point  taken off for that covered bucket.  Enough room to keep things
> separate that  should be kept separate.  Hard surfaces that can be kept
> extremely clean.   Might have problems with recommended cleaners and
> insecticides, and things  like trash pickup as opposed to recycling.
>
> ...........
> Grant writes:
> We are building a farm based cob/bale bakery and kitchen around a large
> wood  fired oven.Would love to hear of any experiences of bringing  the
> health  board folks into  a natural structure meant for food production,
> I am  planning lime base plasters and tiles and wood.Any discussion on
> this would  be well received.