Portstewart Men’s Shed hosts community cooking.

Members of Portstewart Men’s Shed have been busy in the kitchen for the last number of months cooking up delicious dishes from across the world.

The ‘Be Safe Be Well’ Community Kitchen, provides a space for those who do not have their own space to cook. It gives them the ability to try out recipes in a community setting and the culinary results are then shared with their Men’s Shed peers.

The initiative, which has received financial support as part of Council’s Asylum Dispersal programme and is funded by The Executive Office, enables relationship building, cultural exchange, and the common ground which food so often provides.

The Community Kitchen itself is open to men aged over 25, offering all kinds of flavours and cuisines to be cooked and eaten. The men in attendance are from the local area, which includes men who are seeking sanctuary.

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Ciarán McQuillan said: “It is always fantastic to visit outreach programmes like this within the Borough.”

Councillor McQuillan continued saying, “I very much enjoyed meeting members of the Portstewart Men’s Shed including those from different cultures each with their own unique story. The quality of cooking on display was incredible and it was great to see the variety of dishes from countries across the globe that were being served.”

The Mayor highlighted how important Men’s Sheds are. He called them a “vital” resource for the residents of our Borough and he expressed gratitude to all involved.  

Causeway Coast and Glens Good Relations Officer, Sara Glendinning called the Men’s Shed a “heartwarming initiative”. She continued stressing the importance of the initiative for men’s mental health saying, “It offers the men some independence, an outlet to provide hospitality to others and an opportunity to celebrate and share cultures.”

Catherine Taylor, Project Director of Be Safe, Be Well, added "I love to see people from other nations being able to cook food from their country and their home for local members of the community.”

Catherine continued saying, “It gives them a purpose for their day and acts as a tool for integrating with locals and others from different countries too – who might not have eaten food similar to their own for a long time.”

Catherine also gave thanks to the funding which was received from Good Relations, through The Executive Office which allows us Men’s Shed to provide ingredients for the food.

Causeway Coast and Glens Council would like to encourage other initiatives in the community who might experience food waste, to consider donating small amounts of excess ingredients to the Men’s Shed. To do so, please contact the Men’s Shed first, and if appropriate, they could be used to create delicious, home cooked meals.

Portstewart Men’s Shed is open from 10-3pm every Tuesday and Thursday and is located on Portstewart’s Central Avenue.

Further information can be found via the Be Safe Be Well website www.besafebewell.co.uk, or their Facebook site ‘Be Safe Be Well Men’s Sheds’. Alternatively, you can call Be Safe Be Well Programme staff on 028 777 69829.