Why communities need plant-based kitchens

Now, more than ever, communities can benefit from opportunities to come together and share the joy of cooking and eating. We uncover the inspirational behind Made In Hackney and many other plant-based community cookery schools across the globe.

Through our free online support and mentoring programme we have seen the power of kitchens rooted in community, care and plant-based food. Supporting a movement of eco community cookery schools demonstrates that what Made In Hackney – the UK’s first of it’s kind – set out to do over a decade ago still resonates. In 2018, Founder Sarah Bentley gave a TedX Talk titled Why The World Needs Community Kitchens. She spoke about the deep connection between human and planetary health and how it is vital to address these together, not separately. That message feels just as urgent today. If anything the last decade has made the case even stronger.

Communities are more fragmented. Social inequality has deepened. Diet-related illness continues to place pressure on health systems. And the global cost of living crisis has impacted what people buy, cook and eat. This shows that community kitchens are not a nice extra but a practical, grounded response to some of the most pressing challenges we face.

Community kitchens and cookery schools create spaces where people can come together, learn from one another and share nourishing food. They can reduce isolation, build confidence and strengthen local relationships. They offer practical skills that help people cook more from scratch, waste less food and make healthier meals on a tighter budget.

A plant-based kitchen is especially powerful because it is often the most accessible and inclusive offering which also offers a more positive environmental impact. Plant-based foods are typically lower cost, culturally adaptable and easier to scale for diverse groups. A plant-based community cookery school offers a hopeful model of what our community and food system can become.

At Global Plant Kitchens we appreciate how overwhelming setting up a community cookery school can be. It took getting started for Frédie to realise just how much work it would take, and that she would need to focus on small, meaningful steps to overcome her doubt. These included following our ten steps to get started. The project is now gathering interest from other organisations which is fantastic however there is not capacity to work with them yet.

Frédie reflected on the support that Made In Hackney provided to get the idea of the ground through support, mentoring and resources. “They are the beacon, inspiration and provider of aspiration that helped us move from concept to real project. Without the expertise they have and the guidance they offered, especially in terms of charting a path through these early parts of the project, Joyfull Greens would not have made the progress it has made so far,” she said.

Our experience shows that these spaces do more than feed people. They build belonging, support wellbeing and create opportunities for learning and connection. And they help communities experience a food system that is healthier, fairer and more sustainable.

The need for this work has not gone away. It has grown. And so too has the opportunity to build something better, one kitchen at a time. If you’re interested in getting direct support from Global Plant Kitchens to build something in your neighbourhood, wherever you are in the world, get in touch via sareta@madeinhackney.org.