Food service
Commercial kitchen surfaces
Date: 28.05.2025
"Your food is only as clean as where you prep it"
In commercial kitchens, selecting surface materials involves more than just visual appeal. With a growing focus on hygiene, durability and environmental impact, designers are constantly seeking innovative materials that meet food preparation standards. Richlite delivers a food-safe, long-lasting alternative to traditional materials used in commercial kitchens, food service and displays.
Materials for health + hygiene
Made from compressed rapidly renewable and/or recycled paper and a thermosetting resin, Richlite composite surfaces combine strength, hygiene and functionality. Designed with circularity in mind, it supports low-waste manufacturing and offers a lifespan that outlasts conventional surfaces — reducing material use and maintenance.
Richlite's dense, non-porous surface is food-safe and tested to EU 10/2011 (EU 1935/2004) standard for direct food contact — making it suitable for prepping, plating, cutting and serving food. A smooth, mottled texture naturally resists sticking, great for dough work and cleaning without the need for harsh chemicals. Richlite is also certified for interior use in commercial kitchens, as backed by a 20 year commercial warranty.
Durable by design
Richlite is heat safe up to 176°C (350°F), and can be used in the dishwasher and under heat lamps, as well as servery counters, food prep stations, and assembly lines. Because of its consistency and density, Richlite doesn't dull knives or harbour bacteria, and is typically used with a Mill factory finish in food service environments.
Refined dining
From front of house restaurant countertops, table tops, furniture, wall panels and bar fronts to back of house food preparation areas, Richlite extends throughout for a cohesive dining experience. Richlite Heritage Collection colours Natural, Slate and R50 can be used in a range of sizes and thicknesses in commercial kitchen areas. For restaurant and hospitality surfaces, the Northwest Collection colours are available in a range of warm, earthy colours that can be combined to create multi-toned edge details, all with a leathery surface finish, lending creative freedom for brands and designers. Richlite can be router-cut to intricate and complex shapes and multi-purpose components — from cutting surfaces and splashbacks to utensils, hot plates or laser-etched puzzle boards that join together along an assembly line. Whether front or back of house, Richlite adapts to the space.
"No particles from the phenolic resin constituting the cutting board were found after leaching." — FILAB, September 2025
A closer look at what's beneath the knife
In 2025, Richlite commissioned independent testing by French laboratory FILAB, analysing both unaltered and sanded cutting board samples. Particle levels were comparable to those in laboratory control samples, and no particles from the phenolic resin were identified. This reflects the material’s makeup: its resin is permanently crosslinked during manufacturing, so it doesn’t soften or melt like thermoplastics, and when machined it produces fine, cellulose-based dust rather than plastic shavings. While the testing doesn’t cover every condition in a working kitchen, it gives chefs, hospitality designers and specifiers another consideration when choosing preparation surfaces, because a considered kitchen starts long before the food reaches the plate.
Richlite supports sustainability goals with third-party certifications including an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and can contribute to low-waste, circular design systems across the foodservice sector. Whether you're designing a new kitchen or upgrading an existing setup, Richlite brings together longevity, hygiene and environmental responsibility.
To learn more about using Richlite in commercial kitchens or to discuss your next foodservice project get in touch or request material samples.
