FOOD FOR GOOD

In March, as lockdown loomed, chef Steve Brown – well-versed in community outreach through his work at Edinburgh Food Social – compiled a WhatsApp group of 100-plus chefs, suppliers, restaurateurs, event planners and charities. How, he asked, can we all work together to feed those in need?

“The mantra was to ensure that nobody fell through the cracks,” says Steve. In fact, he was adamant that Food for Good should rise above “emergency food which sees people given a sandwich, clementine and cereal bar. Every single Scottish citizen deserves nourishing food.” Working with chefs from restaurants including Dishoom and Gardener’s Cottage, Steve was able to give people a daily choice of, say, freshly cooked dahl, mac ’n’ cheese or spring chicken with asparagus (“Dignity is the right to choose,” he says), and using donated produce with government money and crowd-funding, he ensured that those meals were made with quality local, seasonal ingredients. The next stage, says Steve, is to create permanent networks of mutual assistance between chefs, producers and community groups around Food for Good: “That idea of building back better.”

Chef-owner Carina Contini is facing her own challenges in reopening three Edinburgh venues. At her Italian flagship, Contini, social distancing means fewer chefs, a shorter menu (“Six mains, but they’re coming out beautifully”), 30% fewer covers and £5,000 spent on glass partitions to divide tables in this chic former George Street bank. But after donating produce from her kitchen garden to Steve during lockdown, Carina will continue to support Food for Good in various ways. As she puts it: “The only way through Covid is working together.” crowdfunder.co.uk/ food-for-good-coalition-1; contini.com