Younis – Guest
A self-proclaimed food critic, Younis is known for rating each meal out of 10.
101
101
Chandana and Dan met while volunteering at FoodCycle Thornton Heath, where their shared passion for cooking blossomed into romance.
Dan has always had a passion for cooking and whilst at university he was keen to find a volunteering opportunity that would enable him to use and develop his culinary skills, as well as the chance to meet new people, outside of his course. This is when he came across FoodCycle, he loved the different people that he got to meet and the challenge of creating a new meal each week. After volunteering for a year, Dan then moved to an area where there wasn’t a FoodCycle so his volunteering was on pause for a while.
When he moved back to London in 2023, finding his local FoodCycle community meal was one of his top priorities. “One of the reasons I moved was because I really missed volunteering, it’s such a great way to meet people and so I was delighted to be back volunteering with FoodCycle again.”
After a few sessions volunteering at FoodCycle Thornton Heath, he then met fellow volunteer Chandana.
Chandana had been volunteering with FoodCycle for almost a year after a friend in America had volunteered for a similar organisation and recommended it. “It was really fun, I’ve always loved cooking so this was the perfect opportunity for me, plus it was only 10 minutes away from where I was living.”
For both of them, volunteering was always an opportunity to be able to meet people but neither of them expected to find a romantic partner whilst volunteering.
Dan says “I’ve never been interested in dating apps and whilst I wasn’t actively using volunteering to meet someone, it had crossed my mind that I could meet someone. Being around people who have similar interests, you’d hope that might happen.”
Chandana had been dating for a while but it definitely wasn’t something that was on her mind when she first met Dan. “I was chatting with another volunteer, talking about having lived in America, that I had done MBA and mentioned my Physics degree, which is what I think got Dan really interested in the conversation. Later on Dan, also a Physics graduate, was making a salad dressing and he wanted vegan mayo to help stabilize it and my immediate thought was, ‘ooo someone’s been reading Kenji.’ (a food writer) That really impressed me.”
The spark really started to blossom for Dan when Chandana impressed him with her five-spiced parsnips recipe. “She’d wanted to make honeyed parsnips but there wasn’t any honey, so in true FoodCycle style she substituted it with five-spice. I thought that was really clever and from the conversations we’d had earlier, she was really interesting, clearly smart, plus the parsnips tasted delicious!”
Having been impressed by her cooking skills, Dan reached out to her and asked if she wanted a coffee.
“At first, I thought he just wanted to talk careers” Chandana says “But when we met, just two days after volunteering together, I knew that this had the possibility of being something more. I had been dating for a while but found dating apps almost like shopping, people weren’t really interested, just browsing, not wanting to meet. So to meet someone in such a natural way, who then had the courage and interest to ask me out on a date, was a real breath of fresh air.”
One date turned into two and then as they say, the rest is history. Dan and Chandana continue to volunteer together at FoodCycle Thronton Heath. They have also just moved in together and will be celebrating with a housewarming that includes fellow FoodCycle volunteers. (And hopefully some five-spiced parsnips).
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Do you leave a treat out for Father Christmas? Well, the Easter Bunny deserves some love too. 🥕🐰
We think this carrot cake recipe is perfect for Easter weekend.
Did you know you can scale this recipe up or down by changing the number of portions?
Try it yourself via the link in the bio.
Make sure to tag us in any of your baking creations.
#CarrotCake #EasterBunny #EasterReciope #EasterTreat #Cakes #EasterFood #FoodCycle
Double your impact. Fight food waste. Feed communities. 💚
We’re thrilled to be part of The Big Give Green Match Fund, launching next Tuesday!
🌱 From 22nd to 29th April, every pound you donate to FoodCycle through The Big Give will be match-funded.
In partnership with the Environmental Funders Network (EFN), this incredible campaign supports charities tackling urgent environmental issues – and we’re proud to be one of them.
Your donations will help us:
🥦 Rescue surplus food
🍽️ Serve hot, nutritious meals
🤝 Bring communities together
Let’s turn food waste into something wonderful.
🔗 Find out more and get ready to donate via the link in the bio
#TheBigGive #GreenMatchFund #FoodCycle #Sustainable #Comunity #GreenProjects
Not into cooking? No problem!
You can support us and our projects in many ways, and cooking up a storm is just one of them.
You could:
🥕 Collect and deliver surplus food
🥕 Be a host and welcome people
🥕 Fundraise to support our vital work
Of course, you can get involved in the kitchen by cooking, preparing, cleaning up, and everything in between.
