We believe that in order for our communities to have the skills and tools necessary for a more resilient food culture, we need better spaces for people to cook, learn and share meals together.

In 2025, we developed the Community Kitchen Toolkit to provide groups with a practical starting point for creating or running shared cooking spaces in the Vale. Developed through local research and consultation, it brings together learning about how community kitchens can build cooking skills, make better use of surplus food and promote healthy, local eating. Rather than a rulebook, it offers clear steps, key considerations and links to further guidance to help groups explore ideas, plan activities and develop shared kitchen projects with confidence.