And it gives people the chance to learn and work. SIFA Fireside works alongside disadvantaged adults, addressing alcohol issues and homelessness, helping them to meet their short and long-term goals. My first contact with them was when I was working together with service users on a community allotment, growing organic vegetables and plants for the Places of Change Garden, which won a silver medal at the Chelsea Flower Show. I also got to know them through running Five-a-Day-on-a-Budget classes, where people learned how to make good food without spending a fortune. I was inspired by their level of skills, their great enthusiasm and their wish to work – but could see that they had few opportunities to get back into the labour market.

The team

In the beginning it was just me and our first two trainees, Roman and Colin. They both wanted to be involved in converting the former drop-in kitchen in the SIFA Fireside building into a commercial catering kitchen. Since we started in June 2010 we’ve ‘cooked up change’ for countless events, welcomed and offered training to 23 volunteers and supported several paid members of staff back into the labour market. The team at ChangeKitchen has grown. We’ve been joined by some fantastic people – chef, Paul; Sally and Kirk, our admin and finance team and most recently Marisela, our new general manager. Anthony (front of house) Lisa, our marketing guru, have recently left after making a fantastic contribution. They are all incredibly enthusiastic about what we do and come up with great new ideas for development.

ChangeKitchen CIC is not only different because it gives people opportunities to work, we also make an impact through the way we source our ingredients, produce our food and manage our waste. Everything is geared to environmental, cultural and social sustainability. This was recognised city-wide when ChangeKitchen won the Birmingham Green Restaurant Award 2012, recently presented to us by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Len Gregory.

Bigger events

Another recent success was that we catered for the Social Enterprise Exchange – the world’s largest Social Enterprise Conference – in Glasgow in March 2012. We were chosen as one of only five social enterprises to cater for the 1500 attendees. Our team got lots of fantastic feedback: “I have to say the lunch was outstanding, especially for such a large event. You could choose from a number of social enterprises and I went for ChangeKitchen’s excellent veggie chilli with wrap and coleslaw. It was yummy and I loved eating it.” There is also a fantastic video about the event, where we are featured – see www.is.gd/7p4Jua.

Altogether, we have started working on much larger contracts with lots of regular clients. We are due to cater for two other prestigious events, this time in London – we aim to wow your guests! Our ethical wedding and civil partnership catering services are also increasingly popular and we were mentioned recently in Diva magazine about a wedding this year. We are now working on offering a package for ethical wedding services with several providers that we have teamed up with, including a fantastic Midlands garden that will provide the venue as well as the most ethically sourced flowers for the festive occasion – straight from the plot! Watch this space for more – but do get in touch if you want find out more about the bespoke wedding catering we offer, bookings are still being taken for the remainder of 2012 as well as for 2013.

Bringing people and cultures together

One thing that makes a big difference to all our customers is that we create food differently; we celebrate sharing a meal, as well as fuelling our bodies. All of our food is fully vegetarian (always with vegan and gluten-free options), so everyone shares food from one table. Guests always comment on how much they enjoy how the food brings them together, rather than dividing them, with different sections for people from different ethnic, cultural or religious backgrounds. Our food really celebrates diversity. This is something very important and close to my heart: I moved to Birmingham with my partner because we enjoy the fact that ‘the world meets’ here on all levels – and people live and learn with and from each other. As a German national, I feel more welcome in Birmingham than all the other British cities I have lived in, and feel it is a great city to be part of.

Our food is inspired by cuisines from around the world: curries from South Asia, South East Asia and the Caribbean, as well as dishes from around the Mediterranean and the Americas and our own very popular versions of British favourites like sausage rolls and pie! I really enjoy picking up recipes from different cultures – and making them part of ChangeKitchen’s repertoire by putting my own stamp on them. And we still run our Five-a-day-on-a-budget cookery classes. We deliver them to community groups, housing associations, corporate teams and the general public. We often deliver them for free at community events – the essence of ChangeKitchen’s mission is to be part of a revolution that turns access to healthy eating away from a privilege to a right for everyone. I always introduce myself as an ‘anti-celebrity’ chef – I want to inspire people to cook meals that are healthy, easy and yummy – whatever their income.

I had to come onto [your Facebook] wall and shout loud about my latest experience with ChangeKitchen… DevelopmentKeys, Start Again Project and Winning Ways were all involved in running a recent football tournament for Reach at Power League in Birmingham. ChangeKitchen provided the food for more than 60 people playing in teams from Reach and Start Again and their supporters. ChangeKitchen were fantastic! The menu, flavours and exciting range were beyond anything we could have expected. It’s the third event I’ve attended at which ChangeKitchen provided the menu and I believe I could live on their food! Can’t wait for the next time…

- David Williamson, from our Facebook page

Social Enterprise Exchange 2012 – 1200 delegates

ChangeKitchen was selected as one of five caterers for this conference. “I have to say the lunch was outstanding, especially for such a large event. You could choose from a number of social enterprises and I went for ChangeKitchen’s excellent veggie chilli with wrap and coleslaw. It was yummy and I loved eating it.” There is also a fantastic video about the event, where we are featured – see www.is.gd/7p4Jua.

