Two start-up food delivery businesses have taken up their first ever property space and opened their doors at a Gloucester business centre.
The Country Kitchen and Sushi Day are two of the newest tenants to take up units at Space Business Centre in Quedgeley.
Space Business Centre, which is owned by property development company AC Lloyd and also has a site in Cheltenham, is now fully-let after experiencing a record month of deals completed across its two sites.
The Country Kitchen has been set-up by Samantha Monks, a mum from Gloucester, who has decided to move on from her career as a technical project manager and launch the new business.
It will look to bring the hearty, traditional meals Samantha would usually cook at home for her family to dining tables across the Gloucester area.
The new unit at Space Business Centre will be kitted out with a full kitchen and the business will be offering a pick-up or delivery service, depending on the type of meal you order.
Samantha said: “I grew up in a large family and there was always home cooked meals made from scratch on the table.
“I love cooking and have done since I was very young, we hope that will come over in the dishes we serve, which will range from lasagne and beef stroganoff, to breakfast burritos and wraps.
“As much as we possibly can, we will be sourcing local ingredients for our food, including from one of our friends allotments in Circencester and working with local meat suppliers and farmers.
“We actually found the unit at Space Business Centre after my business partner came for an emergency dental appointment at one of our now neighbour businesses. I thought it was perfect for what we wanted to do and jumped at the chance to take up a unit.”
Josielson Nunes has launched Sushi Day UK and also taken up a new unit at the Gloucester site.
He had worked in a Japanese restaurant when he lived in Portugal and has now opened his first shop in the UK dedicated to making and selling sushi.
Initially the unit will house a takeaway and delivery business, but there are plans to introduce a sit-in restaurant too when Covid-19 restrictions allow.
Josielson said: “We think there is a real gap in the market in Gloucester for a business like this and so far it’s going really well.
“Sushi is still a fairly new cuisine here and there is definitely an excitement, we’ve already started to build a good customer base in the Quedgely area.
“All of our products are made on site and the units at Space were ideal for us. It’s easy to access, not hard to rent and we see a future for the business here as part of a good community.”
Toni Willoughby, site manager at the Space Business Centres, added: “We’re delighted that both Sushi Day UK and The Country Kitchen have joined the business community at our Gloucester centre.
“It has been a difficult time for people working in the food industry over the past 12 months, but delivery services have thrived in lockdown and these two businesses bring something new to the offering in the area.
“We look forward to working with Samantha and Josielson as they continue to grow their businesses.”
