Talking Tables to combat loneliness

Bristol-based charity LinkAge Network has launched a new project, Talking Tables, which offers free six-to-eight week cookery courses to anyone over the age of 50.

Funded by Bristol Ageing Better, the courses provide “a fun and supportive environment for people to build confidence and engage in an activity that enables them to meet and socialise with other local people,” according to project co-ordinator Caroline McDonnell.

The Talking Tables sessions are being held at three city farms across Bristol – St Werburgh’s City Farm, Lawrence Weston Community Farm and Windmill Hill City Farm – and will run at different times throughout the year. The first sessions recently began at Windmill Hill City Farm, and the friendships between the participants grew just as well as the farm’s produce.

The project runs at three of Bristol’s city farms, and participants had a tour before they began cooking

Upon arriving at the farm’s outdoor kitchen, rustling leaves could be heard alongside the sound of farmyard animals and children’s laughter, and a timid black and white cat ran across the yard. As the morning summer sunshine beamed into the kitchen, the session began by making a list of what the attendees would like to cook, making sure to cater to all dietary needs.

This was closely followed by a tour of the farm and its facilities, including its greenhouse, community gardens, allotments, and each of the different farm animals housed on the site, from cows and goats to ducks and sheep.

The group split up to gather different ingredients for the meal, including collecting eggs from the chickens

Even before any cooking took place, the participants had a hands-on experience at the farm. After the tour they were split into groups to gather the ingredients needed for the dishes they were going to whip up – a tofu stir fry and an omelette.

Some went to harvest the vegetables, some went to pick the herbs, and some went to collect the freshly-laid eggs from the chicken pen before returning to the outdoor kitchen to chop and prepare the components.

The smell of pepper, garlic and chilli radiated from the chopping boards, and the fact that the ingredients came hand-picked straight from the farm’s gardens gave the process a welcoming element of freshness.

Members took turns at cooking the chosen dishes – tofu stir fry and an omelette

“I came today because I wanted to learn more recipes,” said 69-year-old Chris from Hanham, tucking into a plate of food. “I cook vegetarian food mainly and I wanted to learn how to cook more. And it’s a nice way to meet people and be in a lovely environment.”

‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’, the saying goes, but this didn’t apply here – the team of chefs worked like a well-oiled machine, and by the end of the session people who didn’t know each other previously were sat around a table, eating a delicious and nutritious meal and conversing like childhood friends.

Talking Tables cookery sessions are taking place at St Werburgh’s City Farm on Thursdays until August 23, and at Lawrence Weston Community Farm from Tuesday, September 25. Later in the year, a course for members of the LGBT+ community will run at Windmill Hill City Farm from Tuesday, October 9.

For more information on Talking Tables’ cookery sessions and how to book, contact Caroline on 0117 353 3042.