New project promotes shared commercial kitchens

Mission Kitchen, a new project designed to support fledgling food entrepreneurs, located in London's New Covent Garden Market, is due to launch in spring.

Budding operators are being called on to apply for membership places, with applications open until 31 March.

Mission Kitchen is a shared workspace, built to address the challenges faced by growing food businesses, offering flexible access to commercial kitchens and co-working spaces, and creating a new platform for entrepreneurs to grow, learn and connect.

As well as private and shared commercial kitchens, the 16,000 sq ft site features co-working spaces, a dedicated training and development kitchen, outdoor terraces and event venues for talks, tastings and supper clubs; it is also committed to supporting entrepreneurs from under-represented groups.

“Building a food business might sound fun, but it’s incredibly tough, even for the most talented and ambitious founders," says Charlie Gent, co-founder of Mission Kitchen. "People need access to professional kitchens and equipment, but for small businesses with limited resources, it’s hard to find suitable space in London.

"The industry is incredibly complex, and, without the right advice and support, founders have to work everything out for themselves. These obstacles are holding back so many great ideas and talented people who already have the ingredients for a successful business. Mission Kitchen aims to change this for good, reducing the barriers to entry and making building food businesses cheaper, simpler and more fun.”

Mission Kitchen intends to set itself apart from the recent trend of dark kitchens; instead of focusing on takeaway deliveries from established operators, it will only allow independent businesses to join and its members will include a wide variety of food businesses including packaged product brands, artisan producers, bakers, street food traders, caterers, freelancers and creatives.

Membership applications will prioritise businesses with a strong environmental ethos, and education and resources will be provided to all members to help embed sustainable practices from an early-stage.

Mission Kitchen is working in partnership with the Covent Garden Market Authority as part of the ongoing transformation of the market into a hub of food enterprise in central London. The project has received funding from the Mayor of London’s £70m regeneration programme, the Good Growth Fund, which supported by the London Economic Action Partnership.

Mission Kitchen is offering limited Founding Member spaces, with exclusive benefits and discounts for the first 36 businesses to join.