THESE days a lot of things are wasted, people, skills and mountains of food.
Transition Fishguard has taken all of these and turned them into a vibrant central cafe. A derelict shop on the main A487 was provided by the Coop next door, and after heroic efforts to find the money and equipment the volunteers managed to pass the regulations with flying colours and open the kitchen and cafe in June last year.
It has been running successfully ever since. Although only open three days a week it saves an average of 100 kg of food each week and in addition has saved over 10 tons of carbon from the atmosphere.
For this is a cafe with a difference, it uses surplus produce and food, diverting them from going to waste. The cooks never know what their ingredients will be, so they have to get very creative and flexible.
A farmer could walk in with a sack of organic potatoes, or a delicatessen with a box of oriental spices and relishes, or a local gardener with an armful of rhubarb, or a housekeeper with the GOFs from BOGOFs – the Get one Free offers.
But now the cafe is under pressure from customers to expand its days of opening. For this it needs more volunteers, whether cooks, waiters, servers or washers up.
Volunteers range from top quality cooks with years of experience to people like Mim (pictured) who had his youth cut short by a horrific road accident in which he was blameless. He brings skills but his body takes a lot of effort to function effectively. Happily the cafe is the ideal place for all skills and speeds to be valued.
Anyone interested in joining the motley crew to sing, cook, wash up, sweep or tell jokes, should get in touch. Prepare to eat amazing food from our undiscovered talented cooks, using mystery recipes from ingredients that nearly got away.
Phone Chris Samra on 01348 831021 to join the fun and see the cafe hours grow.
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