Made In Hackney started as a response to global and local crises – health inequalities, food access and climate change.
These interconnected issues drive our mission to bring about positive change in the areas of community, health and environment with delicious, culturally varied, nutritious plant-based food at the centre of all we do. This might sound huge but we started from a place of wanting to positively impact our local community through food. We got going with that desire and the rest - as they say - is history!
2011
- The Made In Hackney idea is born!
- First steering committee
- First funding bid created for start of MIH
2012
- Start as a project under an existing charity with 2 part time members of staff
- First community class delivered - jam and chutney making
- First 6 week course delivered attended by an Irish health support group
2013
- Appeared in British Vogue in an article about food pioneers
- Masterclass programme launches as an income generating activity
- Deliver 194 classes in our first full year!
- Employ a Volunteer Manager
2014
- Win the Sustain Urban Food Award for Best Educator
- First vegan organisation to work with a public health team in the UK
- First crowdfunding campaign raises £12K
- Launch new course Healthy Baking - all vegan of course
2015
- First monthly newsletters start to go out
- Launch an employer programme offering team building events
- First fundraising supper club held at a local vegan cafe
2016
- Complete a 3 year programme for Citybridge Trust - 450 classes!
- The team grows to 4 members of staff
- Hold debut Community Food Forum event attended by over 85 peers
- Develop the first 100% Plant-Based Eat Well plate
2017
- Founder Sarah delivers a TEDx talk on Why the World Needs Community Kitchens
- £76K crowdfund raised to hire new team members
- Start developing key corporate supporters
- Hold first large community summer party with over 300 people
2018
- Team grows to 6 members of staff
- Hold our first vegan cheese fundraising supper club
- Appear on BBC news in a segment about obesity crisis
- Secure a new venue Liberty Hall as community food champions
2019
- Film with Jamie Oliver for his ‘Veg’ cookery show on Channel 4
- The team grows to 7 people
- Our funders grow and diversify thanks to work of new fundraising manager
- Expand our bank of chefs and teachers with a focus on diversity and international cuisines
- Deliver a whopping 355 classes - almost one for every day of the year!
2020
- Launch emergency COVID19 food response: raise £158K and provide over 100,000 free meals
- First online cookery class for a global audience
- Liberty Hall, our new venue community cookery school opens
- Hollywood actor Olivia Colman visits the community meal service
2021
- Second crowdfund for meal delivery service raises £151K
- Develop partnership with Hackney Diabetes Centre to deliver courses
- Expand our supporter base of celebrity chefs
- Social media reaches 30K across channels
2022
- Plant Prospects training programme launches in cities across the UK
- Collaborate with pub chain Fuller’s to design a whole food plant-based burger - sells 10,000 units in first quarter
- Set up partnership with Plant Based Health Professionals UK
- Team expands internationally as Global Plant Kitchens is developed
- Hold our largest online cookery class hosted by Sami Tamimi and Sarah Bentley with over 120 people joining from around the world
2023
- Team grows to 15 people
- Fuller’s wins a Menu Innovation Award for our burger collaboration
- Online fermentation class with Sandor Katz attended by over 100 people
- Global Plant Kitchens training and mentoring programme launches
