diff --git a/HISTORY.rst b/HISTORY.rst
index 080ff44..09976d4 100644
--- a/HISTORY.rst
+++ b/HISTORY.rst
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ Unreleased
 ----------
 * Use ``argparse`` for all command line tools and make use of ``workflows`` transport 
   argument injection. Minimum ``workflows`` version is now 2.14
+* Add a zocalo plugin for ``ispyb.simulate`` 
+  (`#163 <https://github.com/DiamondLightSource/ispyb-api/pull/163>`_) to call a recipe
+  before and after creation of data
 
 0.10.0 (2021-10-04)
 -------------------
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 13b12c3..705aceb 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ zocalo.configuration.plugins =
     jmx = zocalo.configuration.plugin_jmx:JMX
 zocalo.wrappers =
     dummy = zocalo.wrapper:DummyWrapper
+ispyb.simulator.before_datacollection = 
+    zocalo = zocalo.ispyb.simulator:before
+ispyb.simulator.after_datacollection = 
+    zocalo = zocalo.ispyb.simulator:after
 
 [options.packages.find]
 where = src
diff --git a/src/zocalo/ispyb/simulator.py b/src/zocalo/ispyb/simulator.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a9b0893
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/zocalo/ispyb/simulator.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import logging
+
+import workflows.transport
+import zocalo.configuration
+
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def _send_message(message: dict, headers={}):
+    transport = workflows.transport.lookup(workflows.transport.default_transport)()
+    try:
+        transport.connect()
+        transport.send("processing_recipe", message, headers=headers)
+        transport.disconnect()
+    except Exception:
+        logger.warning("Cant connect to workflow transport")
+
+
+def _get_recipe(event: str):
+    zc = zocalo.configuration.from_file()
+    zc.activate()
+
+    recipe = "mimas"
+    if zc.storage:
+        recipe = zc.storage.get("ispyb.simulator", {}).get(event, "mimas")
+
+    return recipe
+
+
+def before(dcid: int):
+    _send_message(
+        {
+            "recipes": [_get_recipe("recipe_before")],
+            "parameters": {"ispyb_dcid": dcid, "event": "start"},
+        },
+    )
+
+
+def after(dcid: int):
+    _send_message(
+        {
+            "recipes": [_get_recipe("recipe_after")],
+            "parameters": {"ispyb_dcid": dcid, "event": "end"},
+        },
+    )