Hong Kong chefs savour project in which they share kitchens of popular restaurants
Venture was founded by a social enterprise in April last year with HK$800,000 from a government-run development fund
Inside a small cafe on a busy street in Cheung Sha Wan there is a continual bustle of people coming and going, but nothing can distract Debbie Yan Ka-oi.
She is completely immersed in preparing her special brownies, and whisks flour with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, eggs and other ingredients in a mixer as a delicious aroma gently wafts through the air.
At slightly over 100 square feet this is her dream factory where she churns out her beloved desserts with the help of an adjacent kitchen – borrowed, free of charge, from a Thai restaurant upstairs called Tum Yum Thai during its daily afternoon break.
When the restaurant is closed from 3pm to 6pm on weekdays, Yan, in her 50s, may freely use the kitchen’s facilities to flex her culinary muscles, defined by the training she received from a veteran patissier in her youth.
Her cafe is in fact owned by the Thai restaurant, but she is allowed to use it rent-free thanks to restaurant bosses who are willing to take part in a “sharing kitchen” project under the concept of a “sharing economy”.
The three-year venture was founded by a social enterprise, the Community Development Enhancement Fund (CDEF), in April last year with HK$800,000 from the government-run Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund, which supports start-ups and community projects to alleviate poverty.
