Features / #BristolCharityAdvent
#BristolCharityAdvent day 16: Square Food Foundation
Square Food Foundation started life as a single cookery class on Whiteladies Road in 1998, run by chef and award-winning food educator Barny Haughton. They now offer many life-changing cookery courses and classes from their hugely impressive kitchen in The Park, Knowle West.
Barny Haughton, Square Food’s founder
Weekly classes, such as Cooking Connections and Back in the Kitchen are designed to enable some of the most vulnerable in the community to gain confidence and learn new skills.
The recent Streets to Kitchen scheme involved working in partnership with homelessness charity St Mungos and Better Food to develop a programme for people in Bristol affected by homelessness. The participants learned cooking techniques and also food service skills, which were tested at a community feast, hosted at Better Food, back in September.
is needed now More than ever
In November, the charity partnered with Bristol24/7 to train a group of young people with an interest in food. Mentored by some of Bristol’s best chefs, including Josh Eggleton who owns a Michelin-starred restaurant, the young people rose to the challenge of cooking for more than 100 guests at the Bristol24/7 Autumn Feast.
As a Community Interest Company, Square Food use every penny of profit from masterclasses and also the sale of jams and chutneys, made with surplus food that would otherwise got to landfill, to make their community workshops as accessible and affordable as they can be.
Recent workshop participants proudly display their certificates
This year, they’ve worked with groups of teenagers from local schools to help them get a qualification in Home Cooking, helped care home cooks who are charged with feeding up to 60 people every day to create more nutritional meals, have introduced a Drop-in and Cook club for elderly or isolated adults, and have supported women trapped in sex work and addiction, improving their skill set, their confidence and their self-esteem.
To find out more information about Square Food Foundation or to book onto a masterclass, visit www.squarefoodfoundation.co.uk. The charity are currently offering special deals for masterclasses and gift vouchers when bought before December 24. All the offers are being released day by day on their social media channels.
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