Residents of Frome gathered in Victoria Park for a community meal last month, organised by Canteen, a pay-what-you-can restaurant initiative. The event aimed to bring people together while promoting healthy, sustainable food.
The outdoor supper served 222 plates of food, with the menu featuring locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, including a potato salad made with 600 potatoes grown by over 100 families, schools, care homes and businesses in Frome. Surplus food from the local Community Fridge was also used, and any leftovers were redistributed to prevent waste.
Canteen is run by the Frome Food Network and supported by Future Shed, part of the Green & Healthy Frome project and this was Canteen taking its first step outdoors. Organisers say the aim was to link health, sustainability and the local community by making nutritious food accessible to all.
The event reflects growing interest in communal eating as a way to address health and social issues. Countries such as Spain, Japan and India have long traditions of shared meals, which are associated with stronger social bonds and healthier diets. Britain once had a similar model during World War II, when British restaurants provided affordable meals for workers and families as part of a national food strategy.
Supporters argue that shared meals can help reduce loneliness, improve diets and strengthen community resilience, while also reducing food waste and supporting local producers.
“By the evening’s end, 222 meals had been shared,” said the organisers. “With an average spend of £10.83, the generosity of some made it possible for others to eat for less, or for free. Because at Canteen, no one eats alone, and everyone is welcome.
“But the real question is not whether Frome can keep Canteen going. In an era of rising loneliness, growing health inequalities and strained local services, shouldn’t councils across the UK be investing in communal eating as part of public health?
“If other countries treat shared meals as central to wellbeing and education, why not Britain too?”
A video of the evening can be found at https://greenhealthyfrome.org/videos/
