There aren’t many roles that Sanjay hasn’t turned his hand to over the years at The Food Chain! He’s given his time as a Kitchen Assistant, Lead Cook, Office Volunteer, Fundraiser and Trustee! Here, he talks about his current role as a Lead Cook at Eating Together.
‘My role is to coordinate the kitchen assistants to make sure the food we prepare tastes delicious. The kitchen team works in a relaxed and friendly environment but there’s always a bit of a mad rush towards the end to make sure the food gets out in time! The menus and ingredients are thankfully already waiting for us when we arrive at the kitchen, together with detailed instructions on how to prepare each of the dishes. At the end of the shift we get to enjoy our lunch together with service users and hosts – it’s a great way to spend a morning.’
Volunteering as a Lead Cook is a great way to lend culinary and food service skills you already have or want to cultivate as Sanjay explains,
‘Since I’ve started volunteering at The Food Chain, I’ve learned so much about cooking and how to manage a kitchen. It has inspired me to pursue a career in food and I hope to open my own restaurant soon.’
‘I get a sense of achievement and pleasure from seeing at first hand the difference we make to people’s health and quality of life. There’s an enormous buzz from seeing our service users enjoying a hearty and healthy meal.’
‘Some of my most valued friendships in London were started at The Food Chain. I’ve met people from all walks of life and backgrounds. If you’re thinking of volunteering at The Food Chain you will get a real sense of achievement from whichever volunteering role you choose to do and will feel part of a huge family. If you’ve an interest in directly helping people through food and nutrition, it’s a wonderful way to spend a few hours a month.’