Community Kitchens

As one of the last (YAY!) projects in my internship, I was part of a community kitchen group which taught people in the community how to start and run their own kitchens.

A Community kitchen (also known as a "collective kitchen") is a group of people that get together a few times a month to plan and cook meals together. Groups can be composed of people with similar issues or needs (teen moms, seniors, single fathers, etc) or can be a mix-mash of people. Groups often gather with the intent to make low cost meals, but some groups can spend quite a bit more on meals and make more difficult recipes or are more adventurous.

Although there is usually a facilitator, or someone that runs the kitchen, a collective kitchen (CK) is not a cooking class in that there is no "teacher" and students. Everyone learns from each other.

The point of a CK may be to learn how to cook, or it may be for the social aspect, or to make low cost meals.

Being part of a CK is really quite neat. People often try things they wouldn't have tried on their own, improve their cooking skills and make friends. And at the end, everyone goes home with a ton of great food! For those who love food and/or cooking, I highly recommend you check out kitchens or cooking groups in your area.

In Vancouver - check out Fresh Choice Kitchens

In Calgary - check out the Community Kitchen Program of Calgary

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