• Lucky 13 Bakehouse
• Cuffufle Chutney
• Wanton & Furious (chocolate)
• Capeling & Co. (charcuterie and cheese specialist)

We work together to promote our food – small local producers who believe in great taste. But don’t worry, we’re going to start serving sausages! Our vegetarian values are as important as ever, and we’re well known in the vegan community for our vegan options and all-vegan events. But we’re delighted to work closely with different partners over the whole range of our values: ethical business, social enterprise, fair trade, environmental, reducing food miles, small business, co-operation, affordable gourmet food, and of course no meat. Together we’re stronger!

Great Food magazine is a colourful quarterly publication with the latest on local food in the Midlands. It “celebrates local produce in the Heart of England, tells the stories of the people who bring it to your plates/glasses, and offers seasonal recipes. It also brings you restaurant reviews, events information and news from the local food and drink scene.”

We serve delicious food at your wedding or business event, not ethics, but if you share some of our values, that’s one more reason to get in touch with ChangeKitchen now about your next event! If you’re hesitating, read what our customers say.

You can find out more about the Vegan Society on their website, www.vegansociety.com.

Our Vegan Friendly logo from the Vegan Society

Birgit's stone soup recipe

And her’s what it looks like:

Photo of stone soup

There are five high-profile social enterprises nominated – but we are the only Birmingham-based one so we really need your vote! Please support us to win the £5K support package which will enable us to develop a tailored programme providing healthy-eating training for Fry Housing’s tenants including holistic support: helping those involved to fully re-engage with mainstream society.

Here’s why you should vote for us:

ChangeKitchen CIC is an event catering company providing fresher and healthier food for events whilst employing people affected by homelessness. The organisation also delivers healthy eating cookery workshops to the general public and community groups as well as corporate businesses. Based in the West Midlands, the business has so far provided employment for five people marginalised from the labour market, placements for 26 volunteers from similar backgrounds, and catered over 180 events. Their exchange project? To build a partnership with a local housing association to develop a tailored healthy-eating programme for tenants, support tenants towards employment, and to design a self-development programme for participants that re-engages them in mainstream society.

What is a QR code?

For those that haven’t come across these, QR (Quick Response) codes originated in Japan; they are two-dimensional and readable by free app barcode readers on a smart or android phone. Lots of advertisers are using these on billboards to grab your attention – but we think they’re a great way of getting information across. So why don’t you join the QR revolution and vote for us now! In this case the QR code links directly to the Social Enterprise Exchange site – to vote for ChangeKitchen simply scan in the code which will redirect you to SurveyMonkey™, select box 3 and click on the DONE button!

Or go to this link and vote for ChangeKitchen CIC.

Birgit receives the award from Deputy Lord Mayor Len Gregory

Birgit Kehrer, Director of ChangeKitchen said: “Healthy eating and great food shouldn’t just be a privilege for those who can afford it, it should be a right for everyone, and ChangeKitchen is part of the revolution that is making that happen! How many people know that inside the Fireside building just opposite Birmingham’s wholesale market, is a professional catering outfit cooking up great tasting, organic, vegan and vegetarian food for events for between 10 and 400 people – from corporate canapés to celebration feasts – all ethically sourced and produced? Not only that, we are offering employment opportunities and training to others furthest from the job market.” She added: “our food celebrates diversity and is inspired by cuisines from around the world: curries from South Asia, South East Asia and the Caribbean, as well as dishes from around the Mediterranean and the Americas and our own very popular versions of British favourites like sausage rolls and pies! As a team we really enjoy picking up recipes from different cultures – and making them part of ChangeKitchen’s repertoire by putting our own stamp on them.”

(Strictly speaking, ChangeKitchen is a caterer rather than a restaurant – the Midlands’ finest! Contact us and let the restaurant come to you. It’s not just for greenies and veggies – meat eaters enjoy our vegetarian food so much they don’t miss the meat at all. As we cater for special diets as well – vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free – it’s a way of getting everyone round the same table.

It’s the world’s biggest event for those running a social enterprise or interested in doing so. We are honoured to be selected as the vegetarian caterer. As usual, we will be providing vegan and gluten-free options, and will ensure that most other dietary needs are catered for too. We love making the healthy stuff delicious!

To read more about the event see socialenterpriseexchange.com

or read on for details. Just to get your mouths watering! Whatever winter festival you want to celebrate this year, a buffet like this will brighten it up no end. We can’t really imagine anyone walking away from a meal like this and saying “Where was the Christmas turkey?” But it takes all sorts!

French Onion Soup served with Freshly Baked Bread and Butter

Festive Cashew and Brazil Nut Roast
or
Butternut Squash Stuffed with Mixed Mushrooms
or
Greek-inspired SpanakopitaSpinach and Feta Strudel
All served with home-made ChangeKitchen Vegetarian Gravy and a Selection of Fresh, Roast Vegetables

Apple Juice Glazed Parsnips and Carrots
Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Mustard Marinade
Bavarian Roast Red Cabbage
Roast Rosemary Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Creamy Celeriac and Parsley Mash
Selection of Crudités and Dips
Pepper Roasted Roman Kral and Squash Soup
Locally sourced Cheese Board served with ChangeKitchen’s own Autumn Chutney and Crackers

Sweet Mince Strudel served with Cream or Vanilla Ice-Cream
OR
Heavenly Chilli and Ginger Chocolate Mousse served with a Selection of Fruit
£14.95 per head.
Correct at the time of publishing. Get in touch for more details!