Chantelle’s Community Kitchen

Chantelle’s Community Kitchen serves over 200 free meals each week to Roehampton residents from its base at Portswood Space on the Alton Estate. Founded by local resident Chantelle Bent and launched in August 2023, the kitchen operates on a simple principle: no referrals, no means testing, no barriers. In a cost-of-living crisis where people are choosing between eating and heating, Chantelle saw the need for a genuinely open-access service that treats everyone with dignity.

Every Tuesday from 11am to 1pm, Chantelle and her team of volunteers serve freshly prepared, homemade meals that residents can eat in or take away. The kitchen also distributes groceries and ingredients so people can cook healthy meals at home. Beyond the Tuesday sessions, there’s a weekly Friday café and monthly advice sessions where residents can get support with benefits claims and other cost-of-living challenges.

But the kitchen provides more than food. It’s become a community hub where neighbours meet, talk, and share stories about the estate’s history. What started with Chantelle approaching a council regeneration officer with her proposal has grown into a vital community resource, funded entirely by donations from local people and organisations. The kitchen demonstrates what’s possible when residents identify a need and take action to address it themselves.

Twitter: @cck_roehampton