Wales’ leading food education charity, Cegin y Bobl (The People’s Kitchen), has teamed up with the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust to launch a community freezer stocked with meals cooked from scratch by a team of volunteers.
The freezer is located at the Goods Shed’s on-site café, Caffi’r Sied, and is open from 10am to 2pm, Wednesday to Saturday. Meals are available on a pay-what-you-can basis, with a suggested donation of £2 per meal or three meals for £5.
Dishes include hearty favourites such as meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta, chicken and chorizo stew, vegetable lasagne and seasonal soups.
The initiative builds on the success of Cegin Llanelli, a weekly community cook-along and shared meal held at the Antioch Centre in Llanelli.
Each week, volunteers prepare fresh meals using seasonal vegetables, locally sourced meat, store-cupboard staples and rescued surplus food. The new community freezer will help extend that work while further reducing food waste.
Jen Goss, chef and director of Cegin y Bobl, said:
“Cegin y Bobl exists because good food shouldn’t be out of reach for anyone. What started as a handful of people cooking together is growing into a powerful movement. We’re pleased to be partnering with The Goods Shed to take our work in Llanelli one step further.”
Sarah Davies, of the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust, said:
“The Goods Shed aims to be a community hub, a place where people can find a warm welcome, share skills and stories, and feel a sense of belonging. This partnership allows our volunteers to support Cegin y Bobl’s fantastic community work while developing their own cooking skills.”
Louise Morgan, Community Café Supervisor at Caffi’r Sied, added:
“We’re delighted to be working alongside Cegin y Bobl to make wholesome meals more accessible to our local community. We strongly believe everyone deserves access to a good meal and the opportunity to make healthier choices, whatever their circumstances.”
Since launching in February, Cegin Llanelli has served more than 1,300 two-course meals on a free or pay-what-you-can basis.
Under the guidance of Cegin y Bobl’s experienced chefs, a dedicated team of 15 volunteers has contributed more than 900 hours preparing fresh meals from scratch.
Montse, a Cegin Llanelli volunteer cook, said:
“I feel empowered. I learn new skills. It’s even helped me reduce food waste at home. I now know how to use the whole vegetable, even carrot leaves. This knowledge has given me much more confidence in the kitchen.”
Members of the community can attend Cegin Llanelli every Monday from 12.30pm to 2.30pm at the Antioch Centre in Llanelli, where meals are available free of charge or on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Cegin y Bobl is also recruiting volunteers interested in getting involved in the kitchen.
Anyone interested in volunteering can find out more at ceginybobl.co.uk/volunteer.
The Community Freezer project is supported by The National Lottery Community Fund and Bwyd Sir Gâr Food.
Cegin y Bobl (The People’s Kitchen) is Wales’ leading food education charity. Through practical, hands-on workshops, it aims to ensure everyone has the skills and knowledge to prepare nutritious, affordable meals.
The charity supports communities to take greater control of their diets, food culture and health outcomes, while advocating for better food standards in schools, hospitals and care homes.
For more information, visit ceginybobl.co.uk.
The Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust is a charity transforming Llanelli’s Grade II-listed railway Goods Shed into a hub for culture, heritage, community activity and enterprise.
Its vision is to create a welcoming and inclusive space where people can connect, collaborate and explore the town’s rich history.
For more information, visit goodsshed.cymru.
