Many have heard the saying, “too many cooks spoil the broth,” but that is not always the case. Sometimes it’s what builds communities and makes them resilient. This is one of the goals of a collective kitchen, where people foster connections and build community by coming together around a shared love of food.
At their core, collective kitchens are community-based programs where people cook, learn valuable skills, and share delicious food. Participants come for a variety of reasons, including to meet new people, practice a language, or upgrade their cooking skills. Often collective kitchens help people with low incomes reduce their food costs while they learn new skills. An added bonus is that all participants have leftovers to take home!
People cooking together at a collective kitchen.
Some Basic Requirements
Hosts wanting to kickstart their own collective kitchens must meet select requirements:
- You have a commercial kitchen that meets Alberta Health Services standards for food preparation.
- Your kitchen has a valid Food Handling permit.
- You have a minimum of one kitchen facilitator who is trained in Safe Food Handling physically present during the collective kitchen .
- Your kitchen has adequate amount of counter space, kitchen utensils and tools for the number of participants (varies kitchen to kitchen). The goal is to make sure everyone can participate in cooking and learning during the kitchen, with no one left to the wayside due to lack of resources.
Where the food for the kitchen will come from is another consideration. In collective kitchens, the cost of food is either shared by participants through a small fee or covered by the organization holding the kitchen. Edmonton’s Food Bank may be able to help with this by providing food for collective kitchens serving participants with low incomes.
Cooking at a collective kitchen.
As they cooked together, students and community members naturally shared stories, cultures, and experiences, creating a welcoming environment where everyone learned from one another. These shared experiences help newcomers feel more connected to their new community in a way that extends far beyond the classroom, and we are grateful to the Edmonton Food Bank for making these opportunities possible.
Norquest Cooking Connections Collective Kitchen
How Collective Kitchens Work
Each collective kitchen is facilitated by people who take participants through a new recipe or technique. Recipes are be chosen based on the group participating in the kitchen, for example, quick recipes for families on the go. Kitchens can also cover practical skills and topics like food storage, preservation, and food safety. Here is another area where Edmonton’s Food Bank can help. We have many years of experience facilitating hundreds of collective kitchens. We also have a train the trainer program to help kitchen facilitators get started and set up for success.
After the cooking is finished, everyone enjoys a taste of what they made as a group. Participants practice social and language skills while getting to know others in their community. This social aspect helps participants, and by extension, their communities be more resilient by providing positive social connection and fostering a sense of belonging. These are both great ways to build resilience.
Edmonton’s Food Bank is committed to supporting collective kitchen programs.
Edmonton’s Food Bank can help with:
- Setting up a community kitchen
- Planning nutritious and delicious recipes
- Stocking your kitchen with essential ingredients and supplies
- Managing leftovers effectively
- Saving money by utilizing your food resources efficiently
If you're interested in free support from us, contact Judy at foodhub@edmontonsfoodbank.com.
Or come to our Collective Kitchen Info Session on Tuesday, September 22 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Register to attend here.
Let's make Edmonton a hub for food education, community building, and food security!
