Households struggling with the cost of living are being offered an opportunity to cook healthy meals at affordable prices.

Staff and volunteers at Turning Heads Community Kitchen provide the ingredients and recipes for a meal and dessert at an affordable price. They’ve also made online videos of the team preparing the meals so people know how to cook them at home.

Turning Heads is supported by our public health team as part of the Torbay Food Partnership and has received £10,000 from the Torbay Social Enterprise Grant (TSEG) towards the project.

The TSEG was set up as part of the Community Wealth Building Approach to support inclusive local economic growth. The fund aims to create new trading social enterprises and support existing ones looking to expand, create new jobs or develop new products or services. It is operated by the TDA, part of the council.

Councillor Jackie Stockman, Cabinet Member for Adults and Public Health, said: “This is brilliant inspirational work, and it would be good if it could be replicated across Torbay. It’s really needed right now when so many families are struggling with rising food costs.

“This project helps individuals, couples and families in so many ways. The meals are affordable and nutritious which is great for improving people’s overall health. If you’re well fed, you’re more likely to stay healthy.

“There are also benefits for the environment. All the ingredients are measured out, so there’s no food waste and they’re presented in reusable bags – all helping our goal for Torbay to become carbon neutral by 2030.”

A one-day menu starts from £2.50 while a two-day menu starts from £3.50. All the meals are vegetarian, and recipes produced so far include spaghetti Bolognese, cottage pie, bread pudding and fruit crumble.

People can order online and either pick up from the community kitchen at Victoria Park Methodist Church or have it delivered (if they live in a TQ1 or TQ2 postcode).

Turning Heads is also running Family Cooking sessions, a series of sessions aimed at increasing cooking confidence and getting the family to cook together.

They take place at the church, where there’s space for kids to do their homework. After cooking, the group then eats their meals together.

For more information about Community Kitchen, and other ways you can save money this winter, go to our cost of living webpage.