Jean’s Café offers a pay-what-you-feel basis so people struggling financially can still enjoy a substantial meal.
The new establishment is situated on Caledonian Road, otherwise known as ‘the Cally’, in Islington and has been made possible through a partnership with Manor Gardens Welfare Trust and Islington Council.
Image: A local chef working at the cafe.
Due to be open every Friday from 1pm, food for the café will be donated from local businesses, supermarkets and charities including The Felix Project. What’s more, the café is also offering to host weekly cooking sessions from 11am which will be run by a local chef.
‘Jean’s Café is a fantastic example of bringing people together and making a real difference,’ Sara Hyde, Una O’Halloran and Paul Convery, Cllrs of the Caledonian Ward said. ‘Like the centre itself, the café is named in memory of Jean Stokes, one of the Cally’s first community heroes who did so much for the neighbourhood.
‘We’re in the heart of a working-class area that has a proud tradition of helping each other out. Despite some hard times, we’re a community that’s pulling together. By providing affordable, homemade food, sharing a meal together and creating a welcoming space for residents, this project will have a lasting impact on the Cally.’
On the subject of helping on another, the café also encourages a range of volunteer opportunities – individuals can contribute by working as café hosts, assisting with meal service or by supporting the collection and sorting through food deliveries.
Vaida Filmanaviciute, local resident and community chef at Jean’s Café, added: ‘When it comes to surplus food it’s important to remember that only the ingredients are ‘surplus’. All meals at Jean’s Café are cooked from scratch, on the day, and couldn’t be fresher or more nutritious.
‘When vegetables are harvested, they don’t come with an expiry or ‘best before’ date. As a society, we need to regain the skill to identify good-to-use produce. I feel very proud and incredibly privileged to share my culinary creations with the Cally community. Breaking bread together builds bonds, and I hope we can bring this magic to The Cally.’
Image: Islington Council
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