Clients of our Bristol Recovery College had their first taste of a wonderful new initiative designed to train people in cookery and food service skills.
Streets to Kitchen is a project created by local organic retailer Better Food. Our clients were joined by Square Food’s founder, Barny Haughton, to get a feel for what the year-long course will be like when it launches this Autumn.
The small team were guided through the process of making fresh bread rolls and a crowd-pleasing lentil and vegetable soup, teaching a range of skills new to many including safe preparation of the kitchen, vegetable prep and adjusting flavour. Clients, staff and visitors tucked into a communal meal in our vibrant New Street garden.
Square Food Foundation have twenty years’ experience of teaching people from all walks of life to cook good food from scratch. This project will be the cookery school’s first course dedicated to those with lived experience of homelessness and aims to build confidence in participants, whilst improving mental wellbeing and opening new do0rs for the future.
With classes based at Bristol Recovery College, the project also aims to reinvigorate our disused kitchen facilities. By encouraging participants to share their learning with their peers, we are hoping to establish an on-site café run by and for the college’s clients, as well as for staff and volunteers.
Simon Dyer, Recovery College Coordinator said: “The kitchen at New Street is something clients and staff have been desperate to get working for years. Whenever we have events and the kitchen is used it brings a new energy to the place, and any time food is shared amongst everyone it is always a happy occasion. This partnership with Better Food and Square Food Foundation is giving us the opportunity to reach for our goal working alongside people who share our values and the belief that taking time out to appreciate and share food is good for everyone’s wellbeing. I’m excited to have them on board.”
Since launching the campaign in 2017 – through fundraising efforts from staff, customers, suppliers and supporters – Better Food has secured over £7,000 of the £10,000 needed to run the course for one year.
In a final push to raise the remaining funds, staff from Better Food are hosting a Streets to Kitchen Yoga Breakfast on Sunday 24th June. Valentina Coccarelli, produce assistant at Better Food and part-time yogi, and store manager Fiona Mason are arranging the event to be held at Better Food’s Wapping Wharf store. Early risers will be treated to an hour-long yoga session in the store’s café before it opens for business, followed by an organic breakfast, with all profits going directly to the project.
Better Food’s community officer, Danni Rochman, said: “The Streets to Kitchen Project has been in our sights for a long time now, but to see it finally take shape at the first taster session and meet the people who we hope will benefit from the course was beyond exciting. The support and generosity of the local community in raising money for Streets to Kitchen has been really touching. I’m really excited about our next event too – yoga, organic food and a good cause is a winning combination and our harbourside store is definitely glamorous enough for the occasion.”
To book tickets for the Streets to Kitchen Yoga Breakfast, visit https://better-food-yoga-breakfast.eventbrite.co.uk
To find out more about the project or donate to the campaign, visit http://betterfood.co.uk/better-community/streets-to-kitchen-campaign/
Streets to Kitchen video:
http://betterfood.co.uk/better-community/streets-to-kitchen-campaign/streets-kitchen-project/
