Food Friends

Connecting communities through shared meals

Food Friends is a young and ambitious organisation that brings people together through the simple act of sharing home‑cooked meals and friendly doorstep conversations. Over the past year, more than 100 volunteers have delivered over 2,700 meals to older residents in Whitstable who are experiencing isolation.

Our support

Kent Community Foundation supported Food Friends as they expanded their work across the Canterbury District. Our grant funded 20 hours per week of the CEO’s time, enabling the organisation to strengthen its structure, support volunteers safely, and reach more residents who benefited from regular connection. Over the 12‑month period, Food Friends involved more than 150 volunteers and delivered over 4,000 meals.

Joyce, Leah and Zara's story

Joyce has been part of our Food Friends community since back in 2019. She has two fantastic volunteer cooks and has received over 200 delicious meals. Doorstep chats during the lockdowns have flourished into firm friendships - here's what she told us recently about her food friendship with the wonderful Zara and Leah.

"I consider Zara and Leah as my good friends. I look at my calendar and think, ah yes, it's a Zara or Leah day. They both help me out with things when they pop in to deliver a meal, and I know that they're always there. Just this week it was a sunny day, and Zara suggested we took a walk together in the garden. I'm not confident to do this on my own, but with Zara by my side I managed three times around!"

Joyce

Tom and Mary’s story

Tom lost his wife Audrey seven years ago. “Audrey was a great cook. She taught me how to make shepherd’s pie. I’ve got the ingredients, I’ve got the pots and pans, but I just can’t do it without her.”

Before Tom met his Food Friend Mary, he was living on microwave shepherds’ pie from the supermarket. Tom told us, “Mary’s great – she drops in a lovely meal each week...they're all delicious. She comes in, sits in the chair opposite, and we have a good natter.”

As well as the delicious meals delivered with company and conversation, Tom has also benefitted from meeting one of our other volunteers Bob. Tom has a mobility scooter but was lacking confidence in using it. Bob uses a mobility scooter too, so after meeting up and taking a couple of drives together, Tom now is able to use his scooter to independently get to the doctors surgery and the post box. He even drove to our celebration lunch in the summer after a few words with Bob about the best route!

“Mary’s great – she drops in a lovely meal each week...they're all delicious. She comes in, sits in the chair opposite, and we have a good natter.”

Tom