Tanera
CLIENT:
Summer Isles Enterprises
PROJECT LOCATION:
Tanera Mor, Summer Isles, Scotland
PROJECT VALUE:
N/A
ARCHITECT:
N/A
PROJECT MANAGER:
N/A
CONTRACTOR
N/A
Tanera is a transformative island retreat located on Tanera Mor, the largest of Scotland’s Summer Isles. Developed by Summer Isles Enterprises, it provides restorative experiences for public service professionals — including military veterans, NHS workers, and teachers supported by the Taigh Mor Foundation. Vision was appointed to deliver a high-performance kitchen that could serve both professional culinary needs and a sense of community.
We were absolutely delighted that this unique project won the 2025 ceda Grand Prix Design Project Award (£250k–£500k) — a reflection of the exceptional collaboration, adaptability and technical excellence shown by the entire Vision team.
Blending Professional Performance with a Personal Touch
The island of Tanera Mor is being redeveloped by Summer Isles Enterprises as a restorative sanctuary for those in public service. Vision was appointed to design and install a kitchen that matched the island’s ethos of healing, shared experience, and high-quality hospitality.
The brief was to combine the functionality of a commercial-grade back-of-house kitchen with the openness and warmth of a domestic front-of-house space — allowing guests to engage with the cooking process and fostering a sense of community.
After visiting MKN’s test kitchen with the head chef, we specified the MKN Optima range for the Prime cookline. Supporting equipment included:
Unox bakery oven
Foster refrigeration
Meiko warewashing systems
Bespoke stainless steel cabinetry by CED for a seamless and premium finish
Environmental and power constraints were also key considerations. We worked with the client to explore condenser heat recovery for use in nearby greenhouses, and due to limited electrical capacity on the island, replaced conventional air heating with a low-pressure hot water supply for the kitchen’s ventilation system.
Extreme Conditions, Evolving Brief
Tanera's remote island setting meant every stage of delivery required care, precision, and flexibility. Equipment had to be transported by tugboat, landed on a beach, and moved through a working quarry using a telehandler. Installation was often dictated by weather and tides, at one point, worsening conditions required our team to finish the job entirely using hand tools after vehicles were withdrawn.
As the project evolved and the island's full potential was realised, a new building was introduced to house the front-of-house element. We reworked the layout to accommodate this revised vision, repurposing previously specified equipment to ensure minimal waste and full alignment with the updated design.
One of the most technically demanding aspects was the kitchen's extract system. Routing ductwork through the roof trusses of a converted barn required detailed 3D modelling and coordination. Using Revit and BIM, we worked alongside the full project team to visualise and resolve routing challenges in advance, avoiding costly rework on site.
To futureproof the installation against the island's harsh conditions, all external coldroom plant and extraction cowls were treated with Blygold coating for long-term corrosion protection.
Testimonial
“Vision Commercial Kitchens successfully completed a unique kitchen installation on the largest of the Summer Isles, managing the unbelievably difficult logistical challenges of the island location. Their team demonstrated adaptability throughout the project, particularly when addressing the evolving design and installation requirements. We were extremely impressed with their ability to navigate the complex extraction system installation and deliver such a high standard of finish. Vision met and exceeded our expectations with this complex island project."
– Harry Twigg, Project Director