Grow, cook, eat and learn at new Kirkcaldy food hub

Greener Kirkcaldy is developing plans for a community food hub which will become a place for people to come together to grow, cook, eat and learn.
The walled garden at Ravenscraig Park is proposed as a site for a new community food hub in Kirkcaldy.The walled garden at Ravenscraig Park is proposed as a site for a new community food hub in Kirkcaldy.
The walled garden at Ravenscraig Park is proposed as a site for a new community food hub in Kirkcaldy.

It will be delivered across two sites, with a community kitchen in Kirkcaldy town centre, and a horticultural training centre at Ravenscraig Walled Garden.

The project will offer training, employment, volunteer and work experience opportunities, engagement with the community on healthy, sustainable food, and life-long learning around food production and preparation.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It will also include a base for a food co-op, promoting local and healthy produce, and could act as a distribution point for Kirkcaldy Food Bank.

“The idea for the Food Hub came about in 2014”, said Suzy Goodsir, development manager.

“We were inspired by the great interest in food and growing locally, and felt there was an opportunity to build on this, and improve the well-being and sustainability of our community.”

Greener Kirkcaldy, which is based on Kirkcaldy High Street, carried out a survey of 450 people, and spoke to local groups including Fife Council, NHS Fife, Fife Community Food Project, Kirkcaldy Food Bank and Kirkcaldy Community Gardens and Allotments.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It used the feedback to develop the plans for the food hub and appointed Arc Architects, a firm from Cupar and ERZ Landscape Architects from Glasgow to develop a masterplan for the site at Ravenscraig.

The food hub follows on from two pilot projects over the last year.

‘Living well on a budget’ was a six- week cooking course working with families on low incomes and ‘Food Works’ was an employability project.

Suzy said: “We’re currently looking at options for premises in the town centre, and working with Kirkcaldy Community Gardens and Allotments and Fife Council to make plans for future development of Ravenscraig Walled Garden.

“The garden is part of the historic landscape of Dysart House and Ravenscraig Park, so we consulted Fife Council’s Conservation Officer to ensure that its historic features are protected.”