The Canteens Project

Be Enriched creates spaces for communities to come together, congregate and communicate over a healthy and nutritious hot three course meal. We call this a Community Canteen.

Our Canteens serve a hot, healthy three-course meal every week using donated surplus food and offer a social sanctuary for everyone to enjoy. We work with supermarkets, greengrocers and markets to reduce and redirect their usable surplus food to our projects where we utilise a range of local chefs and volunteers to cook up a delicious lunch or supper.

The Canteens also improve well-being and develop a stronger sense of belonging, particularly for those who are elderly or socially isolated. We create spaces where everyone is welcome using a whole community approach so we get a great mix of ages and wonderful conversation.

Our Canteens bring people together to enjoy a meal without the stigma of receiving a handout. We also know that there is high need in our area and we specifically target vulnerable groups, including older people, those affected by addiction, ill mental health, low or no income parents and asylum seekers, and those who are unemployed.

79% of attendees said they returned to socialise with people they met there and friendships have continued outside of the meal, with guest attending events and dinners with each other.