Networking:
There are already many exciting initiatives. We create spaces for networking and exchange – with in-person and online events, our newsletter and direct contacts. Save the date: on 14 March 2026, we are organising a supra-regional network conference on neighbourhood canteens in Kassel!
Skillsharing:
We are currently developing a toolbox for neighbourhood canteens. This will serve as a concept for new and established initiatives alike and can be continuously developed by them. The aim is to pool the experiences and insights of different canteens and make them accessible to everyone.
The entire toolkit will be released in March 2026.
Consulting:
If you would like to start a canteen project or are facing a challenge with your existing canteen, we are happy to help with advice or contacts.
Public relations:
Solidarity-based, plant-based neighbourhood canteens can make an important contribution to the socio-ecological transformation of the food system. Through posts on social media and in traditional media, we highlight this potential and advocate for political support.
Neighbourhood canteens network conference
on 14 March 2026 in Kassel
A weekend full of workshops and discussions on the topic of ‘solidarity cooking’ – conference on Saturday with a supporting programme from Friday to Sunday
On Saturday, 14 March 2026, we are hosting a networking conference in Kassel for neighbourhood canteens: places for communal cooking, affordable climate-friendly meals and active neighbourhoods!
The network conference will allow us to deepen our supraregional networking and make new contacts. We will share experiences and address questions brought along.
Join us if you are already involved in a neighbourhood canteen or if you would like to start a canteen project.
The programme includes
Friday, 13 March
- from 4 p.m. arrival and exchange
- Schnippeldisko (“Chopping disco”) followed by “kitchen for all”
Saturday, 14 March
- Input and exchange on the project and online toolbox
- Workshops on the topics:
- Political communication: Local political demands for neighbourhood canteens for all
- Why it works: Conditions for success for neighbourhood canteens
- Sharing resources and staying in touch – forming a sustainable network
- Joint lunch and dinner and further opportunities for exchange
Sunday, 15 March
- Workshops on the topics:
- Hygiene & HACPP in neighbourhood canteens – legal requirements, best practices and collegial exchange
- Neighbourhood canteens in collapse
- Closing plenary session and lunch
Costs
The event is free for everyone, with food available on a donation basis.
We are happy to provide financial support for travel costs incurred when using public transport. If you are interested, simply send us an email at quartierskantinen@faba-konzepte.de.
Please also contact us if you are travelling by car and can take other people with you on your route.
Unterbringung
- Pension Rückert
- Waffel Cafe Hostel
- Jugendherberge Kassel
There may also be the possibility of private accommodation with people associated with Kantine für Alle in Kassel. If you are interested, please send us an email at quartierskantinen@faba-konzepte.de and we will see what we can arrange.
More information
You will receive the detailed agenda, including the schedule and further information on travel and the venues, in the coming weeks.
Registration
You can register either for the entire weekend (13–15 March, conference + supporting programme) or just for the conference day on 14 March. Important: The conference will be held in German. If you require translation, please contact us in advance so that we can see if this is possible.
Registration for the entire weekend
Registration for 14 March
Past events
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
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.