THE great and the good of west Somerset came together to celebrate the opening of the Wivey Kitchen Pantry in Wiveliscombe.

This is the latest milestone by the community food project in ensuring that food as much food as possible does not go to waste and that everyone in the community is properly fed.

Baroness Rosie Boycott, Daily Telegraph food critic William Sitwell and Lib Dem MP for Tiverton and Minehead, Rachel Gilmour, joined founder Kate Benson and scores of the charity’s volunteers in the Wiveliscombe Community Centre for drinks and plenty of food.   

In the autumn of 2020, with a winter in lockdown approaching, the idea for a community food offering in Wiveliscombe began amid concerns for people living in isolated rural areas, and those struggling financially.

Since then, the Kitchen has been making and distributing 500 meals per week across the 10 parishes with the aim of improving the physical and mental health of people in Wiveliscombe and the surrounding areas.

Since the start, more than 100 volunteer cooks and drivers have produced and delivered more than 60,000 nutritious meals. The original purpose to provide meals for people who need them is very much a core aim for the charity, but equally important to the mission in the use of surplus food. 

The Wivey Kitchen team also stock freezers with meals in St Michael’s Church, Milverton, and St Andrew’s Church, Wiveliscombe.

Founder Kate described what the new Pantry does, saying: “It’s like a supermarket, or a pop-up shop, where we take food from wherever we can get it from and that goes into this lovely supermarket and we have food enough for 40 households, and they pay £5 per week and they can get up to 20 items of shopping.”

She also thanked the owners of the Bear Inn, Jon and Millie Coward, for offering the charity kitchen space in a former games room at the pub: “They’ve invested in our vision, which meant that they’ve forked out masses of money to put the infrastructure into our kitchen, which they’ve given to us rent free.” 

Wivey Kitchen also receives donations of food and vegetables from sister charity Wivey Grows, which is a community-based project that offers the opportunity, space and support for people to grow food and flowers.

Mrs Gilmour said: “You have that whole circle, the food that you grow, the food that you cook, the food that you make, and the people that you distribute it to. All power to you.”

Critic William Sitwell told the gathering: “I think we can look to the Wivey Kitchen and feel incredibly proud, because what they’re doing is quite exceptional.” 

He added: “Since the Wivey Kitchen was founded, there have been 9,600 hours of volunteer time, which equates to £110,000 based on the national minimum wage; there are currently 77 volunteers. It’s a wonderful thing that you do.”  

To find about more about Wivey Kitchen and the Pantry, visit wiveykitchen.org