Written by Sara Trumper
GCK FIRST YEAR
The Gittisham Community Kitchen served up its first meal on 21 st July 2022 to an eager and
curious 35 members of the community. It has now been running for just over a year and
save for three occasions when the hall has been booked out we have provided a free meal
to all comers every single Thursday evening. In the first year 1,490 people have come to the
meals, an average of nearly 30 per week. There have also been hundreds of ‘take-aways’
provided to people who couldn’t attend or who fancied some leftovers for the next day.
Having the Community Kitchen running in the Village Hall has benefitted the Hall Committee
coffers by just under £1,500 in direct cash payments and by way of grants from EDDC.
And with the help of further grants from EDDC, the Beaumont Charity and the Parish
Council, GCK is still holding funds which will enable us to keep going well into our second
year.
Here’s a very simple breakdown of the accounts over the year:
Donations from diners £1,849.16
Grants and other gifts £1,845.94
Total £3,695.10
Less
Cost of Hall Hire (paid direct) £ 435.00
Equipment £ 68.23
Cost of food £2,392.21
Total £2,895.44
We couldn’t do it without the donations of food that we are able to call on week after week.
The wonderful fresh veg from The Pig courtesy of Peter the kitchen gardener and plentiful
supplies of bread which would otherwise go to waste from The Ottery Larder. Also we’ve
been really lucky to be given loads of pheasant from local shoots, delicious seasonal
puddings that have been donated by the ‘pudding fairies’ and others, and numerous other
wonderful offerings in response to urgent cries for help on the day!
Feedback shows that the benefits of GCK have been numerous and varied. Alongside
providing hot nutritious meals every week for an average of only £1.61 per meal, people
have really benefitted from the chance to meet up and socialise with their neighbours on a
regular basis. Anyone who was able to listen to Fiona Clampin’s brilliant radio piece on
Farming Today in January will have recognised some familiar voices and, hopefully, agreed
with the sentiments expressed.
My thanks go in particular to those who have gone out of their way to help make it all a
success: Kate, Mike, Alex, Julia, Neil, Stella, David & Sue, Claire, Bill, Amanda, Maggie, Molly,
Pierre, Betty and everyone else who has stepped into the breach.
Please contact me by text on 07939 148762 or by email to if you
would like to contribute to the kitchen either with food or financially.
And……we are always looking for helpers to take over the cooking or to give the regulars a
break from the washing up and clearing up at the end of the evening.