Eltham Palace

ARCHITECT

Simpson & Brown

MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING

BaileyGomm

MAIN CONTRACTOR

Buxton 

DETAIL

Among the projects delivered for English Heritage, Cooper8 Ltd designed and delivered the new café and catering spaces at Eltham Palace Visitor Centre in London. The goal was to create a café that would respect the heritage architecture of the site while operating as an efficient, modern catering facility capable of handling large visitor volumes.

Working within the context of a Grade II listed building* and Scheduled Ancient Monument, we developed a design and operational plan that would make the café both commercially successful and enjoyable for visitors.

In collaboration with Simpson & Brown (with Addyman Archaeology), the project transformed the site’s orchid houses, potting sheds, and bothy into part of a new visitor centre. These historic structures were carefully adapted into catering, retail, and interpretation spaces, while retaining original features such as the garden wall, which now separates the café from the shop.

A new timber and zinc-clad extension houses admissions, shop, and ancillary spaces. To enhance the visitor experience, the café seating was located in the re-glazed glasshouses, creating a light, airy environment with views of the surrounding gardens. Rooflights in the extension further maximise natural daylight, making the café a bright and welcoming space throughout the year.

At Cooper8, we believe efficient design empowers catering teams to work with the system rather than against it. For Eltham Palace, we:

• Optimised kitchen and counter layouts to minimise staff movement and speed up service.
• Considered visitor flow between admissions, shop, and café, ensuring the catering operation was integrated seamlessly into the overall visitor journey.

The result was a catering facility that was both practical for staff and comfortable for visitors — a design that enhances profitability while delivering a high-quality customer experience.

“The new kitchen and café have been a great success. We are well above budget on profit and our staff costs are lower than expected. Cooper8 Ltd have really delivered an efficient catering space — a well-designed and balanced environment to work in, and an ambience for our customers to enjoy.”

— Project Stakeholder, English Heritage