SE Kitchen in Ramsgate: A one-stop shop for affordable food and host of support services

New commercial fridges and freezers and display racks are not the only improvements that have been made at the SE Kitchen at St George’s Church hall in Ramsgate.

Services at the venue have also been expanded to offer not just the social supermarket but a one-stop shop for advice on everything from finding work, navigating the housing and benefits system to healthy eating and household budgeting.

The shop began life in 2020 under Our Kitchen on the Isle of Thanet scheme. It was taken over by Social Enterprise Kent CIC (SEK) in October last year and has undergone some big changes to offer a wide range of support.

Food project manager Tasha Hart took on her role at the beginning of September after already working for SEK in Ramsgate on a Helping Hands Project which offered support with finances, work or digital skills. That scheme ended in August but has fed into a new Cost of Living Support programme, funded by East Kent NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust, aimed at helping people to not only eat well but to manage many other aspects of daily life.

Tasha said: “I was working on the Helping Hands project upstairs (in the hall) and receiving referrals through local organisations and also from the shop and volunteers for people who needed additional help. The Cost of Living project is broader and covers east Kent.”

Colleague Seb Reilly added: “Our work is to help in whatever ways we can to help improve health inequalities.

“We will help people with things like budgeting and improving health on a long-term basis in the Ramsgate shop and the Margate SEK office.”

The shop is, of course, an integral part of the offer. Goods come from FareShare, local gleaners and businesses such as Thanet Earth and are offered at around 60% of the usual supermarket retail price.

Tasha said: “We are not a food bank. The traditional food bank does not solve the problem and is not sustainable because it relies on donations all the time. After covid there was a surge and potential for support to run food banks but that has now gone although the need is still there.

“We aim to help with prices that are more affordable and can also signpost people to other SEK services or other organisations that can help, such as Porchlight, the Salvation Army and the Job Centre. We are now a one stop shop.”

The social shop is open to everyone, no membership or registration is required. Tasha said: “There are no questions, no judgement, anyone who needs to shop here is more than welcome. Anyone who needs to make their money go further can come here.

“We buy most of our supplies from FareShare and a couple of other providers and we also receive donations. FareShare has been hit by supermarkets not having so much surplus which means we feel the impact of that too.

“We are being creative and finding ways to build links with local producers and sellers. Thanet Earth is fantastic and makes a donation every week and the Deal gleaners provide what they can, when they can as well but we are desperate for more fresh produce and would like to forge connections with local producers and suppliers who may have surplus.”

Alongside the shelves of products ranging from toiletries to cereals and frozen goods, the SE Kitchen offers £1 bags of fresh produce and, although not operating as a food bank, there is a crisis cupboard to help anyone in urgent need.

But the main ethos is for people to have choice and dignity, being able to make their money stretch but still buying foods they want.

Tasha said: “It is dignity of choice, making people’s money go further and empowering residents to be able to eat healthy food and to be in control of what and how they eat and where they buy from.

“There is also always a friendly face here so people can come and have a chat. We have our shop managers Angel Brooks and Angela Growth-Seary and an amazing team of volunteers.”

Shoppers are also doing their bit as everything that is bought provides funds to buy in for the next lot of customers.

The SE Kitchen has extended opening hours and is now open 9am to 4pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 10.30am to 4pm on Wednesday and Friday and 9am to 12.30pm on Saturday.

SEK and Produced in Kent are also currently leading the Kent Food Partnership with the aim of championing access to healthy affordable food for all as well as supporting businesses to reduce supply chains and barriers to food. The partnership also includes local government, public health, Kent Universities, food and drink business representatives and community groups.

Initial aims are to tackle food poverty, promote healthy eating and sustainable products and to reduce waste – something that also applies to the shop. Last month the partnership submitted an application for Kent to become a sustainable food place:

SEK is hoping to encourage donations of items such as tinned food, cereals, toiletries and long life milk, for the crisis cupboard and would also like to hear from businesses that want to help out with donations towards the new freezers or would like to help as a supplier.