A look at how Food Web grew from research and community conversations into a live platform helping people access shared kitchens.
Written by
Justin Andrews
Justin Andrews is a chef-turned-founder who has spent the last decade working across farms, markets, restaurants, nonprofits, and academic research. He’s now the CEO of Food Web, a platform built to unlock underused commercial kitchens and strengthen local food systems. Justin writes about food, entrepreneurship, and the work of building resilient local economies.
Where meals are made.
If you’ve been following Food Web for a while, you know that this project began with a simple question: How can we make it easier for people to do good work in food?
In 2023, we entered the Lab2Market Launch program at Dalhousie University with an idea rooted in mapping the food system. A way to make farms, organizations, kitchens, and community resources more visible and connected. Through dozens of interviews, it became clear that while mapping is needed, access to shared infrastructure was a more urgent challenge, especially around certified kitchens.
Many small food businesses were struggling to find kitchen space to rent. At the same time, many kitchens were sitting empty for large parts of the week. That was the spark!
From the beginning, Food Web has been shaped by research and collaboration. We partnered with Dalhousie University’s College of Sustainability for two consecutive years (2023/24 and 2024/25), where student research teams explored how food system actors in Nova Scotia find information, share resources, and access the infrastructure they need.
Their work confirmed what we were hearing across the province:
These student research projects played a defining role in shaping Food Web’s direction. You can explore those reports and summaries here: Food Web Research Library
Beyond formal research, we’ve been on the ground, listening and learning. Our founder & CEO, Justin Andrews, has been attending and speaking at conferences and gatherings across Atlantic Canada, including:
At these events, we connected with farmers, nonprofit organizers, food hub coordinators, and government representatives who echoed the same frustrations that sparked this work.
Funded by a grant through Learn Sphere, this spring we hosted a province-wide focus group tour, from Cape Breton to the Valley to Yarmouth. Kitchen operators, market managers, food entrepreneurs, farmers, community volunteers, and government officials came together to talk about challenges faced in local food systems. Availability of rental kitchens for small food businesses was a focal point and pressing concern.
Regarging barriers to shared rental kitchens, we heard stories of:
You can read the full report here
During all of this, over the last 2 years, Justin also completed a Master’s in Management, Innovation & Entrepreneurship (MMIE) at Queen’s University. This helped ensure that Food Web is built with strategy, systems, and the capacity to scale responsibly.
We are excited to share that Food Web was recently accepted into the Volta Tech Residency, enabling us to continue growing alongside a supportive community of founders, mentors, and innovators.
With the help of:
The platform helps:
It handles:
The goal is simple: Make it easier for food businesses to rent part time kitchens. And to help kitchen owners monetize their under-utilized space.
Want to learn more about how shared kitchens can support the local food economy? Read: Sharing is Caring
Food Web was born from research, collaboration, and community voices, and it continues to grow the same way.
If you’d like to stay involved:
Thank you for being part of this journey. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited for what comes next.
Justin Andrews
CEO & Co-Founder
Food Web Asset Mapping Inc.