A new open plan shared kitchen in Stoneybatter, the SPADE Shared Kitchen, has been running for a few weeks, perfect for start-up food and drink producers looking to book a space for their business.
Based in North King Street in Dublin 7, the brand-new facility is a welcome boost, serving as an incubation centre for fledgling start up food and drinks producers.
The state-of-the-art facility spans some 5,600 sq ft, including kitchen and storage facilities, providing capacity for 24 businesses.
Co-funded by Enterprise Ireland, Dublin City Council and SPADE, the facility has cost in the region of €3 million.
CEO Bernie Everard describes the concept behind the SPADE Shared Kitchen:
“This new facility at SPADE is totally unique and is transforming how newcomers produce their food and beverages. There is nowhere else like it in Dublin and it is providing this exciting cohort of entrepreneurs with a truly unrivalled base that is affordable and sustainable.”
Everard describes the business of producing food and drink as a “huge undertaking for new start-ups who may have a wonderful idea but simply cannot afford the prohibitively expensive commercial kitchens.” With the SPADE Shared Kitchen, the highest quality facilities are provided for nominal prices. Membership is €50 a month, with the space costing €12 per hour to rent, with a minimum of four hours commitment required.
Everard states that this will “take the stress out of the initial start-up and allows people to trial their businesses for minimal outlay. We support them all the way from the initial delicate start-up phase right up to how they distribute and sell their products. We are an incubation centre in the truest possible sense. There is a wonderful community spirit here and really producing food is conducive to creativity and cooperation”.
She goes on to say: “We are ideally located in the heart of the community in Dublin 7. It is a very vibrant and supportive community and the local people are incredibly happy about SPADE. It gives them options and opportunities too that they may not have been able to explore up to this, due to financial constraints. It’s all about giving back with us. We will have two spaces for marginalised communities, for example social enterprises, and we also hope to be able to help charities who may need access to the additional facilities we can provide.”
The plan is to utilise the garden in the space to run food markets, giving producers an advantage to sell their produce directly to the locals. There are also plans in place to provide E Cargo bikes for deliveries.
“This new facility at SPADE is the realisation of a long-term dream by the Board and it will only grow and grow as will the start-ups who come to us”.
Lan Luan, a 42-year-old Chinese national who came to Ireland over 20 years ago, who runs Le Petit Four, a luxury, high-quality handcrafted patisserie, states: “SPADE is exactly what startup businesses need. It’s a high-quality facility at the keenest of rates which is just perfect”.
She worked in the hospitality service industry for 15 years as a chef and supervisor and wanted to set out on her own but was hampered by the prohibitively expensive costs associated with start-ups.
“My business started in a home kitchen, but I want to move to wholesale and retail. So we have been looking for a suitable commercial kitchen for a long time. SPADE Shared Kitchen got my attention before it even opened!. We knew it was built and supported by Ireland Enterprise, had a reasonable price, and had high-grade kitchen equipment.; it is exactly what small start up food producers need . We simply couldn’t meet high start up costs. At SPADE Shared Kitchen, I also meet other food producers so there is fantastic energy and a lovely synergy. I am looking forward to the next step in our business.
All products are made from scratch. We use only the finest Irish ingredients when possible. Our company also sells pre-baked frozen pastel de nata to retail, wholesale, and directly to consumers. All our Portuguese egg custard tarts are hand-made using real butter, not margarine, Irish eggs, cream, and milk. The tart has a 12-month shelf life and can be baked in a home oven. Customers can enjoy the Lisbon bakery-style, delicious, flaky pastel de nata at home”.
With a degree in hotel management, as well as a degree in baking and pastry art management, Luan is passionate about Artisan food and believes that the SPADE Shared Kitchen will make establishing a food business much easier for start-ups.
