The first open plan shared commercial kitchen at the SPADE Enterprise Centre in Dublin City Centre has been officially opened by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney.
SPADE was created by the government to serve as an incubation centre for start-up food and drinks producers and is based in North King Street, Dublin 7.
The facility spans some 5,600 square feet, including kitchen and storage facilities, providing capacity for 24 businesses.
'Scaling In The Future'
“The opening of SPADE, supported by over €2.7m in funding from my Department’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund, will provide high potential businesses with the space and practical support they need to flourish and prosper," said Minister Coveney.
"SPADE joins a cohort of enterprise initiatives the Government has supported throughout the country that aim to provide a platform for early-stage businesses to start with a view to scaling in the future."
Job Creation
SPADE has been supported by Enterprise Ireland, through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, which provided funding for innovation and collaborative projects with the aim of supporting sustainable job creation in the regions.
The team meets with potential members, explores their business ideas and they can then join SPADE for a membership fee of €50 a month and rent their space for €12 an hour, with a minimum commitment of four hours.
The facility also has a garden where food markets are planned, which would give food producers another advantage as they can sell their produce directly at this market, while providing a place for local people to enjoy.
'Highest Quality Facilities'
“The 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," said Bernie Everard, CEO of SPADE.
"At SPADE they have access to the highest quality facilities for very nominal charges.”
