Great to have Steve Bedlam & Sam Jones in the Camden Kitchen when they have time away from family and Calais.
Our new London kitchen!
Our new outreach kitchen in London is ready to go!
Just before Christmas we had to uproot for our home in Camden and start fresh in a new building, all within a few days.
Thanks to the help of a dedicated team we managed it and were back serving without missing a day - check out co-founder Paula's guided tour to see the new site!
We still have work to do though and still need your help - please donate what you can and help us serve those who need us as the temperatures drop.
Support us here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Londonkitchen
Sam Jones' Punjabi Lobia in the Observer's 20 best curries
Great to see co-founder Sam's delicious recipe for Punjabi Lobia included in Observer Food Monthly's 20 Best Curries! It's a pleasure to see a Refugee Community Kitchen staple alongside recipes by chefs like Andi Oliver, Meera Sodha and Madhur Jaffrey.
"At Refugee Community Kitchen we make many variations of this curry, which is incredibly popular with all the communities we serve, as well as providing much-needed protein and energy" - Sam
You can find the full recipe here
We need Volunteers!
We are still serving in Calais but we are in desperate need of volunteers! We have a wonderful team who are working incredibly hard, but they need support as Winter sets in. We would love to see some familiar faces return to the stoves but newcomers are more welcome than ever! You don't need kitchen experience, just a willingness to work hard and get stuck in. We can teach you everything you need to know, from prep to cooking to serving.
If you're interested and can stay for 2 weeks or more, please get in touch here: volunteering@refugeecommunitykitchen.org
HUMANS OF RCK: Izzy
"I learned so much in my time with RCK and was constantly surrounded by a wonderful supportive team! In what is a dire situation, there is so much love, solidarity and humanity to be found." - Izzy
A huge thank you Izzy for her calming, steady, funny, bright and lovely energy in Calais over the last year. We wish you all the best on your new adventures and a well-earned rest along the way! A big thanks for bringing all your friends and family we love them too
HUMANS OF RCK: Quentin
Quentin works tirelessly in the bowels of RCK sorting out the most intricate of our marketing and social media problems. He is endlessly generous with his time, money and positivity, even finding time to drop off beer and chocolate at the gates of the warehouse when he passes by. He manages all of this alongside being an amazing dad, husband & beautiful human. We have so much gratitude - Love from all the RCK fam!
HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY RCK!!
Year Five: "Our hardest year yet - but we're ending it on exciting news!"
From stepping into the Calais warehouse five years ago to serving close to three MILLION meals is an amazing birthday gift.
"2020 has been the hardest year yet for Refugee Community Kitchen - but there are always moments of hope. COVID-19 has altered every aspect of our service, impacted the communities we serve and is showing no signs of abating. We have continued to serve and are preparing for a long and cold winter. This makes the support we've received this year even more invaluable - from the incredible Migrate masks and Scorched Earth Project to the brownies, bracelets and brilliant t-shirts you've created and sold for us. We're ending the year on some exciting news - a new kitchen in Kentish Town and a new partnership with Soulful Food Co and hoping that 2021 brings better times and the hope that at some point we'll no longer be needed here. - Paula Gallardo
HUMANS OF RCK: Gemma
Gemma has been with Camden outreach for over 2 years now and cooking for most of it - she's taken to it like a duck to water. Enthusiastic, kind and consistent - the kitchen wouldn't have run half as smoothly without her and the love she has shown for the project. Luckily Gemma is able to cook her last service in the new kitchen before she leaves us to have a baby. We wish them health, happiness and lots of love in such exciting times!
"I’ve always wanted to help people in need directly and had been searching for a place I could make a real difference. I immediately fell in love with RCK and everything they stand for. I started cooking and serving food in Camden almost two years ago and I’ve never found it a chore - I enjoy every minute and I miss not being able to serve now I’m pregnant. RCK is a family and I’m so happy I’m part of it. All the people I’ve met are unselfish givers who want to change the world and help people". Thank you Gemma!