diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/generation/__init__.py b/src/spikeinterface/generation/__init__.py
index 4015f3f75e..d521f9dd9b 100644
--- a/src/spikeinterface/generation/__init__.py
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/generation/__init__.py
@@ -11,3 +11,7 @@
     generate_displacement_vector,
     generate_drifting_recording,
 )
+
+from .template_database import (
+    fetch_templates_from_database,
+)
diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/generation/template_database.py b/src/spikeinterface/generation/template_database.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2bfcc32245
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/generation/template_database.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+from spikeinterface.core.template import Templates
+import zarr
+
+
+def fetch_templates_from_database(dataset="test_templates") -> Templates:
+
+    s3_path = f"s3://spikeinterface-template-database/{dataset}/"
+    zarr_group = zarr.open_consolidated(s3_path, storage_options={"anon": True})
+
+    templates_object = Templates.from_zarr_group(zarr_group)
+
+    return templates_object
diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/generation/tests/test_template_fetch.py b/src/spikeinterface/generation/tests/test_template_fetch.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a7cc31af44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/generation/tests/test_template_fetch.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import pytest
+from spikeinterface.generation import fetch_templates_from_database
+from spikeinterface.core.template import Templates
+
+
+def test_basic_call():
+
+    templates = fetch_templates_from_database()
+
+    assert isinstance(templates, Templates)
+
+    assert templates.num_units == 100
+    assert templates.num_channels == 384