[Originally published on LinkedIn - 30 May 2022]

I recently had the privilege of documenting the fantastic work currently being done by Empty Kitchens Full Hearts, a recent addition to the food charity organisations that are becoming ever more popular around the country.

Empty Kitchens Full Hearts was setup and established by a group of chefs who were out of work because of the COVID19 pandemic hitting back in 2020. What they did was take unused food and turn it into nutritious meals for anyone who needed it - all without judgment or prejudice. In march this year they were finally awarded charity status and have, so far, delivered just short of 1.5 million meals in and around the Edinburgh area. Based in Granton in an old converted school building, they have roughly 250 volunteers as well as a very small number of full time staff. Roles include chefs, kitchen porters, food packers, and delivery drivers.

Over a number of weeks, beginning in January this year, I visited the Empty Kitchens premises in order to start documenting the work that they do. My intention was to capture each stage of the process, from food arrivals through to delivery. What I wasn't expecting was the impact each visit would have on me.

I initially started off in the kitchen. As the organisation had only just moved into the Granton premises, many of the electricity hookups for the appliances had not been set up. Scott, the head chef on duty that day, was very accommodating and kindly allowed me free reign to shoot where, and what, I wanted. From what I could see, he was coping admirably with the lack of equipment. I had never seen food being prepared on such a large scale before, especially in what I thought was a fairly small space.

Coming from a creative industries background, and living with two concert pianists who were set for their busiest and most lucrative year, all three of us were heavily affected by the pandemic both financially and emotionally. Not knowing when we were next going to get paid, I was looking at the food being prepared and was envious of the recipients who were going to be receiving it. However, I was soon to change this attitude the day I accompanied one of the delivery drivers on her round.

Moving on from the kitchen, I spent a couple of days over the space of a couple of weeks photographing the packing and labelling area. The dedication and enthusiasm from the volunteers I spent time with was infectious. Two of my dearest friends, Sandra and Mike, were both volunteers in this department and it was them who first alerted me to the work that EKFH were doing.

My final visit for this project but, definitely not my final visit ever, was the one that had the biggest impact on me. I was given permission to accompany one of the full time delivery drivers, Bev, on a morning round.

Bev was perfect for the job she was undertaking. I found her to be compassionate, loyal, dedicated, fun, and patient. When we started the journey I found we got on incredibly well. She reminded me of people who were good to me as a kid; people who could be seen as being tough but who had the biggest hearts of gold. I won't divulge information she imparted to me about her life and her upbringing, but I will say nobody was better qualified to deal with the clients I was about to meet.

Being on the 'front line' as it were, suddenly I could see all the charity work being done in the kitchens put into action. Now things didn't seem so perfect. The delivery schedule and route given to Bev was unmanageable. In an ideal world, the route designed for her would have been ideal but it didn't take into account roadworks or heavy traffic. She, therefore, took it upon herself to re-route where necessary. At the first drop off, at a tower block in a very central part of town, Bev was like a whirlwind and was in and out in no time. Thankfully the packages were well labelled; some were veggie, some were prepared for people with nut allergies, and some were non-fish. As we moved over to an area of Edinburgh known as Niddrie, things began to look less comfortable. I accompanied Bev into a tower block and met a young woman with two children and a very large dog. All three of them looked severely underweight and malnourished. Their eyes lit up when we turned up and their food was handed to them. I could see inside the house which was dark, dingy and not inviting at all. The mother kept telling us about spending £30,000 on her dog and pups. Clearly this girl had never had £30,000 ever and she was trying the best way she could to impress us. I found it heartbreaking.

Unfortunately, things didn't improve much as we continued on Bev's rounds. I live just five minutes from the area we were delivering food to and I had no idea just how desperate people were. Every single person receiving a package needed it - and more! We finished the morning run at an elderly lady's flat who used to, but no longer, received food packages from Empty Kitchens. Bev still likes to drop in on her and her yorkie for her lunch break just to check she's ok and to have a quick cup of tea. She was absolutely lovely and full of hilarious stories.

As well as having a great chat during the morning, Bev also had a long list of things she thinks would improve the service provided by Empty Kitchens Full Hearts. Things such as the thickness and quality of the soup, the types of meals being delivered (too 'fancy' for some), and for many, too many vegetables - they are just not used to them. I do hope she takes these suggestions and speaks to the EK management.

Volunteering is something I have never done before, even as a kid. But, having spent time in the Empty Kitchens Full Hearts premises and on the road with Bev I'm reconsidering. I believe there is something each and every one of us can contribute and it doesn't have to take up too much time. Give it a try. It might change your life.

All photographs: Scott Barron Photography. 

Thanks to all at https://www.linkedin.com/company/empty-kitchens-full-hearts/

#charity #surplusfood #community #volunteering #givingback