Summer vibes are on the menu at Canteen, Frome’s pay-what-you-can community restaurant, as two more events are confirmed including one with an alfresco twist.
After four very well-attended Canteen events at Trinity Hall over the winter, where diners tucked into hearty stews, pies and puddings, Canteen’s chefs are designing a brand-new summer menu offering seasonal ultra-fresh salads and locally sourced meats and vegetables.
The next Canteen is confirmed for Friday 20th June and will take place as usual in Trinity Hall in Frome, and the following event on Friday 15th August, will be outdoors.
“Hopefully making the most of the good summer weather by bringing the communal dining experience to the cafe at Victoria Park,” said one of the organisers Lyndsey Mayhew.
“The event in the park is supported by Frome Town Council and there is a back-up plan to relocate back to Trinity Hall if the weather has other ideas. On offer at the June event there will also be delicious locally produced drinks from GetPickled, run by Frome’s Paula Neubauer, think homemade ginger beer, elderflower lemonade and rhubarb cordial.
“At the Victoria Park event, Canteen joins forces with the Frome Seed Library, which has enlisted the help of local families, schools, businesses and residential care homes, to grow potatoes and herbs from seed for a delicious community potato salad to be served on the night.”
This unique seed-to-plate project is supported by Citizen Advice Somerset’s Food Resilience grant; a fund which supports charities and not-for-profit organisations and community groups, to improve food security and resilience within Somerset.
Lyndsey said, “Canteen has been set up by the Frome Food Network, supported by Edventure’s Future Shed and Green & Healthy Frome. It aims to give wider access to responsibly sourced, well-cooked, delicious food and to bridge the gap between local food and local people. It’s affordable, tasty and good for us.
“The model has been designed to make it affordable for all with the cost of a meal dependent on how much the diner would like to pay. Diners can pay over or under the actual cost of the meal or you can eat for free. Whatever is affordable. On the day there will be an indication of how much a single meal costs to make and as Canteen is not-for-profit, it only seeks to cover that cost.”
To participate, diners pay for a Canteen token at the till or ask for ‘a token for Jo’ to receive one for free, then exchange the token at the nearby hatch for a meal.
“Then find a space at the table and enjoy,” said Lyndsey. “Food will be served at each event from 5pm to 7pm or until it runs out. No reservations needed.”
Creating a sense of community and togetherness is vat the heart of the project and organisers hope the restaurant will attract people from across the town to come along and enjoy a meal with their neighbours and meet new friends.
Lyndsey said, “Families with children are also very welcome and there will be a designated children’s area for kids who want to play after enjoying their dinner.”
Further information about Canteen and the Frome Food Network can be found at https://www.fromefoodnetwork.co.uk/canteen.
Pictured: A previous Canteen event
