The Dinner Exchange London
researcher, Chef, and Writer in London, United Kingdom
The Dinner Exchange is a social enterprise whose primary ambition is to bring to the table the issues of food waste by facilitating a relaxed, informal opportunity to think about, and to discuss, the values ascribed to food. Our dinner parties are where taste, ethics and aesthetics combine to form a memorable night of guilt-free delight.
How does a Dinner Exchange work?
- We choose a location in London, normally a restaurant, but in the past we threw our dinner parties in museums, theatres, converted warehouses.
- We create an excuse for a convivial dinner. Life is full of beauty to be celebrated. It could be the arrival of the summer, a type of cuisine or a seasonal festivity. Being engaged does not mean being boring! Don't expect food only, we spice it up with music, entertainment, perfomances, etc.
- Collect food that otherwise would be wasted, mainly produce from markets and wholesalers.
- We add to the surplus organic, fair-trade, local ingredients to transform it into a tasty gourmet vegan meal
- We ask our guests for a contribution to cover the running of the project.
- Donate the proceeds to food-related projects. Among the groups we helped: Growing Communities, Organiclea, People's Kitchen, Feeding the 5k and Foodcycle.
By using ‘fit for purpose’ or ‘waste’ food, we give food its true value back, and we hope to show not only how much we throw away, but how tasty and nutritious food waste can be.
Who are we?
Our kitchen team is headed by Italian food anthropologist Dr Brigida Marovelli. Her cooking is informed by two questions. First, can surplus produce become a gourmet meal? Second, can vegan food be gourmet?Marovelli divides her time between Hackney and rural Tuscany. She has twenty years’ experience in cooking and in food activism. Where others see boring veggies, Marovelli sees infinite potential. “When I started thinking differently about food,” she says, “I had to cook differently.”In her kitchen, everything is made from scratch. Even the spices are toasted and freshly ground by hand. And no margarine, please! True to her Mediterranean heritage, Marovelli uses only extra virgin olive oil. The Dinner Exchange is a Community Interest Company that strives to engage and empower communities by educating them about the real value of food, and by promoting more sustainable practices for healthier (and tastier) li