It initially looked like the wet weather had put off diners from attending FoodCycle, but slowly the room filled up and eventually 25 individuals were sitting down for dinner. In the kitchen it was organised chaos, peeling, chopping, mixing, boiling, piping and even a bit of whipping (of the egg whites, obviously) going on. Whilst we waited for the fruits of the labours in the kitchen to be delivered, out front we were serving drinks, distributing fresh produce and making the diners feel as comfortable and welcome as possible. Two hours later and it was all over, a delicious three course dinner enjoyed by all (including the volunteers), cleared up, washed up, and put away. So everyone left feeling fully satisfied.

The team did well on another successful service! Despite a pretty uninspiring surplus of clementines, cabbages, unripe bananas, and spring onions, the kitchen magic was strong.

On the menu: miso cabbage, rice and beans with “plantain” chips, and a zesty clementine cake to round things off. All 24 guests left happy and well-fed, proof that a little creativity goes a long way!

This evening’s donation proved a challenge, consisting mainly of bananas, peppers and pumpkins that lacked much flavour to work with. The starter unfortunately wasn’t ready in time, a learning moment for future events, but the team persevered as always. They served 19 guests a comforting pumpkin risotto followed by banana cake for pudding. Special mention goes to the kitchen newcomers, who handled the pressures of service with confidence and enthusiasm.