diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29b1fa6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+HOSTNAME=localhost
+KAFKA_PORT=9092
diff --git a/backend/worker/main.py b/backend/worker/main.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..481b832
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/worker/main.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import os
+import time
+from celery import Celery
+from dotenv import load_dotenv
+load_dotenv()
+
+# Redis connection
+redis_url = os.getenv("REDIS_URL", "redis://localhost:6379")
+app = Celery('worker', broker=redis_url, backend=redis_url)
+
+@app.task
+def simple_task(message):
+    """A simple task that processes a message and returns a result"""
+    time.sleep(2)  # Simulate some work
+    return f"Processed: {message}"
+
+@app.task
+def add_numbers(x, y):
+    """Simple math task"""
+    return x + y
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    app.start()
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index e69de29..61c26a9 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+services:
+  zookeeper:
+    container_name: "PHANTOM-zookeeper"
+    image: confluentinc/cp-zookeeper:latest
+    environment:
+      ZOOKEEPER_CLIENT_PORT: 2181
+    ports:
+      - "2181:2181"
+
+  kafka:
+    container_name: "PHANTOM-kafka"
+    image: confluentinc/cp-kafka:latest
+    depends_on:
+      - zookeeper
+    environment:
+      KAFKA_BROKER_ID: 1
+      KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER_CONNECT: zookeeper:2181
+      KAFKA_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://localhost:9092
+      KAFKA_OFFSETS_TOPIC_REPLICATION_FACTOR: 1
+      ALLOW_PLAINTEXT_LISTENER: yes
+    ports:
+      - "${KAFKA_PORT}:9092"
+    volumes:
+      - phantom_kafka_data:/var/lib/kafka/data
+
+volumes:
+  phantom_kafka_data:
diff --git a/web/package-lock.json b/web/package-lock.json
index 0890b71..33bebd6 100644
--- a/web/package-lock.json
+++ b/web/package-lock.json
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
       "name": "web",
       "version": "0.1.0",
       "dependencies": {
+        "kafkajs": "^2.2.4",
         "next": "16.0.0",
         "react": "19.2.0",
         "react-dom": "19.2.0"
@@ -1040,6 +1041,15 @@
         "jiti": "lib/jiti-cli.mjs"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/kafkajs": {
+      "version": "2.2.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/kafkajs/-/kafkajs-2.2.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-j/YeapB1vfPT2iOIUn/vxdyKEuhuY2PxMBvf5JWux6iSaukAccrMtXEY/Lb7OvavDhOWME589bpLrEdnVHjfjA==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=14.0.0"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/lightningcss": {
       "version": "1.30.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lightningcss/-/lightningcss-1.30.2.tgz",
diff --git a/web/package.json b/web/package.json
index c89f7a3..9b83e2d 100644
--- a/web/package.json
+++ b/web/package.json
@@ -8,16 +8,17 @@
     "start": "next start"
   },
   "dependencies": {
+    "kafkajs": "^2.2.4",
+    "next": "16.0.0",
     "react": "19.2.0",
-    "react-dom": "19.2.0",
-    "next": "16.0.0"
+    "react-dom": "19.2.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "typescript": "^5",
+    "@tailwindcss/postcss": "^4",
     "@types/node": "^20",
     "@types/react": "^19",
     "@types/react-dom": "^19",
-    "@tailwindcss/postcss": "^4",
-    "tailwindcss": "^4"
+    "tailwindcss": "^4",
+    "typescript": "^5"
   }
 }