With the current cost of living crisis impacting hundreds of families across the region, one Dundee restaurateur is looking to create a more long-lasting solution to help those who need extra support.
Since opening The Selkie on Exchange Street two years ago, owner Kelly-Anne Fairweather has worked to help families who are struggling to get access to food. To date she has already given out more than 3,0000 meals.
After posting on her social media page during the pandemic that she wanted to help those in need and could offer free food like soup, scones and other items, Kelly-Anne received numerous messages and has since continues to offer a helping hand.
And now with the cost of living becoming increasingly more expensive Kelly-Anne has found more people than ever are reaching out to her for help.
Individuals are able to reach out by private messaging the business on social media or by calling the venue and requesting a meal. The meal will then be delivered to them free of charge.
Cooking on a budget
In the last three weeks Kelly-Anne has noticed the need is far more urgent and posted on LinkedIn to raise awareness and try and source additional donations.
Her longer term plan though is to help teach those who are struggling how to cook nutritional meals on a budget.
By doing so, not only will they have gained a vital life skill, but they will be equipped with the knowledge of making ingredients go further and reduce food waste.
But she can’t do it alone and is currently trying to source some sort of funding to help her do so.
Giving back to the community
With her strong food heritage coming from her African parents, Kelly-Anne has always had community at the heart of her business since she launched it.
She said: “We can give other people what we have been given.
“I’ve been given the ability to make food that tastes good and it’s a nice gift to give someone.”
The Selkie owner sees it as a blessing that people trust her enough to be able to come forward and ask for help.
She said: “I’m very privileged that people trust me enough to ask me for a meal and I’m privileged to be able to provide that .
“I’m a mum and I feel like so many people helped me when I was a young mum and struggling, so it’s time for me to give back.”
“When I was younger and had less money I would cook at home and use a slow cooker to make sure the kids had warm food for a cheap amount.
“People nowadays are scared of cooking from scratch.”
Recipe book
Acknowledging something needs to be done to help the local community, Kelly-Anne hopes to create a basic recipe book filled with cheap and wholesome dishes that will keep people full for hours.
She said: “People don’t know how to cook with what they are getting, and that’s not their fault, it’s just the way society has gone.
“But I do feel like you can flip a meal for a lot less if you have that understanding that ingredients, like a bag of lentils for example, can go a lot further than you think.
“Even when I’m cooking at home and I make shepherd’s pie, I add in a handful of lentils to bulk out the meal.”
Donating resources
In addition to trying to share her knowledge and skills with individuals, Kelly-Anne is eager to help in other ways and is asking the public to donate slow cookers or spices that can be given to families who are struggling.
“It is easy to put to put a plaster on the problem and feed someone for the night, but wouldn’t it be amazing if we could give them a slow cooker, some spices, and a few tins of food to get them started.”
Although The Selkie has donated and funded a lot of the support to date, with the current cost of living crisis impacting every business and every individual, there is only so much that one venue can do along.
Kelly-Anne says a slow cooker is priced at around £20 and some spices can be up to £20 or £30. Every donation will help make a difference, including second hand appliances which are still in good operable condition.
“We are too stretched to it ourselves right now and I don’t want to be at the point where I can’t manage,” explains Kelly-Anne.
For those interested in getting involved and donating equipment or spices please drop them off at The Selkie on Exchange Street during opening times.
The venue is open:
- Monday: 9am to 5pm
- Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday: 9am to 9pm
- Sunday 11am to 6pm
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