By Sha Carter
I volunteer for The Felix Project and Refettorio Felix, one of the charities we support where I get to see first hand what a real difference the delicious and nutritious food makes to people's lives.
Refettorio Felix is a community drop-in centre providing meals made entirely from surplus food and served to the most vulnerable in our community. Chef Massimo Bottura set up Food for Soul to harness the power of food to bring vulnerable people together and enable them to dine together in dignity. St Cuthbert's in London is just one of many centres Massimo has set up around the world including one in Paris and Naples.
St Cuthbert's is a beautiful dining space serving a delicious 3 course meal to around 60 diners a day. Volunteers like myself lay the tables for the guests, serve their meals and also get to chat to the many regular clients. After our shift we get to sit down with the rest of the staff and enjoy the delicious lunch too.
Chef Nassim never ceases to amaze me with the delicious creations she turns the food delivered from The Felix Project into. The Centre is also fortunate to have had many guest chefs cook for them too, often taking time out from their jobs at London's top hotels and restaurants.
The dining room is watched over by Nick and his team and they offer many additional services apart from a delicious lunch; counselling, hair cuts, clothes mending, reading groups and art sessions. The centre is also somewhere diners can come and have a warm shower, do their washing and spend a restful afternoon together.