Henry O’Brien describes Newmarket Kitchen as a ‘gym for food businesses’. It’s a great location for food startups to flex their creative muscles and grow.
“The concept is simple, Newmarket Kitchen provides a kitchen space for food startups, caterers and independent chefs,” says O’Brien. “It’s a place where food business startups can come and test their idea and build their business.”
Opened in April 2015 and based in Bray, Co. Wicklow, Newmarket Kitchen has many different membership options to suit food businesses of all sizes and at all stages. Also, if a food startup wants to try out the facility for a day, it can.
“If you have been selling at a farmers’ market, for example,” says O’Brien, “and want to expand, we can help with your idea.”
Ideas and ingredients
“The one thing our members find most useful is the fact they become part of a community here. Often, entrepreneurs find themselves working alone, but at Newmarket, they are in a creative environment where they can ask others for advice, whether that be about packaging, marketing or sales.”
An essential ingredient of becoming a food business is the legal one. “You have to register your business through the HSE. We have an Environmental Health Officer that helps our members. You will also need insurance, and we can provide that through our preferred supplier. We help food businesses grow. It’s like taking the raw ingredients to the final product,” says O’Brien.
Access all day and all night
Members of Newmarket Kitchen also have 24/7 access to the facilities. “The food business is not a nine to five business,” says O’Brien.
While all the companies require preparation space, there’s also the need for large refrigeration space. “That’s one of core functions, to make sure the startups have the facilities they need to make headway. We keep all the services up
