Shelburne Commissary Kitchen receives investment from Shelburne Rotary Club

February 12, 2026 · 0 Comments

Written By Joshua Drakes

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

The Shelburne Rotary Club, holding true to its core mission of supporting local initiatives and causes, has stepped up again to help build and expand opportunities in town. It has invested a ‘significant sum’ of $12,000, according to the Town of Shelburne, into the upcoming Commissary Kitchen Project.

The investment, announced on Wednesday, Feb. 11, will help continue the kitchen’s development at Fiddle Park.

Carol Maitland, economic development officer for the Town of Shelburne, said this investment is an example of what strong community partnerships can accomplish.

“The Shelburne Rotary Club’s investment demonstrates the power of community partnership in building economic infrastructure,” she said. “This contribution moves us closer to creating a facility that will serve as an incubator for food businesses while addressing food security and skills development in our region.”

The money the Rotary Club contributed was raised through the 2025 Shelburne Economic Development and Rotary Golf Tournament. Running since 2020, the tournament is an important town fundraising event that annually supports critical community projects, such as the Greenwood Park Splash Pad.

With this extra cash for the town, the Commissary Kitchen moved even closer to completion.

When finished, the goal is to provide a shared-use, fully equipped commercial kitchen facility space for local food entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses.

This collaborative, shared space will give new entrepreneurs access to publicly available hardware and spaces to experiment with their own culinary businesses, while also bringing a vibrant food scene to Fiddle Park.

Going beyond just local entrepreneurs, the project is meant to increase Shelburne and, by extension, Dufferin County’s competitive business position by attracting new businesses, talent, and investment to the region while building new networks among food enterprises.

Along with supporting new businesses, the kitchen will also have an educational element, offering workshops on cooking, food preservation, and business management.

Funding for the workshops and general maintenance and operations will be generated through a rental funding model, with revenue from renting the kitchen spaces used to sustain operations.

The commissary kitchen will operate on a rental funding model, with revenue from kitchen rentals allocated to support ongoing programming, equipment maintenance, and operational costs.

When the Commissary Kitchen Project is complete, it will offer something for everyone, whether it’s a high-quality space for local businesses or tasty food for guests.

More updates from the town will follow, including confirmation of an opening date.