Where to get delicious food in Stratford that’s helping to halt waste
By Jenny Loynds, Stratford Climate Action
JUST over a year ago, the Community Kitchen at the Ken Kennett Centre was launched, a collaboration between Net Zero Stratford and Clopton Community Action Group.
The project aimed to reduce food waste and build community by taking surplus food from local supermarkets, farms and even home-grown donations from residents, and turning the produce into delicious free meals for people in our local community.
So, one year on, what have we learnt?
The first thing to say is we have collected a lot of surplus food, and we mean a lot. Every Thursday night and Friday morning our volunteers collect from our local Tesco and Lidl food that would otherwise be thrown away.
Our Community Kitchen has been from its launch a vegetarian/vegan dining experience. Our volunteer chefs have created mouth-watering starters, main courses and desserts from the piles of donated vegetables, fruit and bread, topped up with a few extra bits and bobs when needed.
The benefits of this project are two-fold. By serving over 1,100 meals in the last year we have saved over 2,000kg of food waste, which equates to 6,600kg of carbon emissions saved.
And by promoting plant-based food to our diners, we are encouraging people to enjoy meals which are beneficial to the environment. Our menus have included dishes such as bean enchiladas, cheesy vegetable hotpot, parsnip and apple soup, mango and coconut fool, and chocolate orange trifle. Delicious!
At the heart of our Community Kitchen is the amazing team of volunteers who step up every Friday to deliver a fun and welcoming experience for our diners.
We have volunteers in the kitchen preparing, cooking and plating up the food, and “front of house”, greeting guests, serving and clearing down. Our volunteers are from all walks of life, from retired nurses to office workers, asylum seekers and even youngsters from the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme.
They learn new skills, build friendships and of course, share a passion for giving.
The hall is set out very socially, so people can meet new people, chat with friends and get to know each other over a meal served at the table. In this way, the kitchen builds on the aims of the Clopton Community Action Group to reduce loneliness and social isolation in the area, as well as help with the issue of food poverty.
The meals are free with a “pay as you feel” donation box in place for those that can donate. No booking is required, and food is served between 5pm and 6.30pm every Friday.
Feedback from our guests has been very positive, with people appreciating the quality of the meals served and enjoying the company of others.
A new chapter in the Community Kitchen story has just begun, as we take on our first member of staff, the Community Kitchen manager. Mike Lok has recently been appointed to the role and his aim is to develop and grow the kitchen as well as lead the events on a Friday.
So, if you’re in the area, why not call in one Friday and try the Community Kitchen for yourself?
