Manchester's "first food waste catering business" to launch crowdfund

The team, which cooks using produce from supermarkets and other food businesses that would otherwise be thrown away, is hoping to raise £50,000 to launch Open Kitchen MCR.

It follows the closure of RJFM’s first ‘pay what you like’ restaurant, which shut in the city this month after running for a year.​​

Open Kitchen MCR will offer several priced packages to corporate and private clients, creating buffets and canapes out of waste food, to help subside its work with charity and community partners.

It also plans to offer training and back to work support to marginalised people.

In its 50 week run the original RJFM restaurant stopped over 34 tonnes of food from going to waste, serving 29,128 meals to people across the city.

Now the team have partnered with a social housing provider to take a larger site in a currently unused commercial kitchen in their offices in Chorlton. The £50k funding will be used to buy equipment and create education and marketing materials.

“[By opening a larger venture] we hope to double the amount of food that we can save from going to waste,” says Open Kitchen MCR.

“Companies and individuals who choose our catering services will not only be choosing a sustainable option, they will also be supporting Manchester communities.”

The crowdfunding campaign will launch on 29 August. For more information see @realjunkfoodmcr on Twitter.