food for refugees

August update

This August Refugee Community Kitchen served 14,418 meals to displaced people in Dunkirk and Calais.

This has been our busiest month of the year so far. As the weather turns and begins to get colder and wetter the option to access a warm, nutritious meal becomes more important.

The kitchen is run completely off donations and is dependent on the support of the entire community from volunteers to monthly donators. If you are interested in supporting the project please consider donating, any amount is hugely valued and appreciated! You can donate via our JustGiving page, the link to which can be found below.

The team on the ground in Calais continues to cook and distribute hot food 5 days a week. However, we would love to be able to open the kitchen 7 days a week but our volunteer numbers are just too low. If you are interested in coming out to volunteer then please email: volunteering@refugeecommunitykitchen.org

Vegetables by the ton

Cooking over 14,000 (July 2022) vegetarian meals in a month requires a significant amount of vegetables.

Once a week we place a vegetable order. This order is determined by our current stock levels and what kind of food we expect to cook that week.

In July alone we went through:

- 1900kg of onions

- 1200kg of potatoes

- 640kg of carrots

- 240kg tomatoes

Our vegetable order costs around ~£1.5k a week. We are only able to continue our work through the support of our community. Placing vegetables orders in advance requires us to be confident of our future income. This is why reoccurring monthly donations play such an important role in the stability and longevity of RCK.

Individual reoccurring donations of £5/month collectively have a massive impact and ensure that we are able to continue serving warm food to those that need it. If you are interested in finding out a bit more about where donations go or signing up to a reoccurring donation please head to our justgiving page!!:

A Day in the Life of RCK

Each day we go out on several food distributions in Calais and Dunkirk. This requires extensive preparation and coordination across the whole kitchen team.

The distribution leads for the day inform the mains and carbs chef how many meals they are expecting to distribute in each site (the numbers are based on previous distributions and other factors such as weather and if other organisations will be in the area the time).

The prep lead is responsible for ensuring that the correct quantity of vegetables is prepped for mains. This means the kitchen works non-stop to get the food out on time while trying to produce as many additional sides/extras for the condiments table as possible.

During the morning the distribution leads will brief the distribution teams. These briefings focus on 3 points, the practicalities of how RCK runs a distribution, volunteer security and safety and finally field etiquette (how RCK behaves while on distribution).

The final job before leaving for distribution is to pack the vans. We pack the vans with; a hygiene create, tables, bins, spices, water/tea/coffee, plates, cups, spoons etc.

The team then drives to distribution sites and distributes the fresh food produced in the kitchen that day. Once finished the team head back to the kitchen, clean down the vans, tables, cool down any remaining food (to ensure it is a safe temperate before going into the fridge). For the distribution teams the day finishes with a debriefing which looks at practical/logistical areas to improve, any emotional responses/thoughts from the distribution that people may want to share and finally signposting to some resources that RCK has to help with volunteer welfare.

Your volunteer questions answered!

We often get lots of emails and messages with questions about coming out to volunteer in Calais. We have created several small videos answering the most frequently asked questions!

1. Do I need any previous kitchen experience?

Absolutely not, just a willingness to learn how to chop/prepare vegetables.

2. What does the average day in the kitchen look like?

In short lots of fun, work begins at 9 and we have daily briefing followed by lots of food prep, communal lunch at 12:30 and then prep in the afternoon, the final task is to clean down the kitchen. People are able to work at their own pace and according to their own needs.

3. Where can I stay while volunteering in Calais?

When you sign up to volunteer with us we send you a welcome pack email which has several accommodation options from hostels, airbnbs, camping sites and locals who host volunteers. If you have self-funded your accommodation for a month you may also be eligible to move into RCK accommodation.

4. Is there a minimum time period I need to commit for?

No, we are very open to people coming for a couple of days/a week, all help in the kitchen is extremely valued. If you would like to be trained on prep leading, carbs (cooking the big pots of rice) or mains (cooking the big pots of curry) we require a 3/4 week commitment.

5. Should/can I bring any donations?

Yes if you are willing and able to do so its always hugely appreciated (but also not a requirement at all!!). We have a list of suggested donations on our welcome pack we send out. If you are unsure if something is suitable you can always drop us an email.

6. Can I come by myself?

Yes!!!! We have a great community of volunteers and strive to make sure everyone always feels welcome and comfortable in the group.

So, if you are thinking of coming out to volunteer, or have any further questions please don’t hesitate to message us on Instagram or via the button below…

Dishpilers

The true unsung heroes of the kitchen. The dishpiters.

Some people love it, others hate it, either way all the pots, pans and gastros need to be washed and dried every day.

The dishpit is the first station to open and the last to close each day.

Some don the blue apron, white wellies and then disappear into the depths of the dishpit for the next few hours in their own world of scrubbing and scraping gastros containing the remnants of anything from roasted aubergine to falafel.

We are still low on volunteer numbers out in Calais which means that we are only able to serve food 5 days a week. If you would like to come out and scrub some pots or chop some vegetables please email via button below for more information!

Condiments and Treats

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Alongside the curry, carb and salad that RCK serves in Calais we always go out on distribution with a “condiments tables” laden with sides.

They include the staples; spices such as zatar, sumac, pepper etc, sliced onions and chilli oil.

The condiments table also allows the kitchen to provide more variety within the limited range of food available to cook with. Such as spiced potatoes, a variety of dips, or bean salads etc.

One of todays sides was carrot cake. 400 portions of cake were baked and will

be going out on our next distribution

The condiments table is an important part of RCK’s service as it gives people agency over their food allowing them to customise it to their own individual preferences. We believe this offers a more dignified service to the vast array of communities we serve.

Our volunteers number continue to be lower then expected out in Calais and we would hugely appreciate any additional support, even if just for a few days of chopping vegetables! If you are interested in coming out or have any wider questions please email us….hit the button below!

Calais Update

A week after having to suspend services in Dunkirk, we are back serving hundreds of meals to people caught in very dangerous living conditions

We are delivering bentos to the community packed with nutritious, warm food, made with fresh, healthy, ingredients and tonnes of love.

In other good news our volunteer numbers have slowly crept up and we have managed to be open 6 days this week instead of 5.

Long may it last

Do come & volunteer….