Volunteers are transforming surplus food into delicious, nourishing meals. These meals are served free to the public at a new ‘pop-up restaurant’–style community meal. This meal takes place in Old Street, London.
| Location | Vibast Community Centre, 167 Old St, London EC1V 9NH |
|---|---|
| 📅 When | Tuesday |
| ⏰ Time | 7 pm |
| 📞 Contact | oldstreet@foodcycle.org.uk |
| 👨👩👧 Family Friendly | Yes |
| 🚻 Accessibility – Disabled Toilet | Yes |
| 🅿️ Accessibility – Disabled Parking | No |
| 🏠 Accessibility – Flat | Yes |
Community dining charity FoodCycle has launched the project at the Vibast Community Centre. It offers local people the chance to enjoy a free, three-course vegetarian meal. The meal is served every Thursday at 7pm in a warm and welcoming space.
FoodCycle London Old Street is part of the charity’s growing nationwide network, helping tackle food poverty, loneliness, and food waste.
Each week, volunteers take on a ‘Ready Steady Cook’-style challenge. They turn donated surplus food into tasty dishes. These dishes include soups, salads, pasta bakes, curries, stews, and fruit crumbles.
save the date: every thursday, 7pm – old street
Open to everyone to turn up and eat for free, FoodCycle meals bring together people from all backgrounds. Regular guests include low-income families, older people, refugees, those who live alone, are experiencing homelessness, or simply want to connect with their community.
With over 100 weekly community meals across England and Wales, including 31 now in London, FoodCycle is on a mission to make nourishing food, friendship and community accessible to everyone.
“Volunteers are transforming surplus food into delicious, nourishing meals served free to the public.”
Unite on the Dancefloor
FoodCycle Regional Manager for East London, Jan Gazda said:
“We’re excited to have opened our new community meal at London Old Street. There is a continued demand for free food provision across the city, particularly as the high cost of living continues to affect everything from food prices to fuel bills. We’re proud to offer a space where people can access healthy, nutritious meals. Each week, we provide a welcoming environment where anyone can enjoy good food and conversation. Our meals not only help tackle food insecurity and loneliness but also promote healthier, more sustainable diets while helping the planet by reducing food waste. Our community meals run on the generosity of volunteers, and we’re inviting local people to get involved and give a few hours a month to make a difference.”
It comes as FoodCycle releases the results of a survey of its guests carried out last year which found of those who responded, 67% eat most meals alone; 70% have skipped meals; 41% don’t have access to an oven, and 75% couldn’t afford to buy the food they need.
The findings suggest FoodCycle’s community meals model works to support people’s wellbeing, with 83% of guests feeling happier after attending; 78% feel less lonely and 76% eat more fruit and vegetables as a result.
In 2024 FoodCycle served 162,991 meals nationwide and saved 320 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste. Across London 60,846 FoodCycle community meals were served in 2024, saving 118 tonnes of surplus food from being wasted.
Volunteers are needed to support the new FoodCycle London Old Street project, which opened on Tuesday April 8th, as well as at FoodCycle’s 100+ other community meals across the country. Roles include cooking, hosting, pot washing, and helping run the project, for which you need to be available for four-hours on any day you volunteer. Drivers or cyclists are also needed to help collect surplus food, for which you need your own transport. Whether you’re a food waste warrior, a keen cook or washer-upper, a tea-making machine, or just enjoy a friendly chat while sharing a delicious meal, volunteering with FoodCycle is a fun way to help your community, and the environment too.
“Our meals not only help tackle food insecurity and loneliness but also promote healthier, more sustainable diets while helping the planet by reducing food waste.”
Jan Gazda, Regional Manager
Chris, a long-term FoodCycle London volunteer says:
“It’s always lovely to see the smile on guests faces and the warm, welcoming atmosphere of our community meals. But also, the energy and enthusiasm of our volunteers as we push ourselves to create and serve restaurant-quality meals. I’ve also learnt that there are pretty much no limits to the diversity of vegetarian food. We’ve hardly repeated dishes in my six years of volunteering!”
FoodCycle CEO Sophie Tebbets said:
“At FoodCycle, we believe that bringing people together not only addresses hunger, loneliness, and food waste. It also boosts mental wellbeing and strengthens community spirit. We are grateful for the dedication of thousands of volunteers. Their efforts make our projects possible across the city and beyond. The feedback we receive from our guests across the country highlights the urgent need for services like ours. It reaffirms that FoodCycle’s community meals are truly making a difference where it matters most.”
FoodCycle London Old Street takes place on Tuesdays at 7pm, at the Vibast Community Centre, 167 Old Street, London, EC1V 9NH.
