Kitchen Time project to harness underused HSE-approved space

Kitchen Time project to harness underused HSE-approved space

By Mary Dennehy

A NEW initiative which allows artisan producers to rent kitchen space on an hourly basis, and at an affordable rate, has been launched in the community.

Called KitchenTime, the innovative project harnesses underused HSE-approved kitchen space across communities in South Dublin County, including Tallaght and Clondalkin.

KitchenTime 1 24 November 2016

These kitchens may be used in the mornings for local Meals on Wheels programmes, but unused for the rest of the day – with KitchenTime opening up these spaces when not in use to artisan producers or start-up enterprises, that are looking for additional space or to expand.

Speaking at the launch of KitchenTime in IT Tallaght, County Mayor Guss O’Connell welcomed this “fantastic new initiative” which will allow artisan producers to rent kitchen space on an hourly basis, and at a time and place that they can afford. The
initiative will put unused, HSE-approved community-based kitchen space to good use.

KitchenTime is the first of many initiatives to be launched under the Social and Local Enterprise Alliance umbrella, which is a collaboration of agencies in South Dublin County – who are dedicated to commercialising local opportunities to develop the local economy, create jobs and fund more local enterprises.

Agencies involved include Dublin Food Chain, Enterprise Ireland, IT Tallaght, Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, Partas, South Dublin Chamber, South Dublin County Council, South Dublin County Partnership, Synergy Centre and Trustus.

According to John Kearns, CEO of Partas, one of the agencies involved in the Alliance, said: “I believe that there is a trend towards quality artisan food and drink, creating a new local economic opportunity that will create wealth for all, revive local food systems and help heal the planet.

“It is contributing to a greater pride in and sense of place and the appreciation of producing and consuming locally.

“Artisan food and drink is truly at the vanguard of a new economic impetus that answers the demands of the post-crisis consumer and can well regenerate local communities through the emergence of a genuine local economy.” 

Anybody interested in testing out food producing in a professional kitchen is invited to check out www.kitchentime.ie.

For further information on the initiative, contact Rene Synnott on rene@socialandlocal.ie
or visit Facebook and Twitter (KitchenTimeDub).

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