Community-led kitchen provides free meals in Roehampton

A new community-led initiative is providing residents in Roehampton with free meals, as well as cost-of-living advice. It is proving so popular, Chantelle recently featured on BBC London News as part of "The 32" which highlights some of the people and personalities from all the London Boroughs and the City of London. You can watch the video through this link to the Chantelle's Community Kitchen Twitter page.

Chantelle’s Community Kitchen was launched by the Mayor of Wandsworth in August 2023. The service provides local people with freshly prepared, homemade meals to eat in or take away. They also give out groceries and ingredients to help people to cook at home themselves.

Chantelle Bent, founder of Chantelle’s Community Kitchen said:

“I was aware that other initiatives may require a referral in order for residents to access them. But everybody is feeling the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis. People are sacrificing eating for heating, so there was a clear need for a free service locally that is open to all.”

Chantelle is a local resident on the Alton Estate. When she had her initial idea, she approached a helpful council officer in the Regeneration Team with her proposal.

“I felt comfortable speaking to Jo, as she is always present on the Estate. She was able to source a suitable building that we could operate from, and everything progressed from there.”

The Kitchen is open to the public 11am to 1pm on Tuesdays at Portswood Space, 4 Portswood Place, SW15 4ED, when Chantelle and her team of volunteers distribute over 200 free meals, as well as fresh groceries to make healthy meals at home. They also host a weekly Friday café, as well as monthly sessions at which residents can get advice on benefits and other cost-of-living support.

The scheme is funded by donations, both food and cash grants, from a range of organisations and local people, including from the council’s Cost of Living grant fund.

The council funds a number of community projects, and funding is available to residents and organisations. For more information, visit: www.wandsworth.gov.uk/grants-for-the-community-and-voluntary-sector

The Kitchen contributes to the community, not only by providing free meals, but by giving people a place to go and talk with their neighbours, sharing stories about the history of the Estate.

If you would like to provide support to Chantelle’s Community Kitchen, you can contact them via email at [email protected], or on Twitter @cck_roehampton