Kirkintilloch: Innovative community kitchen to help food injustice

A first for East Dunbartonshire, Social Enterprise community kitchen Ramekin and Rolling Pin aims to address food injustice so that local people and communities have access to a healthy and acceptable diet for themselves and their families.

Silver Stag Scotland, an established community interest company has branched out by launching a professionally fitted community kitchen and cookery school.

The kitchen and cookery school will provide professionally run experiential classes to local and international tourism markets. The revenue from this will fund a wide range of free community workshops to address food injustice so that local people have the opportunity to access a healthy and acceptable diet for themselves, whilst also considering the environmental challenges of the climate emergency, fuel poverty and food insecurity.

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The launch week saw the first groups attending the kitchen. Local parents and primary school kids came in for a hands-on bakery workshop led by chefs from social enterprise Locavore.

This was followed by 40 representatives from third sector groups, charities, schools, and community organisations from across East Dunbartonshire and Glasgow who attended for the official launch.

The kitchen has eight cooking stations, a large central island, and has been designed to be disability accessible.

Peter Jahn, digital officer at Ramekin and Rolling Pin said: “As the cost-of-living crisis grips the nation, and the shameful dependence on food banks across the country continues to grow, we feel it is crucial to provide a safe and friendly place where people from all walks of life can get together and learn how to make delicious, healthy food from scratch.

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“The launch week went exceptionally well. We’ve received unanimous support and praise across the board, from local primary schools to health and social care professionals to sustainable food activists.”

Ramekin and Rolling Pin has already started work linking in with local producers, growers, and ethical suppliers to ensure that their cookery classes are focused on using organic, seasonable and locally sourced ingredients, and food waste is reduced to a minimum. The first classes start in July.