LCK’s story
London’s Community Kitchen was set up in 2014 by a group of like minded people wishing to see a more environmentally conscious community. They were driven by progressive ideas, bold actions, and a strong foundation of support.
The organisation, which is run “by the community, for the community” has an ethos of “Zero Waste & Zero Hunger,” which forms the blueprint to their entire operation. The team believe that access to free or affordable food for the most vulnerable communities across London is an absolute human right.
London’s Community Kitchen runs several projects, each helping to support local people in different ways:
Community Cafés: These use surplus food to make delicious meals, and operate with a tiered payment system - meaning people pay only what they can afford, and donate more if they can.
Food market: Surplus food is sold on a “pay as you feel” basis, with the market open to anyone, without a referral system. Produce is varied, depending on what has been collected, so no week is the same!
LCK Academy: Through this project, people can attend free accredited courses to learn different cooking and food preparation skills as well as language skills, helping to improve lives at home, as well as boosting employability.
School projects: The team also run projects in local schools, helping to provide education about nutrition and sustainability, as well as providing vulnerable families with essentials.
Ethical catering: London’s Community Kitchen cater events of all sizes using surplus food to make healthy, delicious and eco-friendly food.
The organisation is powered by volunteers, and is always looking for more people to support its projects. If you are interested in getting involved, click the link to find out more.
Useful learnings from LCK
People need to be able to access food locally. London’s Community Kitchen now has projects set up in multiple London boroughs, through partner organisations and independently, to ensure that communities across the capital are being served.
Accessing food is only one part of the picture. By providing courses for adults, and education in schools, London’s Community Kitchen is helping to fill a skills gap that contributes to poor nutrition.
Volunteers are the heart of the organisation. Without their time and effort, London’s Community Kitchen would not be able to do the work that it does. Good volunteer management and community building is vital to enabling work to continue.
LCK’s metrics
Tonnes of food saved from landfill
Number of people provided with free/affordable food
Number of attendees at workshops and classes
