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The Food Chain

Factual: Food & Drink

Examining what it takes to put food on your plate

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

Bringing dark kitchens into the light

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The Food Chain: Bringing dark kitchens into the light

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30/03/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - The Food Chain, Bringing dark kitchens into the light

Are the hidden-away catering spaces undergoing an image change?

Dark kitchens are the multi-block commercial units allowing virtual brands and events companies to prepare and deliver food. They’ve got a mysterious reputation, sometimes also called ghost kitchens, so The Food Chain wanted to see how they have expanded since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In this episode, presenter Rick Kelsey speaks to chefs who buy a place in them, and to the owners who build them. Gini and Eccie Newton run Karma Kitchen, one of the fastest growing dark kitchens in Europe. They describe how much it costs to move in, how the model has changed, and respond to the restrictions put in by local governments on the kitchens in Barcelona, France and the Netherlands. 

Peter Cook is someone who knows the owners of the biggest dark kitchens in the world. He has recently returned from Amsterdam where he ran the Ghost Kitchen conference, and explains how PR around the kitchens is improving as they become more open spaces. 

And Yousif Kurdi runs Your Kitchen across the Netherlands, including in Amsterdam. He tells Rick how working with the locals is always good for business.

(Picture: A woman packing a paper delivery bag. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Presented and produced by Rick Kelsey

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