Rooted in Food Cooking and Gardening Club
We are welcoming our local community to join our free cooking and gardening group celebrating the global cuisines of our Hackney community. We will meet every month, to cook a food from our culture, and share gardening skills and eat together.
Starting February 2026, our free monthly club brings together Hackney residents to cook, grow, and share dishes from around the world. Each month, participants choose a cuisine from their own cultures, cook together in our teaching kitchen, and learn how to grow the ingredients that make those dishes special. We finish each session sharing a meal together.
Rooted in Food brings adults living in Hackney to cook food from their culture, share gardening skills and eat together grow together.
Across 10 monthly sessions participants will:
- Cook dishes from 10 different cultural cuisines, with participant-led menus
- Learn budget-friendly, seasonal, vegetarian cooking skills
- Grow culturally relevant produce in our garden
- Share meals together, building confidence, connection, and belonging
The year ends with a community celebration, where friends and family are invited to share food, stories, and recipes.
Who it’s for
Rooted in Food is designed for adult Hackney residents from the local community, particularly:
- Newcomers to London
- Adults whose first language is not English
- People without reliable access to a kitchen or garden
A programme that grows with people
Rooted in Food builds on a successful programme that created lasting impact last year.
Participants reported:
- 80% increased confidence cooking cultural meals
- 100% improved understanding of seasonal growing
Many stayed involved long after the programme finished, volunteering in the garden, training with us, or returning for community sessions.
Join us
If you’d like to take part, please complete the sign-up form below and tell us the best way to contact you.
Sign up hereHuge thanks to…
Our funder Hackney Parochial Charities for supporting Rooted in Food.