Refettorio Antoniano Bologna, IT

Refettorio Antoniano was opened to expand the activities of an existing community kitchen in Bologna and serve nutritious meals cooked with surplus ingredients to families in situations of social vulnerability.

Eager to engage with a smaller local reality, In May 2016 Food for Soul partnered with the Antoniano Onlus, a non-profit organisation from Bologna, to expand the services offered by its community kitchen.

Designer Francesco Faccin from Slow Wood and a team of architects from the Studio Lucchi & Biserni transformed the old community kitchen into a friendly dining area creating a welcoming place for families and children to feel comfortable and at ease.

Thanks to the food surplus donated by local supermarkets, producers and artisans, every Monday night the new Refettorio Antoniano welcomes families with children who live in situations of social vulnerability and offers them a three-course dinner service cooked entirely by our staffed cook Jhonny. The dishes are served to the guests by a team of volunteers from the local community, who have helped create, thanks to their energy and positivity, a welcoming and joyful atmosphere.

Twice a month, we also invite professional chefs from the province of Bologna to volunteer in the kitchen and help Jhonny and his team with the preparation of the meals, sharing their skills and creativity with the staff of the Refettorio Antoniano, and helping us raise awareness in the community on the issues of food waste and social isolation.