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It’s estimated that a whopping 36% of Brixton’s waste is food. Enter Brixton People’s Kitchen, an organisation that aims to combat food waste and bring people together in the process.
What is it?
A team that collects produce that would otherwise be wasted from local markets, businesses and shops and invites anyone who fancies it – young or old, big or small – to come cook up a storm in their roving bicycle kitchen or at the Myatt’s Field Park Greenhouse. Whether you want to take charge of a dish or just want to chop some onions, you can help as much or as little as you like. And afterwards, everyone who shows up is invited to enjoy a delicious meal on a donations basis. The crux of the idea is to use food to get people talking and to capitalise on the diverse culinary skills found around South London. Each event involves recipe swaps and cooking demonstrations from members of the community, and collaborations to find creative ways to combat food waste. Having launched in 2011, it has saved approximately four tons of food from being thrown away.
What’s on the menu?
Due to the nature of the initiative, it varies vastly depending on who’s cooking, what cafés and restaurants have leftover in their kitchens and what they were planning on throwing away that day. Use your imagination or take a peek at their website for a preview of what to expect. Flavourful curries, salads bursting with legumes and roasted veggies, crusty pastry-topped pies, juicy bruschetta snacks and pasta salads are just a few things you can expect to tuck into. Yum.
Where can I find them?
If you fancy cooking and getting involved in the community anti-food-waste-spirit, Brixton is still the place to go, obviously. They also opened a cafe in Vauxhall this year, which provides freshly cooked food and access to affordable fruit and vegetables for the local community, as well as employing less-abled people and offering work experience for young people. Pop in from 10am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday for a cooked breakfast or warming lunch, or 9am to 4:30pm on a Saturday for brunch, snacks and more. Proceeds go to charity Be Enriched, which serves free meals to families in South London in need of support.
Vauxhall, 5 Black Prince Road, SE11 6AA; brixtonpeopleskitchen.com
