Our classes were conceived to give disadvantaged communities the opportunity to learn how to cook simple, healthy recipes. Through the years, we’ve learnt these classes are just as important to bring the community together; to help tackle social issues such as isolation, community fragmentation, food insecurity, mental health and inclusivity. We’ve been running our sessions in Edmonton Green, Enfield and Grahame Park, Barnet since 2019 and regularly in Hendon for the last 3 years.
Community Cooking Together Classes.
Edmonton Green Hub
2019 to date
Launched in 2019 our first sessions were made possible by Metropolitan Housing, who funded our ‘Being well’ pilot project. Trust for London believed in our vision and funded our classes for 3 years. We teamed up with a local social enterprise; B.A.C.E. to open up a disused space above Edmonton Green shopping mall where we held the classes for 2 years until the lease terminated and we moved to Craig Park Youth Hub and then Klinger Hall. We received match funding from a variety of other funders to continue the classes for another year and now these classes have been superseded by our UCAN Enfield programme.
The classes ran weekly term time. Each session was 2 hours. Participants learnt how to make a variety of dishes, often working in pairs and then everyone shared the food and enjoyed a meal together. The class was free and fully inclusive to all.
“I love it here, we’re like our own little cooking family” – Jackie
Grahame Park
2019 to date
We’ve been running our community classes at the community centre in Grahame Park regularly since they were first funded by Near Neighbours in 2019 and since then by Notting Hill Genesis, Barnet Council and Edgware community fund, to name a few. We are part of the Colindale community steering group so we’ve become known and trusted on the estate and with other service providers. We meet regularly to provide our insight into how we can provide the best services for the interest of the community.
We recently published a community recipe book with residents and community groups from Grahame Park, celebrating the diverse community of Grahame Park including dishes from all over the world. Recipes were submitted and cooked by residents, students from local schools and community groups based on Grahame Park.
We teamed up with Grow, a local growing charity who have set up a community garden on the estate, using produce from the garden in our classes.
“BnB classes have become known and trusted on the estate.” – Jan, Colindale Community Trust
Hendon
2023 to date
Since the re-development, Metropolitan Housing have been supporting their residents and the local area by providing meaningful activities to bring the community together.
We’ve been providing our classes regularly since the summer of 2023 and we’re currently delivering a winter warmer brunch club.
Local residents help shape the sessions by sharing their heritage recipes as well as making requests of dishes they want to learn how to make or what should be on the brunch menu. In 2025, we had a fabulous community Christmas dinner at the hub.
“Each week, I think this is the best week, and then we make something new and great the next week” – Shiv, local resident
Other
People love to cook and share food together so we provide our sessions for so many specific projects. Our recent projects include:
12 classes for Ukrainian refugees based in Friary House, Barnet
12 classes for the community of Burnt Oak, Barnet
10 classes for refugees helping them to recreate their familiar cultural dishes
Delivered 4 culinary festivals celebrating 4 different cultures (EID, Lunar New Year, BHM & the Ukrainian)
4 classes for Barnet Young Carers
12 classes for those in the criminal justice system
12 family classes for Chalkhill primary school – Brent
6 family classes at Alma Primary school – Enfield
4 female focused classes for Belifted
Ongoing weekly classes for Barnet Youths – Barnet Council Positive Activities programme
Ongoing holiday classes for B.A.C.E – the Barnet Council Haf programme
Here’s what our participants and referrals think:
“Every week I think I’ve had just the best feast and then the next week seems even better!”
Pauline
“If only I’d had the chance to learn how to cook earlier, I could have been enjoying this tasty food for more of my life!”
Pat, Age 72
“Your classes are invaluable for all our service users.``
Safiea Issa, Occupational Therapist - Priory Hospital Enfield
“Thank goodness for your regular class – we don’t have any other classes like yours to sign post our service users to.”
Vladislava Zubek, Lead Peer Practitioner - Lucas House
