Every few months, the Down to Earth Café at The Old Stables in Wantage organizes a special cook-in event for its dedicated volunteers.
Organiser Kate Farrington describes it as being similar to “Ready Steady Cook,” a beloved BBC cooking game show from 1994 to 2010, but “without the competition”.
The cook-in at the café has become a popular regular event that brings the community closer. As Ms. Farrington explained, “We hold a volunteer cook-in every few months as a social event that provides all the volunteers with a chance to meet, cook, and enjoy a meal together. It turns our kitchen into a lively and bustling hub. I usually suggest what to cook and pair up the volunteers. They then use their creativity and taste to prepare the dishes—it’s like ‘ready, steady, cook’ without the competitive aspect.”
Described on its website as an “inclusive and friendly environment,” this training and surplus food pop-up community café was inspired by Ms. Farrington’s volunteer work during the first coronavirus lockdown. At that time, she felt that such a community space would become essential in the challenging financial climate.
The volunteer cook-in is just one of the frequent events at the café, including healthy food training sessions. Reflecting on the recent event held on Saturday, September 14, Ms. Farrington shared, “It’s a lot of fun and ends with bowls and bowls of delicious food.” Volunteers prepared dishes such as aubergine and ricotta lasagna, risotto, caponata, with baklava and apple turnovers for dessert.
The café can be found at The Old Stables, Stirlings Close, OX12 7AU, in a newly renovated building.
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