Launching the Community Kitchen Toolkit: A New Resource for Shared Cooking Spaces in the Vale We’re excited to announce the launch of the Good Practice Guide and Community Toolkit for Shared Community Kitchens —a brand-new guide designed to support organisations that are considering setting up or operating from a shared community kitchen. Community kitchens—sometimes called collective or shared kitchens—are welcoming spaces where people come together to cook, learn new skills, and share food. They can bring neighbours together, reduce food waste, support healthier eating, and make good use of surplus or local produce. With support from Shared Prosperity Funding, Food Vale commissioned Per Consulting in association with Lafan Consulting to explore the potential for more community-led kitchen spaces in the area. Through a mix of desk research, community conversations, and a review of existing facilities in Barry, Penarth, and Llantwit Major, we learned a lot about local interest, challenges, and opportunities. This Toolkit brings together this learning in an easy-to-use guide to help groups get started. Whether you’re thinking about establishing a space where people can develop confidence and skills in cooking, make use of surplus food, or champion local produce, this toolkit offers:

• Practical tips on getting a shared kitchen up and running
• Real-life examples of how community kitchens can work
• Guidance on food hygiene, staff/volunteer training, and legal considerations
• Signposts to further support and official regulatory advice

And while it’s not a replacement for formal food safety guidance, it can help you ask the right questions early on—and prepare for funding opportunities or partnership working in the future. You can download the Toolkit, as well as the accompanying Report summarising its development, on our webpage here.