Our food programme is improving access to healthy, affordable and sustainable food in Barking and Dagenham.
Residents and community organisations told us they wanted more opportunities to come together to share recipes and food with other residents in warm and welcoming spaces.
So we have worked with voluntary organisations across the borough to develop and run cooking programmes for residents. Over 500 residents have participated in cooking clubs at eight community venues in Barking and Dagenham, delivered in partnership with local organisations including Al Madina Mosque, Barking Churches Unite, Church Elm Hub, Creative Wellness and the Marks Gate Relief Project.
We trained local cooking club facilitators to help people to share their knowledge and recipes, as well as learning new skills and techniques. Residents taking part in the cooking clubs were also offered free Level 1 and 2 Food Safety training at the Adult College.
One resident, ‘M’, decided to start their own catering business after participating and volunteering at our Marks Gate cooking club and completing our food safety training.
“I really enjoyed helping people cook at the Food Clubs. It’s always been my dream to cook for work, and the experience has given me more confidence and skills to grow my catering enterprise.”
We used the recipes gathered from the cooking clubs and other community food events – from Ital stew peas, Jollof rice and tilapia fish to chicken soup and sausage stew – to create a Barking and Dagenham Community Cookbook. The Cookbook celebrates the diversity of local food cultures, ingredients and traditions in the borough, as well as providing ideas about budget-friendly, tasty and quick meals – including one-pot meals and child-friendly ideas.
These activities are part of our wider cross-sector Good Food Plan to build the capacity of communities to access good food through shared activities and self-organised community change. This programme seeks to ensure the relocation of the City of London wholesale food markets to Dagenham delivers wider community benefits. Other initiatives include growing workshops, the development of a new Food School and Food Hub in Barking town centre, support for local food businesses, and a programme to improve food education and catering in local schools.
Find out about our current community food programmes:
- Growing and cooking clubs: Grow, Cook, Eat! | One Borough Voice (lbbd.gov.uk)
- Support for food businesses: Good Food Enterprise – B&D Opportunities (bdopportunities.org)
