Cooking plant-based and affordable meals, eating together and engaging in dialogue with others – that is the concept behind neighbourhood canteens. With our ‘Neighbourhood canteens for climate protection and social cohesion’ project, we are promoting the establishment of such canteens in various locations and offering space for knowledge exchange.
In addition to the plant-based focus, the neighbourhood canteen concept also includes the sourcing of organic food from regional businesses and the use of rescued food. The food is served on a voluntary donation basis and the operation is made possible by voluntary work, institutional funding and donations. This creates a triad of social, ecological and economic components. Our aim is to expand existing services such as soup kitchens or ‘Kitchens for all’ by focussing on plant-based, organic, regional meals and broader target groups.
Specifically, we want to use the project to support the establishment of further sustainable neighbourhood canteens, particularly in districts with a poorer population and a higher proportion of people with migration experience. To this end, we will provide a toolbox and offer advice and networking opportunities. Thanks to our co-operation with the Ernährungsrat Kassel und Region e. V., we can draw on their experience with the Canteen for All.
If you are interested in setting up a neighbourhood canteen in your region, please get in touch by e-mail or sign up for our neighbourhood canteen newsletter (in German) so that you don’t miss any information!
Would you like to set up a neighbourhood canteen in your area? Then please get in touch!
Networking event (online)
From cooking spoon to funding pot
Financing and funding opportunities for your own neighbourhood canteen
This event will be held in German.
Cooking together, serving climate-friendly meals at low cost or free of charge, and bringing the neighbourhood together – that, in a nutshell, is the principle behind neighbourhood canteens. Such initiatives already exist in many places, with a variety of concepts and names such as ‘Kitchen for All’, ‘Neighbourhood Kitchen’ or ‘Solidarity Canteen’.
If you would like to start a canteen project or are looking for ideas for fundraising for your existing canteen, this online event on Thursday, 4 December at 6:30 p.m. is for you. You will get an overview of various financing options for neighbourhood canteens as well as specific funding opportunities.
The event ‘From Cooking Spoon to Funding Pot’ is based on the chapter on financing neighbourhood canteens, which is currently being developed – the entire toolkit will be published in February 2026.
Save the date: A neighbourhood canteen networking weekend will take place in Kassel from 13 to 15 March. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date.
We look forward to seeing you there and please feel free to pass on the invitation to anyone else who might be interested!
Would you like to subscribe to our neighbourhood canteen newsletter? You can do so here. The newsletter is currently only available in German.
The project is funded by Deutsche Postcode Lotterie.