Words by Smiley Team
The UK’s first fully vegan cookery school is on a mission to make sure no one in their community goes hungry in 2022.
'Made In Hackney' believes everyone should have access to enough nutritious, tasty food in their lives - and are fundraising to raise £150,000: £15 pays for a week of meals, £50 feeds a family for a week and £15 feeds one person in Hackney for a week.
The UK has more than enough food for everyone to be well nourished, but in reality a staggering eight million people go hungry on a daily basis.
Their meal service tackles this injustice with nutritious, plant-based, culturally representative meals, delivered by cycle couriers to those who need it most.
(Read more about buying crackers to fight food poverty)
Made in Hackney’s community meal service was launched in March 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, as many people were struggling to put food on the table - but now it’s still needed more than ever.
Community members may have been suddenly made redundant, and have no savings to keep them going until their benefits start. Or they may live in temporary accommodation without adequate cooking facilities, be facing a serious mental health crisis, be recovering from trauma, or living in poverty.
Made in Hackney believe there are times when extra support is needed. Their in-house team of chefs and volunteers prepare more than 12,000 culturally varied meals per week, developing items which have a regular input from our community members, who share what flavours and dishes offer the best nourishment and comfort.
The meals are delivered in bulk – three on Tuesdays and three on Thursdays – through their dedicated team of paid and volunteer cycle couriers to nourish people throughout the week.
Each meal costs up to £2.50 to make, including labour costs, ingredients, packaging, no-carbon cycle delivery and follow up welfare calls.
(Read more about how Tom Kerridge is hoping to end food poverty)
Participants can also include online and face-to-face cookery and food growing classes, varied and life enriching volunteering opportunities and have one-on-one diet and cooking focused telephone mentoring.
Recently, their kitchen has been visited by celebrity vegan chefs The Bosh Boys, as well as Ottolenghi restauranteur and Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi.
To help secure the Community Meal Service, so Made in Hackney can provide meals to households in Hackney who are in need of support with food, you can make a donation on their crowdfunding website.
