31st July The feeding of the 5,000 (minus 4,980)

 


Yesterday we had the launch of our free community meal organised in collaberation with FoodCycle. After months of preparation getting the venue and process up to scratch it was now the moment to see if all that hard work would pay off. 

Set up to decrease food waste and also address lonlines and isolation within the community, I don't think anyone was sure how far we had been able to spread the message and what the response would be. I guess if you'll excuse the culinary pun, the proof was going to be in the pudding. 

And I have to admit with 10 mins to go I wasn't sure if we were going to have a fallen soufle on our hands as the hordes I had anticipated turning up hadn't materialised. And the prospect that we would be eating the food that had been cooked for the rest of the week loomed large. Oh ye of little faith!!

But by ten past one we had 20 people, including 13 not connected with the church, all tucking into a three delicious course meal of mixed vegetable soup, pasta bake with salad and a lovely rhubarb and nectarine crumble with custard. The food was devoured and the conversation flowed and a sense of mission accomplished was palpable. 

It was perhaps not the feeding of the 5,000 I had imagined but it was a great start to what I hope will prove a real asset to the local community.


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