25th Anniversary of Collective Kitchens:

25th Anniversary of Collective Kitchens:
Cooking together – a social activity that’s as good for your morale as it is for your stomach!

Montreal, March 21, 2007 – The Regroupement des cuisines collectives du Québec (RCCQ) is celebrating its 25th anniversary by inviting the public to come and discover the world of collective kitchens, on March 23 and 27, 2007.

With “25 ans, plus de 25 recettes, trucs et rêves” (25 years, over 25 recipes, techniques and dreams) as their theme, RCCQ collective kitchens are paying tribute to Jacynthe and Sylvie Ouellette, who in 1982, with the help of a neighbour, started Quebec’s first collective kitchen. Today, some 37,000 citizens are reaping the benefits thanks to the 1,400 collective kitchens now active throughout Quebec.

A Healthy Diet and Quality of Life are at the very Heart of the Collective Kitchen Movement

Over the years, collective kitchens have adapted to the needs of society. According to Germaine Chevrier, director general of the Regroupement des cuisines collectives du Québec, “collective kitchens came into being for essentially financial reasons. In keeping with the times, the collective kitchen concept now meets very important current needs such as learning to cook, making meals in advance to save time, and the need for healthier food. In our highly individualistic society, everyone is looking for ways to connect with others and feel a sense of community. A collective kitchen group is a way for people to come together to rediscover the joys of cooking and learn the fundamentals of a healthy diet.”

Contrary to the notion that collective kitchens are reserved exclusively for low-income women, collective kitchen participants increasingly include women and men of all ages, from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds, and children, who cook together and enjoy their culinary creations!

A Bit of History…

Since 1995, the number of collective kitchens has risen from 500 to 1,400, a 280% increase. Says Germaine Chevrier: “the growing interest among the public in healthy food has had a major impact on the community organizations that host the collective kitchen groups. Additional groups will need to be created to meet a skyrocketing demand. “There’s even a waiting list for some collective kitchens.”

To meet the growing demand, collective kitchens need stable funding. “Up to now, most collective kitchens have been funded in part or mostly through non-recurrent funding, for periods of 6 months to 3 years, following which their activities slow down or come to an end. We must engage in a never-ending search for funding. We do not benefit from statutory funding and must continually submit applications,” adds Germaine Chevrier. The Regroupement des cuisines collectives du Québec and its 1,400 collective kitchens urge the government to provide support to collective kitchens in the form of recurrent funding.

A Collective Kitchen is…

A collective kitchen is a small group of individuals who pool together their time, money and skills to prepare, in four stages (planning, purchase, cooking and evaluation) meals that are healthy, economical and appetizing. Together the participants choose recipes, compile a grocery list, and purchase supplies. They then cook together in a spirit of joy and pride to make meals that they take home to eat.

A collective kitchen is more than just a kitchen! The members acquire new knowledge and have an opportunity to get out of the house, meet new people, make friends, experience a sense of community, and have fun cooking appetizing, healthy meals together.

A collective kitchen is a wonderful environment for popular education. The values imparted are solidarity, democracy, equality, social justice, autonomy, self-sufficiency, respect and dignity. Collective kitchens are practical and beneficial, and there are collective kitchens for every taste and need: traditional, multiethnic, vegetarian, baby food, health-problem related (e.g., prescribed diets in the case of: diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.) and weight loss-oriented. They are intended for anyone interested in eating healthy food, enjoying better quality of life and getting involved in their community.

On March 23 and 27, 2007, the participants of collective kitchens from around the province invite the public to come and learn about the kitchens. On the program for the day, you can taste the RCCQ’s 25th anniversary brownie, “Une juste part du gâteau”, and discover the origins and benefits of collective kitchens.

To learn about an event in your area, please contact the collective kitchen closest to you. You’ll find their contact information on the list of member collective kitchens at the website of the Regroupement des cuisines collectives du Québec.

25th Anniversary of Collective Kitchens: