Ergonomics is the number one priority in the kitchen of Tiedonpuisto school in Raisio

Tiedonpuisto School in Raisio is one of the largest lower secondary schools in Finland. The kitchen of the impressive new school building, completed in the autumn, was equipped with Metos equipment utilizing the latest technology. The professional kitchen reached its full capacity in January 2026, when students and staff began their daily routines in the new building.

The planning of the Tiedonpuisto School kitchen began in 2020. At that time, the City of Raisio’s food service staff started to consider what kind of kitchen they would need to ensure that daily operations would run as smoothly as possible. In the old school building, the biggest challenge had been the lack of space – since the facilities had not originally been designed as a production kitchen distributing meals to other locations, working there had been difficult. Their wishes and needs were first sketched out on graph paper. 

- We quickly realized that we needed a professional kitchen designer to support the project. We wanted an expert to calculate that sufficient square meters were allocated for the kitchen equipment we required and that workspaces for each employee and process were properly dimensioned. Through the kitchen designer, we also received up-to-date information about the latest kitchen appliances and their features, says Mervi Heinonen, Food Service Manager for the City of Raisio.

New technologies reduce physical strain

Metos’ kitchen design team quickly understood the customer’s needs. The overall solution included innovations that Heinonen had not even considered. The most significant of these was the U-shaped serving lines in the student restaurant, where kitchen staff do not need to avoid students when changing hot containers. 

- We carefully evaluated the benefits of different equipment in relation to their purchase prices. If we invest in new equipment, it must represent the latest technology and genuinely reduce physical strain. In this industry, many employees are forced to leave working life before retirement age because the work is physically demanding. I always look for solutions that reduce heavy lifting and help staff maintain proper working postures, Heinonen explains.

The Tiedonpuisto School central kitchen has been designed with a capacity of 2,800 meals per day. Of these, 1,900 meals are distributed to kitchens at 20 different addresses.

One of the most essential pieces of equipment in the production process is a pump that enables food to be portioned easily and ergonomically from a kettle into bags or GN containers.

Another device expected to play an increasingly important role in the future is the Multiwasher multipurpose washing machine, into which trolleys can be fully rolled for washing. While trolley washers and granule washers exist separately on the market, this solution combines them all. The Multiwasher allows washing without granules, for example black transport boxes, food transport trolleys, GN containers, and kettle agitators.

- The Metos Rendisk bio waste station was also at the top of our list, as it processes all food waste quickly. It dries the waste and compresses it to 80% smaller volume, reducing waste loads and lowering handling costs. In addition, the physical workload of kitchen professionals decreases when moving waste containers, Heinonen says.

Read also: Why food waste management is no longer optional in professional kitchens
 

In the dishwashing area, dishes are sorted and conveyed to a pre-wash and rack conveyor dishwasher. There is no tray washer at the site, but the dishwashing department has the capacity to wash trays if they are needed in the future. 

- Many schools and lunch restaurants are now considering leaving out trays. They create unnecessary load in the washing process, as trays are rarely very dirty. In the school environment this requires some adjustment, but in terms of reducing water consumption, the impact is significant, says Kalle Teliranta , Regional Sales Manager at Metos.

Minimizing unnecessary steps

According to Mervi Heinonen, good working ergonomics is the most important factor to consider in professional kitchens. Saving unnecessary steps is essential, which means that equipment and storage areas must be positioned in a logical order in relation to one another. This will also be taken into account in the next construction project, Myllypelto School in Raisio. Metos is involved in designing the kitchen for the new school as well.

- Cooperation with Metos has been smooth, and what we have appreciated most is the high-quality design service. It is important that all features of new technology are fully utilized to make work lighter for the people doing it. In the design process, I especially value that nothing was pushed on us as a ready-made system. Our needs were genuinely listened to, and the design was based on them, Heinonen concludes.