Our Story

At the start of 2020 Covid changed the world, including having a large impact on food poverty in Hackney. Without the help of a support system, many vulnerable people were struggling in lockdown. Those who relied on friends and family for food were left isolated and trapped. Local communities rallied, connecting those who could help with those who needed it.

We started as a message in a Mutual Aid WhatsApp group. Someone was worried their brother wouldn’t have anything to eat that night as his usual support system was closed off due to Covid. Ali, our founder, replied without hesitation, asking if the Curried Chicken & Hard Foot that she was already cooking was okay. Luckily, Caribbean food was his usual cuisine and unknowingly, Carib Eats was born.

Ali and a group of friends (Tan, Chan & Mich) realised there was a much wider need and that many people across Hackney were in a similar situation. Covid was only exacerbating the already widespread food poverty. A collective was formed and began organising referrals and deliveries. Initially with 10 meals being prepared in Tan & Chans’s kitchen once a week with Ali and Mich delivering.

Soon, their kitchen wasn’t enough. A partnership was formed with Ewart, from Ewarts Jerk in Gillet Square. This became the hub of Carib Eats as delivery volunteers on bikes would arrive at the square every Monday to collect the meals.

As the first lockdown lifted and life sped up once again, the original team disbanded.

The weeks went on and the referrals grew and a new team formed around Carib Eats. Ali gained a dedicated Logistics Manager, Social Media/ PR manager, and a coach to guide her. As well as someone to help write the funding applications and Andrea & Jane to call the recipients midweek to check in and have a catch up. Carib Eats even gained a space to use as an office thanks to St Thomas’s Church, Clapton.

However, with a growing waiting list at nearly twice our current capacity, we had to change to enable growth. We thanked Ewart for all of his hard work and created a pool of Community Cooks. Thanks to the National Food Service we gained a kitchen space to use every Tuesday.

Nearly a year on from our first delivery, we have provided 3,000 meals, 3,000 cakes and formed a community of people in Hackney who Cook, Connect and Chat. As of now, bringing the process in house, enabling us to sell our food in the future, providing a stable income to sustain Carib Eats and further grow the community.

In 2021, we want to support all those on our waiting list, secure funding from the council and expand to other boroughs and diversify our reach. Additionally, we hope to introduce Carib Eats Spice Mixes and a Carib Eats ECookbook to solidify Carib Eats as more than just a meal. With the generous support of people like you, we can do it!

If you’re interested in getting involved, we love ideas brought to us by the Hackney community, so if you’ve got an idea and the skills to make it happen, get in touch and get involved with the Carib Eats Community.

Want to hear more? Listen to an interview by Hackney Social Radio. We’re on at 24.30 but have a listen to the full episode!