ABOUT
The Good
Kitchen
HISTORY.
The Good Kitchen was founded on the 31st of July 2021 by Danny McCubbin. Previous to launching the kitchen, Danny worked in London on community food projects for the chef and food campaigner Jamie Oliver. It was always Danny’s dream to start a community kitchen that was the opposite of a “soup kitchen” where food is handed out with no real connection to the community.
The Good Kitchen is located in the picturesque town of Mussomeli that is in the heart of Sicily. The community kitchen is a registered Italian Association and it is open from Thursday to Sunday. Every Thursday a team of volunteers rescues food from the supermarkets in the town and then that food is delivered to families in Mussomeli who are facing food insecurity. We also deliver fresh food parcels to families in the village close to Mussomeli called Acquaviva Platani. The kitchen is located in the main town square of Mussomeli, Piazza Umberto. We also rescue food on a Saturday as well and we welcome guests from all walks of life to visit us and see the kitchen in action. This is also a chance to learn more about the services that we offer.
On Sunday a team of dedicated souls from Mussomeli come and volunteer to cook a nutritious and delicious meal using all of the food products that are rescued. The meals are then delivered to elderly people who are alone on a Sunday and housebound. Our volunteers have diverse backgrounds and on Sunday guests can experience the joy of young and elderly people coming together to cook for good. Every now and then we have a lunch on Sunday that is open to everyone. We advertise when the lunches are held on our social media channels and also on a sign in the window of the kitchen.
Social inclusion is at the heart of The Good Kitchen and many residents from the town now call the kitchen their home, especially the elderly. We also collaborate with outstanding associations in Mussomeli that are highly regarded in the community. We also hold special events mostly in Summer. Check out our social media channels and also our newsletter for more information.
MISSION.
The mission of The Good Kitchen is to rescue food and put that food to good use. We champion rescuing food and we also create many opportunities for social inclusion. From our communal lunches to our incredible volunteers, we create many opportunities for the people of Mussomeli to connect. Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming students and writers from the world of community food, curious to learn from our journey and understand how the heart of our kitchen might inspire similar projects elsewhere. We’ve also been invited to international conferences and gatherings, where we’ve shared our story, exchanged ideas, and connected with others building community through food.
The Good Kitchen is a safe place where everyone is welcome without judgement. We strongly believe that we can all learn from each other and share a meal. No matter the race, nationality, age, religion, sexuality or social status. We believe in the importance of passing on food knowledge from older generations to young people. The essence of The Good Kitchen is to create a positive environment that is centred around kindness and sharing. We welcome foreigners and support intercultural connections, encouraging diversity and inclusion.
Through our work, we honor and preserve the rich cultural heritage of Mussomeli and Sicily. We are an official partner of the Banco Alimentare, Italy’s largest food rescue charity and we collaborate with esteemed local foundations such as Casa Vanessa, Casa Rosetta and Strauss APS. Together with our partners, we're dedicated to creating a kitchen that has social value and making a difference in our community.
