A reflection from the founder of The Good Kitchen

Local Spotlight

Jul 2

5 Years of The Good Kitchen

Where do I begin? At the beginning, I suppose, as that feels like the only honest place to start.

At the end of 2020, I packed up my life in London and moved to Mussomeli to open a community kitchen.

I could not have imagined that five years later we would be here, celebrating together with the beautiful souls of this town who have supported the kitchen from day one, alongside what I now call our kitchen family. And it truly is a family. Volunteers, the people we support, and the many guests who have come from around the world to sit at our table, share a meal, learn about Mussomeli, and leave as friends.

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As I write this, I feel a deep sense of pride and quiet joy. Together, we have rescued close to 39 tonnes of surplus food, cooked nearly 14,000 meals, welcomed around 8,000 visitors, delivered more than 3,000 fresh food parcels, and hosted over 100 events.

These numbers matter, and I am proud of what they represent. But what matters most to me are the people behind them. To all of you, our volunteers, the families we support, and the friends of the kitchen, I thank you. Thank you for welcoming me, for your patience, and for believing in this idea from the very beginning. Thank you as well to the associations of Mussomeli who have collaborated with us and helped us grow. On a personal level, The Good Kitchen has taught me more than I could have ever expected. It has deepened my understanding of love, compassion, and the true nature of kindness. It has shown me, again and again, just how good people can be to one another, something I feel we all need to be reminded of at this time in the world. I also wanted to thank all of the brilliant writers, video makers and journalists who have supported us from day one. Thank you to all of our wonderful friends from around the world who continue to support The Good Kitchen. Sending all my best as well to the foreigners who now call Mussomeli home as well for your support, especially with the fundraiser.