It’s the first time a local authority has moved in such a fashion to help fledgling food producers.

The kitchens are being fitted-out at a council-owned building in Carrigaline.

It’s the brainchild of the council’s Economic Development Fund (EDF) which identified a need to help small-time food producers grow their businesses

The kitchens at Kilnagleary will each be 1,200 sq ft and it is likely the council will charge €35 per hour rent for their use.

The local authority is also planning similar kitchens in its north and West Cork divisions. They are expected to be located in Mallow and Clonakilty.

Many food producers operate in their own small kitchens and are struggling to meet HSE requirements and to make bigger batches of food.

Council EDF spokesman Noel O’Driscoll said 40 small companies had already made inquiries about using the Carrigaline facility.

The new kitchens will be equipped with a range of commercial food manufacturing equipment.

“These kitchens will be state-of-the-art facilities and we hope to create a website specifically for their use, which will take bookings and payments online,” Mr O’Driscoll said.

The local authority is seeking to appoint a “service provider” to take over the management of the Kilnagleary facility.

The successful applicant will be provided with a two-year contract and paid on a monthly basis for the duration of it.

Each of the fledgling companies must be pre-approved by a regulatory (food) body.