A new commercial kitchen has opened in Brampton, ON, offering chefs and caterers a new readymade option to access certified space without the upfront cost of building a facility of their own.
The kitchen lowers one of the biggest barriers facing small food businesses: access to licensed space.
Wale Rabiu, the operator selected by the city, said the downtown site has two kitchens and will rent for about $35 an hour, allowing chefs, caterers, startups and even students to book time, test recipes and build a customer base before investing in their own setup. He said the space could also help caterers who cannot legally cook from home because of health regulations.
Rabiu said he moved to Canada from Nigeria in 2016 and started Grey Matlock Bakery in Brampton two years later. He said the company has since grown to nine locations across Canada, with bread sold under the Butterfield brand in major grocery stores, giving him firsthand experience of what it takes to move a food business from a small operation into wider retail. “We are also looking to have franchisees in the U.S.,” said Rabiu in a phone conversation.
That track record also helped explain why his company was chosen to run the new facility. Rabiu said Grey Matlock Bakery was selected through the city’s request-for-proposals process, and that his team’s experience managing multiple kitchens and restaurants was a key factor in winning the contract to operate the commercial kitchen.
For potential users, the appeal is not just the equipment but the location. Theodore Jackson, chef and owner of the catering business The Kaizen Chef, who plans to use the space, said similar shared-kitchen options are mostly in Toronto, making Brampton’s facility a closer and more practical option for Peel-based caterers looking to grow and work locally.
Jackson said the kitchen could help small operators look more professional by giving them a commercial address and a certified place to prepare food. “It gives caterers in the city an opportunity to expand their brand, explore different avenues and provide different services. It allows you to operate locally and have a professional space to promote your business,” he said.
But he said there are still barriers to entry. Users need business insurance to access the space, a requirement that may be manageable for established operators, but harder for informal cooks or personal chefs trying to turn side work into a formal business.
The kitchen is designed as more than just rental space. According to city information, the public health-certified site at 41 George St. S. is intended to serve as a culinary hub and food incubator, while also hosting instructional workshops through the Brampton Entrepreneur Centre.
Access to the kitchen still comes with regulatory hurdles. City information says entrepreneurs must obtain the appropriate Brampton catering licence, maintain food handler certification and carry at least $2 million in commercial general liability insurance. At least one person on site must also have completed Ontario-approved food handler training.
Brampton City did not respond to an email seeking additional comments.
The city is also pitching the facility as part of a broader support system for food entrepreneurs. Related training opportunities listed iby the municipality include sessions on starting a food business, regulatory compliance, costing and pricing, marketing and branding, food safety, and labelling and packaging.
Rabiu said he hopes the model gains enough traction to eventually expand beyond the current two-kitchen setup.
Shilpashree Jagannathan
Shilpashree Jagannathan is a journalist from India. She now lives in Toronto and has worked as a business reporter for leading newspapers in India. She has tracked telecom, infrastructure, and real estate news developments and has produced podcast series. She currently focuses on human rights, feminist movements, and other related issues in Canada and India. Her weekends are spent bird watching in one of the Toronto birding hotspots; she loves trails, biking, and a lot of sun.