Bold Kitchen

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You need a lot of warmth to prepare a hot meal. Like the one that comes from a passion for people. A Table Talk with the FoodCycle project in the UK.

While it may still be cold outside, having a warm place to cook and eat a meal is about more than just food. It is the essence of a heartfelt sense of community and human compassion. Let me share an inspiring Table Talk with Sophie Tebbetts, CEO of FoodCycle.

Mag, Parsley-Lane Blog: The issue of food poverty is a very serious one. Is this reflected in the places where you serve food?

Sophie, FoodCycle: To support the broad range of people who benefit from our services, from older guests to refugees and asylum seekers, homeless people and those affected by mental ill health or tight budgets, we go where we are needed. We look to areas that could benefit from our community dining model, and where we might find a steady source of willing volunteers and local businesses happy to donate surplus food.

Mag, Parsley-Lane Blog: What is the atmosphere like?

Sophie, FoodCycle: The atmosphere at our community meals is magic! We try to create a welcoming, warm space, so every guest is greeted with a smile and a hot drink, then taken to their table, where we’ve hopefully got a tablecloth and some fresh flowers, if possible. In the kitchen, the volunteers have been busy turning surplus food into three tasty courses, ready steady cook style, so generally they are having a great time being creative. Then everyone comes together to eat and to chat – sometimes sharing anything that’s on their mind or just connecting. Then, if we have any leftover produce or meals, our lovely guests are sent off with a bag full of food.

Mag, Parsley-Lane Blog: It sounds like you’ve got a great community there for sharing. Do some people who come to eat want to get involved and help with the project?

Sophie, FoodCycle: Yes, in many cases guests that have started out eating with us every week start to get curious about how they can help. In a few months they might end up in the kitchen washing up or making teas and coffees out front!

Mag, Parsley-Lane Blog: Wow, that is really inspiring! But about something else that struck me on your website: Having grown up around restaurants (the biggest pots were bigger than me when I started walking), I know a bit about food safety laws and the high standard you need to handle meat or fish in a restaurant kitchen. But hardly anybody ever mentions that as a reason for serving vegetarian food.

Sophie, FoodCycle: As you said, all our food is vegetarian and will all depend on the food that is donated, it could be a vegetarian lasagne, curry, stew or pasta dish. People receive two to three courses, so generally a delicious soup or salad followed by a hearty main course packed with nutrients and perhaps a cake or pudding with custard. The reasons for this are the practical and legal hurdles to obtaining and serving meat and fish are substantial, and we couldn’t access it in the safe and easy way we can with fruit and vegetables. More importantly, by serving meat-free food, our meals are accessible to people of all cultures and religions.

Mag, Parsley-Lane Blog: Yes, I really like that aspect too. How do your guests react to a strict ‘no meat, no fish’ policy?

Sophie, FoodCycle: Generally the feedback from guests is that they love our food and get to try things they haven’t experienced before. Nutrition is very important to us as we want to nourish our guests, so it was great to hear that in 2023 79% of our guests ate more fruit and vegetables because of coming to our community meals.

Mag, Parsley-Lane Blog: This is good to hear as health issues must be particularly difficult for the people you support with your services. Wonderful work! Thank you so much for your dedication and for sharing your insights. All the best for the future!

Mag, Parsley-Lane Blog: What is the atmosphere like?

Sophie, FoodCycle: The atmosphere at our community meals is magic!

Side Notes:

  • I owe a great thank you to Sophie Tebbetts and Lucy Self at FoodCycle for putting in extra time on a very tight schedule to make this Table Talk possible. FoodCycle is a registered charity. Their work is amazing and combines impact on so many levels. Please everyone out there: Follow this wonderful lead!
    For more background on FoodCycle, see the coordinates under T like Table Talk at [InfoByteSized].