Emma Pritchard meets the Guildford team giving leftovers a new lease of life
A creamy mushroom and herb risotto, a mixed vegetable tagine served with a dollop of satisfying parsnip and orange mash or a finger-licking, warm-from-the-oven courgette cake – all dishes that wouldn’t look out of place in many a restaurant throughout the county but, when it comes to those served at one of Guildford’s newest eateries Trash Canteen, there are a couple of elements that make them all the more special.
“The meals we offer have been made using supermarket surplus and donations from green-fingered residents who have a seasonal glut,” says Lydia Stockbridge, of The Boileroom, the creative community venue founded by Dom Frazer that operates the Trash Canteen. “Many of the ingredients we use would otherwise end up in the bin. We wanted to showcase the endless possibilities that people’s leftovers and scraps have to offer when it comes to creating healthy and affordable meals.”
From its launch in June 2017, when 60 members of the community showed up to experience Trash Canteen’s upcycled culinary delights, around 30 people now walk through the door on a daily basis, excited to discover what new special will be on the menu.
The project is funded by the Community Foundation for Surrey and relies on the support of nearby retailers. “We work closely with our local branches of Waitrose, and more recently Tesco, which are part of a Fare Share initiative that aims to connect people with surplus food in their area,” says Lydia. “Twice a week, we visit the stores and collect any items that are coming to the end of their use by date, but which the supermarkets no longer want to sell, because they want to make space for newer product. Back at the Trash Canteen, our expert chefs work their magic.”
The volunteer chefs (who also run Guildford’s American restaurant Smokey Joe’s in Stoke Fields) combine the so-called leftovers with herbs and spices, marinades and sauces, and other staple ingredients to make their menu of hearty stews, soups and curries. “Every day is like a scene from Ready, Steady, Cook,” says Lydia. “We stick to vegetarian dishes because these ingredients are easier to store – plus it means that everyone can enjoy the benefit.”
It also means the Trash Canteen doesn’t have to worry about its own impact on the environment. Any leftover food can be safely reheated or frozen – or given to the Sure Start Nursery next door – and, in keeping with its ethos, the team prides itself on being pretty much waste-free. “We recycle everything we can and no longer give out one-use items such as paper napkins and straws, which go straight into landfill,” says Lydia. “We serve our food in recycled cardboard boxes too – although many of our customers bring their own bowls from home for us to fill.”
With a clientele as varied as the ingredients in the dishes – families, retirees, office workers and students – are just a few of the types of people who you might meet during a lunchtime, sitting among pots of marigolds and herbs in the café garden or indoors around long communal tables.
The café is also a haven for vulnerable groups in the area. “We want the Canteen to be inclusive and a space where you can enjoy good food, without fear of judgement,” Lydia explains. “People think of Guildford as being affluent but when we launched there were three food banks, now there are five. The truth is, many people here are struggling to get by.”
Which is one reason you won’t find prices on the menus at Trash Canteen – instead anonymous donation pots are carefully positioned around the café. “People can pay what they want for their food, be it a fiver, some loose change – or nothing at all,” Lydia says.
Any money raised goes straight back into the project and plans for 2018 include increasing the seating, working with a new restaurant partner and producing a recipe book. “We want to give people inspiration on how they can use their leftovers at home,” says Lydia. “After all, vegetables are exciting. There’s so much you can do with them.”
They’ll also be continuing to support local groups such as Guildford Action (which helps the homeless and isolated families), she.space (a group of female creative start-ups) and the Halow Project, which helps young people with a learning disability live independent lives. “People can use Trash Canteen for team lunches, workshops or simply to find someone to talk to,” says Lydia. “That’s the beauty of food, after all; it never fails to bring people together.”
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