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Original poster

AIBU to add serving hatches between kitchen, utility and dining room?

105 replies

OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 12:58

It's a floorplan question!

I want to turn my current kitchen into a utility room and the current second reception into a kitchen. The problem is the dining room would be far from the kitchen and we will often need to take things from the new utility to go into the kitchen.

AIBU to add one or more serving hatches to the floorplan - between kitchen and utility and utility and dining room, respectively?

Marked up floorplan attached as well as a serving hatch idea

AIBU to add serving hatches between kitchen, utility and dining room?
AIBU to add serving hatches between kitchen, utility and dining room?
OP posts:
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Original poster
OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 14:18

Anjoola · 28/05/2026 14:17

Omg I just had a flashback moment - my mum had a tea trolley when I was a kid! I had totally forgotten. We would prepare “a sandwich tea” in the kitchen, load up the trolley and trundle it to the living room so we could watch the Antiques Road Show. It was our only TV dinner of the week!

Basically it was my mum’s night off cooking and she always made a plate of various sandwiches, and we drank tea in proper cups and saucers, served from the teapot on the trolley. When not in use, it folded up and slid beside the free-standing cooker.

I loved those tea times.

I don’t think a double hatch is a great plan OP. The trolley however was a wonderful thing.

Wow what a blast from the past.

So glad that this has sparked a nice memory 😊

OP posts:
Anjoola · 28/05/2026 14:17

Omg I just had a flashback moment - my mum had a tea trolley when I was a kid! I had totally forgotten. We would prepare “a sandwich tea” in the kitchen, load up the trolley and trundle it to the living room so we could watch the Antiques Road Show. It was our only TV dinner of the week!

Basically it was my mum’s night off cooking and she always made a plate of various sandwiches, and we drank tea in proper cups and saucers, served from the teapot on the trolley. When not in use, it folded up and slid beside the free-standing cooker.

I loved those tea times.

I don’t think a double hatch is a great plan OP. The trolley however was a wonderful thing.

Wow what a blast from the past.

MotherofPufflings · 28/05/2026 14:17

I would either turn the current kitchen into a utility and the current utility into a toilet/bathroom (if you really need a downstairs bathroom).

Then knock through from the current living room into the downstairs bathroom to make a larger kitchen/diner.

I think the hatches will be annoying and inconvenient and possibly reduce the house's value.

ThisBirdOnThatRoof · 28/05/2026 14:16

OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 14:07

What about bringing food from the kitchen down the hall on a trolley?

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I like the trolley idea.

Separate dining rooms are much more restful, too. Idk why people eat in the kitchen unless they have to.

Original poster
OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 14:15

mumumental · 28/05/2026 14:14

I don’t like the layout.

What would you do differently? I have struggled with this question for ages 😭

OP posts:
Ineffable23 · 28/05/2026 14:14

I don't think I would bother with multiple serving hatches, you're not carrying anything more than about 8 feet by the looks of that diagram, or certainly not saving more than about 8 feet. I guess I might be tempted to do them if e.g. the dishwasher will be in the utility room or something? But otherwise just carry the stuff down the corridor.

mumumental · 28/05/2026 14:14

I don’t like the layout.

Original poster
OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 14:13

Foraor · 28/05/2026 14:12

For every meal? Or for Christmas dinner?

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Christmas dinner and when we have guests, which happens every couple of months.

OP posts:
Foraor · 28/05/2026 14:12

OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 14:07

What about bringing food from the kitchen down the hall on a trolley?

Show quote history

For every meal? Or for Christmas dinner?

Original poster
OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 14:12

LittleBearPad · 28/05/2026 14:11

Can’t other people help carry it?

Sure - and they would in the hatch scenario too.

OP posts:
Original poster
OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 14:12

LittleBearPad · 28/05/2026 14:11

How much food are you transporting and for who?

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I expect we would only use the dining room for holidays like Christmas. So a lot of food for a fair number of people.

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 28/05/2026 14:11

Can’t other people help carry it?

LittleBearPad · 28/05/2026 14:11

OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 14:07

What about bringing food from the kitchen down the hall on a trolley?

Show quote history

How much food are you transporting and for who?

