Who are THE GLEANERS?
Gleaner (n). a person who engages in gleaning, utilising crops and resources left behind in a harvest.
We are a not-for-profit workers’ cooperative based in Walthamstow. Since 2022, we have been running a plant-based community café which offers healthy, delicious food at a low cost, using rescued fresh ingredients that otherwise would have gone to waste.
Working closely with The Hornbeam Centre, we work to support the community around us and tackle issues like food inequality, poverty, and loneliness.
We also offer catering services, run community-focused events, and offer educational traineeships for those wanting to learn how to cook food for their communities.
SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY
Our model runs on a pay-what-you-can model, meaning people choose how much they pay based on their financial circumstances and experiences.
We believe that everyone should have access to healthy, nutritious food regardless of how much money they have.
Our cafe runs on the principle of ‘solidarity, not charity’, which means that instead of providing a one-way service to people, we actively involve our community in our work, focusing on collective empowerment. We are all part of the same struggle.