Other FoodCycle London meals are open to the public in: Barking, Bow Road, Camden, East Ham, Finsbury Park, Fulham Court, Hackney, Islington, Kilburn, Lewisham, Marylebone, Mitcham, Old Street, Peckham, Plaistow, Roehampton, Thornton Heath, Tottenham, Walthamstow, Wandsworth Road, Wembley, White City, and Woolwich. (Full list below)
You can also donate to support FoodCycle here: https://foodcycle.org.uk/donate/
Sign up to volunteer here: https://foodcycle.org.uk/volunteer-london/
Why do communities need projects like FoodCycle?
By bringing people together, FoodCycle not only tackles hunger, loneliness and food waste, but it’s also improving mental wellbeing and strengthening community spirit.
FoodCycle carried out a survey of 1,741 guests in November 2024, which found that:
● 67% eat most meals alone
● 70% have skipped meals
● 75% couldn’t afford to buy the food they need
● 48% do not have a hob
● 41% don’t have access to an oven
The findings suggest that FoodCycle’s community meals model works to support people’s wellbeing:
● 83% of guests said they feel happier after attending a FoodCycle meal
● 78% feel less lonely
● 76% eat more fruit and vegetables as a result of attending FoodCycle meals
● 73% say eating at FoodCycle makes them feel they are having a positive impact on the environment
Find us here!
Other Food Cycles in London:
- FoodCycle Barking – Sundays at 1pm at Al Madina Mosque, 2 Victoria Road, Barking, IG11 8PY
- FoodCycle Fulham Court – Mondays at 6.30pm at Family Hub Tudor Rose Community Centre, Fulham Ct, London SW6 5PG
- FoodCycle Camden – Tuesdays from 5pm at 67 Plender Street, NW1 0LB (access via front door of Saint Pancras Community Centre)
- FoodCycle Wembley – Tuesdays from 6.30pm at Park Lane Methodist Church, Park Lane, Wembley, London, HA9 7SG
- FoodCycle East Ham – Tuesdays at 7pm at Pilgrims Way Church, Pilgrims Way, East Ham, London, E6 1HW
- FoodCycle Islington – Wednesdays at 1pm at New River Baptist Church, 80 Arran Walk, London, N1 2TL
- FoodCycle Lewisham – Wednesdays at 1.30pm at Lewisham Irish Community Centre, 2A Davenport Road, London, SE6 2AZ
- FoodCycle Peckham – Wednesdays at 5pm at All Saint’s Church, Blenheim Grove, London, SE15 4QS
- FoodCycle Tottenham – Wednesdays at 7pm at St Paul’s Church, 60 Park Lane London N17 0JR
- FoodCycle Marylebone – Wednesdays at 6pm at St Paul’s Church, 5 Rossmore Road, London, NW1 6NJ
- FoodCycle Plaistow – Wednesdays at 6pm at Memorial Community Church 395 Barking Road London E13 8AL
- FoodCycle Hackney – Thursdays at 12.30pm at New Kingshold Community Centre, 49 Ainsworth Road, London, E9 7LP
- FoodCycle Walthamstow – Thursdays at 6.30pm at St Mary’s Welcome Centre on Church End, E17 9RH
- FoodCycle Mitcham – Thursdays at 6.30pm at Togetherness Community Centre, Wakefield Hall, Taylor Road, London CR4 3JR
- FoodCycle Wandsworth Road – Fridays at 12.30pm at Christ Church Community Hall, 41 Union Grove, London, SW8 2QJ
- FoodCycle Woolwich – Fridays at 12.30pm at Woolwich Common Community Centre, 17 Leslie Smith Square, London SE18 4DW
- FoodCycle Bow Road – Fridays at 7pm at Bow Road Methodist Church, 1 Merchant Street, London, E3 4LY
- FoodCycle Thornton Heath – Saturdays at 12.30pm at St Alban’s Church Hall, 1 Whitehorse Lane, London SE25 6RD
- FoodCycle Finsbury Park – Saturdays at 1pm at Finsbury Park Community Hub, Corker Walk, London, N7 7RY
- FoodCycle Kilburn – Saturdays at 1pm at St. Cuthbert’s Parish Church, Fordwych Road, West Hampstead, London, NW2 3TN
- FoodCycle White City – Saturdays at 1pm at Our Lady of Fatima Parish Centre, Commonwealth Avenue, London, W12 7QR
- FoodCycle Lewisham – Saturdays at 1.15pm at Lewisham Irish Community Centre, 2A Davenport Road, London, SE6 2AZ
- FoodCycle Roehampton – Saturdays at 5pm at Roehampton Methodist Church, Minstead Gardens, Roehampton, London, SW15 4EB
- FoodCycle Peckham – Saturdays at 5.30pm at All Saint’s Church, Blenheim Grove, London, SE15 4QS