Original poster
OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 14:10

Rubbleonthedouble2 · 28/05/2026 14:08

This is a bonkers idea! Don't do it.

If you have a lot of things/food to move I'd actually be more inclined to invest in a tea trolley so that you can move everything in one go/fewer trips.

Does this seem like a workable option? Thinking about it, my in-laws carry food through about that distance from their kitchen for formal meals and it works just fine 🤔

OP posts:
Rubbleonthedouble2 · 28/05/2026 14:08

This is a bonkers idea! Don't do it.

If you have a lot of things/food to move I'd actually be more inclined to invest in a tea trolley so that you can move everything in one go/fewer trips.

Original poster
OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 14:07

Foraor · 28/05/2026 14:03

No, that is completely unworkable. No one will ever use the dining room. Do you actually think someone carrying food from the kitchen into the dining room is going to balance it on the first hatch, walk around into the utility room, pick it up from the first hatch, balance it on the second hatch, walk around into the dining room and pick up their food?

What about bringing food from the kitchen down the hall on a trolley?

OP posts:
Foraor · 28/05/2026 14:03

No, that is completely unworkable. No one will ever use the dining room. Do you actually think someone carrying food from the kitchen into the dining room is going to balance it on the first hatch, walk around into the utility room, pick it up from the first hatch, balance it on the second hatch, walk around into the dining room and pick up their food?

Original poster
OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 13:59

BudgetBuster · 28/05/2026 13:23

Oh no, that layout is horrendous.
You still can't go from kitchen to dining unless you put through 2 hatches and then have to walk through each room? Utterly pointless and the hatches will look hideous.

Why not retain the current bathroom and utility, but knock through the existing kitchen and new kitchen to make that bigger, usable space? You could have a sliding door into the dining room if needed but realistically will you even use the dining room?

I have considered this, but we would end up with much less useful kitchen/utility/storage space than in my proposal, and it would doubtless cost more to remove two supporting walls.

OP posts:
OvernightBloats · 28/05/2026 13:34

Serving hatches makes me think of houses from the 70s and 80s. Are they making a comeback? They were hardly used by people who had them and ended up being cluttered with stuff on the shelves.

Cooking smells also come through them which might be something you want to consider.

takealettermsjones · 28/05/2026 13:31

It's not that far... 😅 Get a robot butler instead!

LittleBearPad · 28/05/2026 13:30

Hatches in a row are also going to be more faff than walking the food round even with counters either side in the utility you’re going to need a chain of people handing over to one another

Jellox · 28/05/2026 13:26

Put whatever you want in there.
I can’t see any negatives to putting one in (a little less wall space but that wouldn’t bother me personally).

But I do know a few people who have serving hatches and they rarely get used.
They find it’s easier to just carry things.

I do like the image you have posted of the serving hatch with the large lip/table.
The ones I’ve seen don’t have these or they’re much smaller but I do like the look of this (some may say it looks too diner/cafe like).

BudgetBuster · 28/05/2026 13:23

Oh no, that layout is horrendous.
You still can't go from kitchen to dining unless you put through 2 hatches and then have to walk through each room? Utterly pointless and the hatches will look hideous.

Why not retain the current bathroom and utility, but knock through the existing kitchen and new kitchen to make that bigger, usable space? You could have a sliding door into the dining room if needed but realistically will you even use the dining room?

Original poster
OrangeCrushes · 28/05/2026 13:09

TheStepboardisfullofbitteroddos · 28/05/2026 13:07

I agree with pp. I'd turn the bathroom into the utility and the utility into a cloakroom/ shower room. Couldn't do with a loo just a door away from the kitchen!

Hatch wise, I'd agree with kitchen and utility- I'd probably stick it in a cupboard so it wasn't visable though. Have a counter top cupboard and the worktop continuous through the hatch so you can slide things through.

I wouldn't have a dining room one as I think it's a bit awkward in a row t hat size and would limit furniture and decor etc.

Do you mean a cupboard door or an actual cupboard as well?

OP posts:
Hoardasurass · 28/05/2026 13:07

Havhad those hatches as a kid dont do it.
The sounds and smells of cooking will always be in the dining room

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