Cooking together, serving plant-based meals at low cost or for free, and bringing the neighbourhood together – that, in a nutshell, is the principle behind neighbourhood canteens.
Neighbourhood canteens for everyone!
Such initiatives already exist in many places, with a variety of concepts and names such as ‘Kitchen for All’, ‘Neighbourhood Kitchen’ or ‘Solidarity Canteen’.
Through our project ‘Neighbourhood Canteens for Climate Protection and Social Cohesion‘, we are supporting the establishment of such canteens in various locations and providing a space for knowledge exchange – in close collaboration with the Kantine für Alle (Canteen for All) run by Ernährungsrat Kassel und Region e. V. (Kassel and Region Food Policy Council).
Our project offers:
Networking: We create spaces for networking and exchange – through in-person and online events, our newsletter, and direct contacts.
Skill-sharing: Our toolkit for neighbourhood canteens is intended to serve as a framework – for both new and established initiatives – and to be continuously developed by them. The aim is to pool the experiences and insights of various canteens and make them accessible to all.
The toolkit is only availible in German.
Consulting: If you’re looking to set up a canteen or are facing a challenge with your existing canteen, we’ll be happy to help by offering advice or putting you in touch with the right people.
Public relations: Community-based, plant-based neighbourhood canteens can make a significant contribution to the socio-ecological transformation of the food system. Through posts on social media and in traditional media, we highlight this potential and campaign for political support.
A toolkit for setting up community kitchens
Neighbourhood canteens have the potential to make climate-friendly, nutritious food affordable and thus accessible to as many people as possible. In this way, they also promote social cohesion by establishing the act of cooking and eating together as opportunities for social interaction. However, setting up such canteens can be challenging due to various obstacles, and so far there has been little support available at a national level.
Together with Kantine für Alle Kassel, we have created an online toolkit that brings together the experiences of existing canteens and other relevant information on the set-up process. It covers topics such as group organisation and legal structure, finding suitable premises, comprehensive information on hygiene regulations, as well as tips on funding and networking.
A toolkit for setting up community kitchens (in German)
Betrieb einer Quartierskantine
Past events
related to neighbourhood canteens
Neighbourhood canteens network conference
13-15 March 2026 | Kassel
From 13 to 15 March 2026, more than 30 dedicated individuals from various initiatives gathered in Kassel for a weekend of workshops and discussions centred on the theme of ‘cooking in solidarity’.
From cooking spoon to funding pot
Financing and funding opportunities for your own neighbourhood canteen | Online event on 4 December 2025
On 4 December 2025, we met again to discuss a chapter currently being written on the financing of neighbourhood canteens. The numerous registrations, queries and contributions made it clear how much interest there is in this topic. After a brief overview of our experiences to date in determining financial requirements and various fundraising options, your comments added important aspects to the discussion that we had not yet considered.
We thank you for your suggestions and your commitment, which are helping our toolbox to grow and become more diverse!
Visit to the System Change Camp
Joint workshop with Kantine für Alle and ada_Kantine | Frankfurt am Main from 18 to 23 August 2025
From 18 to 23 August 2025, we joined forces with Kantine für Alle from Kassel and ada_Kantine from Frankfurt am Main at System Change Camp, which took place in Frankfurt am Main this year. After a brief round of introductions with other initiatives and interested parties, a lively discussion developed in small groups on the following questions: What can we learn from existing projects? What obstacles are we currently facing? How can we make food production more socially responsible and climate-friendly?
Networking meeting
Kantine für Alle and ada_Kantine introduce themselves | Online event on 30 July 2025
On 30 July 2025, we hosted an online networking event. Our close cooperation partners, Kantine für Alle from Kassel, part of the Ernährungsrat Kassel und Region e. V. (Region Food Council) and ada_Kantine from Frankfurt am Main, introduced themselves and provided exciting insights into their work.
Workshop at the 2025 Annual Congress of Food Councils
In collaboration with Kantine für Alle | Hannover on 15 March 2025
Right at the start of the project, we were able to present our project at the annual congress of the Food Councils Network and exchange ideas with activists from various cities and regions. The annual congress is a platform for bringing together Germany’s food councils and offering them the opportunity to discuss various topics related to the food transition.
From the network
There is already a lot happening in terms of neighbourhood canteens. Here we list some exciting initiatives. Feel free to send us an email with further initiatives or news on the topic of neighbourhood canteens to quartierskantinen@faba-konzepte.de.
On 11 November 2025, the Kassel Kantine für Alle was named the 2025 Hesse regional winner of the German Neighbourhood Award! Many exciting initiatives from all over Germany were present at the award ceremony, including the Mainz food-sharing café krumm & schepp, which won the sustainability award.
In Storkow in Brandenburg, the local food council launched the Treffpunkt Teller project in October 2025. Once a month, the family centre offers a three-course menu on a donation basis – plant-based, regional and climate-friendly. The idea received a prize and funding in the ‘machen!2025’ engagement competition for the eastern German states! Depending on the response and support from additional volunteers, the project is to be expanded to two dates per month in the coming year. Further information is available on the Food Policy Council’s website.
The ada_kantine in Frankfurt am Main celebrated its fifth birthday in July 2025 – congratulations! In October 2025, the ada_kantine joined forces with many others in the city to form a network of community kitchens and launch a petition. Their demand is: ‘Food justice now – municipal district kitchens for Frankfurt!’ Further information is available at change.org.
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.