In September 2012, Sarah Bentley was crying in the basement of a food hall in Stoke Newington. The former journalist’s new venture, a fully operational community class teaching Hackney residents how to cook sustainably, was set to open in two-weeks-time. Then, the builder she had contracted announced he was abandoning the project, taking her money and equipment.
Fast forward 14 years later and Hackney is now home to the UK’s only eco-friendly community kitchen.
Made in Hackney is a plant-based community cookery school and charity which addresses food insecurity, promotes health and wellbeing, and strengthens community resilience.
As Bentley explained in a 2017 TEDx Talks, she “knew [she] wanted to help people live a healthier, happier, and more environmentally friendly lives”.
Increasingly, it seems, she is not alone. This January, the government released the Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse, and National Security Report, which states the UK is “at risk of competition for food and water”.
At Made in Hackney, they provide free weekly community cooking classes designed to encourage sustainable eating habits and for people’s specific health needs.
Over the past 14 years, the charity has provided 500,000 plant-based meals and run classes based on cooking for a budget and learning to cook from scratch.
Claudia Martinez, a Made in Hackney member, said: “When I was living in London, I joined their classes and they really made a big difference in my life, supporting my physical and mental health and the feeling of community.”
Lynn, a class participant and volunteer, agreed, saying she owed Made in Hackney “a lot”, having benefitted from the community classes and “brilliant support during the first lockdown” and “really appreciates it as a local community resource and facility”.
It is a grassroots project, first and foremost, “born out of the efforts of Hackney residents”, said Camilla Rossi, Development Manager at MIH.
“This project makes space for many stories and life circumstances to just exist and meet. It’s a space of change, of encounter, and a very joyful place, built around solidarity.”
In 2023, Sarah Bentley stepped down to an ambassadorial role and is currently writing a cookbook for the charity.
Made in Hackney is looking for new ways to reach more people and respond to what the local community needs, and you can see what they do here.
