Though open a few short weeks, The SPADE Shared Kitchen is booming with more and more start up food and drink producers booking space at the spanking new open plan shared kitchen.
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 says, “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”.
“The whole business of producing food and drinks is a huge undertaking for new start-ups who may have a wonderful idea but simply cannot afford the prohibitively expensive commercial kitchens. At SPADE they will have access to the highest quality facilities for very nominal charges”.
“We meet with potential members; explore their business ideas and they can then join SPADE for a membership fee of €50 a month and rent their space for just €12 an hour with just a minimum commitment of four hours”.
“This takes 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”.
“Growing early-stage wholesale, retail and catering food businesses is a huge task for start-ups and we provide absolutely everything they need. Our equipment is of the highest possible professional quality”.
“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”.
“Also, we have a wonderful garden where we plan on having food markets, this then gives the food producers another advantage as they can sell their produce directly at this market and again it will be a place for local people to go and enjoy”.
“We have future plans to provide E Cargo bikes to help our start-ups with deliveries”.
“We have the experience of supporting so many businesses over the years who have used our established commercial kitchens and have gone on to prove very successful”.
“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”.
“SPADE is exactly what startup businesses need. It’s a high-quality facility at the keenest of rates which is just perfect”.
That’s according to Lan Luan, a 42-year-old Chinese national who came to Ireland over 20 years ago. She runs Le Petit Four , a luxury, high-quality handcrafted patisserie.
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”.
“I have a Degree in Hotel Management and completed a professional degree in baking and pastry art management at the DIT National Bakery School in Dublin. I’m passionate about real food and Artisan food and I’m truly passionate about SPADE Shared Kitchen as I know just how hard it is to establish a food business and SPADE is making it so much easier”.
