Food is at the heart of the work that takes place at Pembroke House. We gather to share food and stories, building new connections in our diverse neighbourhood.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, our Walworth Neighbourhood Food Model programme (WNFM) has been exploring how to develop a sustainable food system that tackles the vast levels of inequality in the area. According to Southwark Council for example, Walworth has one of the highest levels of food insecurity. 

The urgency of finding a solution makes it easy to lose sight of the people behind these statistics. Everyday in Walworth there are people growing, cooking and sharing food; forming a local system of traditions, relationships and activities. 

For the past four months our new WNFM Project Officer, Isabela Astorquiza, has been getting to know who those people are. Following a chain of introductions and recommendations from one person to another, Isabela connected with 20 “Walworth Food Lovers”- people who grow, supply, cook and share food in the neighbourhood. 

On the 20th November 2024, we celebrated this network by coming back to Isabela’s first stop on the tour- the Colombian restaurant Amigos. Over a long dining table filled with empanadas, participants finally had the chance to meet, connect and share their experiences with one another. 

A large map of Walworth stood in one corner, dotted with profiles of the food lovers. Each profile shared the person’s story, the type of food they cook, grow or supply, as well as the type of support they were either happy to share or receive from the community. 

The map came to life as conversations filled the room. Some people had met before, or were already connected. Others, meeting for the first time that evening, were surprised to discover how closely they worked to each other. People swapped tips and ideas (including seeds!), and discovered shared experiences. Almost everyone expressed an interest in growing and cooking food related to their heritage and culture- and also sharing them with others.

Though we were celebrating the end of the first stage of the mapping project, we also understood that by meeting and spending time together, we were at the beginning of a much longer process. 

As Isabela demonstrated by walking through Walworth, and building connections along the way, systems change begins at the street level. Without spending time getting to know what, or more importantly, who’s already in a neighborhood, we can’t work collectively towards tackling our shared challenges. To build a better, sustainable and more just local food system the natural first step is to gather over a delicious meal. 

As the evening came to a close, plans began to form for how a wide range of people who are involved with food locally could come together on a regular basis, to meet, to share stories and build further collaborations. 

Are you a food lover in Walworth interested in learning or being part of the growing alliance in the Walworth Neighbourhood Food Model? If so, get in touch with Isabela here.

Make sure to also join our mailing list at the bottom of this page to get updates on our future plans and developments.