Milkshed on Machen Street in the town provides a functional modern base for a range of professionals and has created a colourful new community in the process.
Hot desks can be booked for daily use, fixed desks are available on a longer-term basis, while larger studio spaces offer extra room for those that require it.
A wide variety of people, often involved in creative industries, are already using the facility, which has recently been able to expand thanks to financial support from the Council.
Graphic designer John Davies and Will Summers, a musician, are behind the venture and also sometimes work from Milkshed themselves.
John grew up in Aberaeron, moving to Cardiff for university before settling in Penarth.
Will, originally from Bargoed, studied at the Cardiff School of Music and is now a freelance music tutor teaching flute, clarinet, saxophone, piano and music theory, also helping out at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
“We’ve lived in Penarth for around 10 years, so we like to think we know what makes a town like this tick,” said John.
“That is small, independent businesses that generate income, spend that income locally, building up the town and the community.
“That’s what we had in mind when we pulled this together – that’s who we’ve aimed it at.
“It’s one of the ingredients to make it a successful town centre. Town centres are multifaceted and different things for different people. It’s not just food and drink, it’s not just high-end gifts, it’s everything. Part of that is enabling people to work in those communities as well.
“The idea is to offer co-working in your community, rather than having to travel into the centre of Cardiff or onto a business park on the outskirts of the city, this is actually within Penarth.
“Through that, you’re also able to use the local shop, pop in for a bit of lunch at the local deli, have a glass of wine after work. It’s all about that circular economy of keeping money in the very local area, rather than letting that escape, even into Cardiff.”
Milkshed received the maximum bursary available of £5,000, which enabled it to expand beyond simply offering standalone office space to also provide co-working opportunities.
John and Will were able to buy quality furniture to make the space more appealing to those that use it.
“The bursary gave us a really great professional platform to grow from,” said John.
“Rather than low quality or second-hand furniture, it allowed us to buy really nice sit/stand desks, which are great for health.
“We have got good seating and things like fire extinguishers and bits of signage. Those kinds of extras which we didn’t necessarily think about, but are important to a public-facing company.
“It helped with marketing and advertising as well. Without the bursary, it would have been very difficult for us to do that.”
Milkshed is open to any individual or businesses that wants to use the space and has attracted an eclectic group of tenants, with collaborations already starting to develop.
“Anyone can use it, but by its nature, it does attract a certain type of customer. That is people who work by themselves for themselves and people who are mainly computer-based,” said John.
“I’m a graphic designer by trade, Will is a musician, he has a space here. In some of our other spaces, we have a health and laser beautician. Our most recent tenant is a catering firm – they have a café deli in Penarth, but they needed a secondary kitchen to work from.
“We’ve got a tech recruiter here, we’ve got a business consultant, we’ve got software engineers and we’ve got our catalogue of hot deskers. People who pop in and out on a day-by-day basis.
“It’s so surprising the breadth, nature and types of work that happens in Penarth. It’s fabulous, it’s a really great business community and great to be a part of.
“You do get that interaction between businesses. “This is less relevant now, but when we were successful in getting the bursary grant, a big part of our ethos was to reduce isolation for homeworkers.”
During the pandemic, many workers suffered from a lack of contact with colleagues as offices were closed and home working made compulsory.
That can be the downside of being self-employed, operating on your own without the company that comes with a busy work setting.
Milkshed is an antidote for that as people involved in different areas sit side by side in a shared environment.
“It breaks down barriers, creates a connection and the opportunity to possibly work together on a project or signpost to a friend or colleague who might be able to help,” said John, who is also Chair of the Penarth Business Group.
“We are part of a wider business community. We’re just off Cornerswell Road which is a secondary high street in the town. There are lots of lovely shops, cafes and other businesses. It’s a base to interact with the wider town economy as well.
“Penarth is quite a small town so people will know each other. It offers that really great platform to build a community.
“Especially if you’re working for yourself, being part of a community like that is really powerful.”
Milkshed has fixed desks and hot desks available and a waiting list for those that require office space.