Got more questions about volunteering? Head over to the link in the bio
You can also help support us by following us and sharing our posts.
#Volunteer #Community #VolunteerOpportunities #VolunteerRoles #CommunityMeal
Thanks to your energy, compassion and dedication, our 2024 Impact Report is bursting with achievements worth celebrating 👏
Here’s what you helped make happen last year:
🍽️ 162,991 meals served, made from surplus food
🌍 320 tonnes of food saved from waste
💪 Over 8,700 volunteers gave 162,810 hours of their time
🏫 20 new projects launched, including 3 in schools
📈 30% more guests came to share food and conversation
🏆 We were named Charity of the Year – twice!
None of it would be possible without our amazing volunteer community. Whether you cooked, hosted, collected food or cheered us on – you’ve made a real, lasting difference.
Want to see the full impact, read inspiring guest stories and find out what’s next?
👉 Tap the link in bio
#FoodCycle #Sustainable #ImpactReport #Community #CommunityMeals #Landfill
A big shout out to the team at the Reading Project!
One of the guests reached out to offer some lovely words of support.
"Please mention the Reading team. They have not been going long, but they do an amazing job. All the volunteers are friendly and it is a lovely community. Thank you Reading!"
Well done to everyone involved with the Reading Project :-)
#Reading #ReadingCity #ReadingFoodcycle #Foodcycle #CommunityMeal
This week (and every week at FoodCycle) is National Food Waste Action Week. 🌎
So we just wanted to remind you that our community meals are cooked up using surplus food that was otherwise headed for the bin 😮
This week at our Kingstanding community meal 34 guests enjoyed a menu of...
🥕 Veggie loaded soup
🍝 Sunday roasts with Cauliflower cheese
🍰 Cake and Custard
Small changes make a BIG impact! Whether it`s blending come extra veg into soup or finding creative ways to use surplus ingredients, every action helps.
#FoodWasteActionWeek
Food Waste Action Week: Make the Most of Your Food! 🥕🍞🥦
Did you know that here at FoodCycle we have a whole section of delicious recipes to help you reduce food waste? From using up leftovers to making the most of every ingredient, our recipes are here to help you save food, money, and the planet!
Check them out now this #FoodWasteActionWeek and transform your extras into something extraordinary.
🔗 Link in bio!
💚 This #InternationalWomensDay, we’re celebrating the incredible women who give their time, energy, and passion to FoodCycle community meals.
#AccelerateAction, reminds us that real change happens when people step up. These inspiring volunteers do just that - taking action in their communities and making a real difference.
🌟 Joan – FoodCycle Middlesbrough Breckon Hill
Known as ‘Nan’ to many at her local FoodCycle project, (FoodCycle Breckon Hill in Middlesbrough), retired nurse Joan brings positive energy to everyone she meets as a hosting volunteer.
Joan says: “I like working with people, and feeling that I am being of some use. It’s wonderful, you meet lovely people and you’re helping your community… It’s just nice to know that you’ve helped somebody.”
🌟 Asli – FoodCycle Schools – Ark Globe, London
Asli is a FoodCycle hosting lead at the London school where she’s also a teacher. She finds joy in seeing pupils and their families coming together each week.
Asli says: “Ever since I first heard of it, I`ve been obsessed with FoodCycle! I just love the idea that we can make food out of what`s given to us, and share it with the community.”
🌟 Ashliegh – FoodCycle Salford
Ashleigh is a Project Leader, who has not only volunteered 270+ hours her local community meal, but also fundraised £3,000!
Ashleigh says: “FoodCycle is so important for our community because it brings people from all walks of life together. It’s for absolutely anyone and everyone, and we basically all just come together for one really lovely night and sit and have a chat and tell stories and swap stores and it really is just amazing.”
💚 To all the incredible women who power FoodCycle – thank you for your dedication, kindness, and action. You inspire us every day!
Want to join? Sign up to volunteer via #linkinbio
#FoodCycle #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2025 #Volunteering #Community
What a wonderful evening serving 23 guests at Prestwich.
Using surplus food our incredible team of volunteers served...
🥕 Thickly sliced root vegetable soup with bread
🥗 Italian pesto with @Quorn_uk, paprika, roasted potatoes, and a fresh side salad
🍎 Fruit salad with chocolate ice cream
Special shoutout to Lauren and Veronica for doing an incredible job hosting for the first time - well done!
Join your local team today 🔗 Link in bio
Registered charity No. 1134423 | Company limited by guarantee no. 7101349
Registered charity No. 1134423
Company limited by guarantee no. 7101349
