Kitchen Collective will help aspiring Hamilton restauranteurs

Hamilton’s in the midst of a food-frenzy with shops popping up everywhere.

But getting a piece of the pie is tough for new entrepreneurs and a new not-for-profit co-operative kitchen is aiming to give those foodies a boost.

Indeed, according to the Reuben Vanderkwaak, President of the Kitchen Collective, something is really cooking at the corner of King Street East and Fairleigh.

“The Kitchen Collective is a shared commercial kitchen space that will be certified by public health and will be made available to members of the co-operative to be booked by the hour.”

Memberships cost $200 and $500 a year and hourly rates are between $16 and $20 bucks allowing budding chefs to use the space to grow their business without worrying about sky high startup costs.

Bettina Shoreman, the owner of Locke Street’s Bread Bar knows something about that.

“With the equipment and the retrofit and the finishes it was $500,000. To make that level of investment in a certified kitchen which is in excess of 40-50 thousand dollars is obviously too risky for some small businesses.”

She says a prime spot on the block is really what’s key.

“If your location isn’t going to get you bums in seats, financing is irrelevant.”

The Kitchen Collective also allows Chef’s like Shana Narciso to promote locally-grown food and share business tips.

“I see this as a hub for potential education and workshops that we can provide to the public, bringing parents and children in, teaching them cooking techniques, knife skills, just getting them excited about learning about food. Bringing everyone together would allow people to share what works for them and how they solved their problems.”

With Hamilton chefs getting the support they need, it’s easy to see how the Kitchen Collective will keep the community smiling and satisfied.