When The Centre Wellington Food Bank applied for a Wellington-Waterloo Community Futures Development Corporation grant to include a commercial kitchen in its new Fergus Marketplace premises, the vision extended far beyond the Food Bank’s own needs and reached out to other community groups, neighbouring food banks and area entrepreneurs.
The commercial equipment in the chef-worthy installation includes two heavy-duty, four-burner gas ranges, two gas convection ovens, a heavy-duty griddle, a two-litre mixer, a commercial vacuum sealer, a two-minute-cycle dishwasher, two large stainless steel prep tables and a full complement of professional pots, pans, baking sheets and knives.
Fees from renting the kitchen will support the food bank’s work. Service clubs and church groups cooking for fundraisers or special events will find the professional equipment and generous space makes large quantities easier and faster to produce.
The community commercial kitchen will make projects more manageable for individuals or caterers cooking for weddings or other events.
Entrepreneurs looking to establish or grow a fledgling food-based business can rent the kitchen for production, presentations, and testing until they need their own facility.
“Of course, our prime objective is to teach food bank clients how to cook nutritious, cost-effective meals based on pantry items via cooking demonstrations,“ said Robert Young, who cooks at The Breadalbane Inn, serves on the board of the food bank, and has been instrumental in the kitchen’s development. “But making this impressive resource available to the community will be a source of revenue and allow others to experience first hand the critical role the Centre Wellington Food Bank plays.”
Fresh produce is becoming a more important part of the food bank’s offerings.
“We have been lucky enough to get regular donations of vegetables from local organic farmers and community gardens,” said food bank manager Fred Aleksandrowicz. “These add menu options and nutritional content for our clients and the kitchen programming will cover ways to make the most of these ingredients.”
Every week, volunteers make large batches of food from non-perishable and fresh food to be frozen in family-sized portions so that food bank clients can enjoy home-cooked rather than processed meals.
Local community agencies and neighbouring food banks such as those in Arthur and Mount Forest will also have access to the new kitchen. As its programs develop, the Centre Wellington Food Bank is poised to become a model of diversification and community integration for other food banks across the country.
