Providing wholesome, home-cooked meals for everyone, while celebrating and supporting our local growers - welcoming everyone and anyone to come and use the freezer
The community freezer, now located in Y Stiwdio, was set up a couple of years ago to provide delicious, home-cooked meals for anyone who needs them. Over the past year, we moved it into our much loved sustainable arts centre, so that people passing by or using Y Stiwdio can easily grab an evening meal. The freezer is open to all, designed to bridge the gap for those short on time or income.
The community freezer initiative aims to offer a solution—supporting people during challenging times while celebrating and uplifting our incredible local growers, who provide fresh, nutritious produce year-round.
How It Works
Every few weeks, Jemma Vickers, our talented local community chef, leads a cooking session at Canolfan Hermon. Passionate about community cooking and supporting short food chains, Jemma works closely with local growers to source fresh, seasonal produce. Along with a team of volunteers, she prepares 2 to 4 different dishes to stock the freezer, which is then available to anyone who needs it. If you can pay, we ask for a small contribution to help sustain the project. For those facing tough times, you’re welcome to make an optional donation or simply take a meal—no questions asked. This initiative is currently funded by the Cwm Arian Community Wind Turbine. When energy prices were higher last year, we had some surplus income, part of which we invested in this project. Any donations made for the meals go directly back into supporting and growing the initiative.
Jemma prepares a variety of dishes from her extensive repertoire, including curries, stroganoff, winter stews... the list is endless. It is always worth coming along to help and treating the session as a cooking skills workshop, you will learn loads and have recipes to take away if you jot them down as you go! To stay up-to-date with the cooking sessions, the best way is to join the small WhatsApp group, where dates for upcoming cook-ups are announced. If you're interested, just email Heather, and she’ll add you to the group so you can keep informed.
Jemma is a well-loved local community cook, known for her catering and feasts. When she’s not in the kitchen with us or elsewhere, she’s making wine with her husband at their award-winning Hebron-based vineyard (well worth a visit for a tour and tasting!). Jemma is also involved in the exciting project Ein Cegin, an initiative that’s shifting the food industry towards slower, shorter food chains—another project well worth checking out!
The Local Growers
Just name a few - we regularly get amazing produce and meat from Swn y Coed, Nevern Valley Veg, C&M Organics, Ken Davis. As well as these amazing suppliers, we also support numerous small holders in the area.
We believe buying local is key to building resilient communities. By keeping money within the community, we not only support local growers but also get access to top-quality, freshly picked produce that maintains all its nutrients.
Get Involved
Cooking sessions are open to everyone, no experience is necessary! Join Jemma to learn new recipes and be part of the project. If you’d like to help with cooking or keep up with session announcements, get in touch with Heather at heather@cwmarian.org.uk, or join the CARE mailing list to see the date announcements.
This project isn’t just about food—it’s about fostering community, supporting local growers, and making sure everyone has access to good, healthy meals. So, whether you’d like to cook, donate, or just grab a meal, everyone is welcome.
Come along, lend a hand, or simply enjoy a meal!
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