Social and responsible catering in common spaces: from doing to training

The document contrasts the experience of shared catering at Yes We Camp with formal VET catering training (e.g. AFPA, France). While traditional programs focus on technical standards, common space kitchens teach relational skills, adaptability, and community care—skills often absent from conventional curricula.

A detailed mapping of roles reveals a wide spectrum of food-related work in commons:

• Kitchen manager / Chef: menu design, team leadership, financial management, hygiene oversight.
  
• Cook / Clerk: daily prep, service, collaboration.
  
• Bar staff / Bartender: service and public interaction, logistics, cash handling.
  
• Bar manager: inventory, compliance, team coordination.
  
• Coordinator: oversees strategy, partnerships, budgeting, and links catering to the broader mission of the space.
• Dishwasher: often the first step for volunteers, emphasizing inclusion and integration.

The organizational model values collaboration over hierarchy, and staff often come from diverse, non-traditional backgrounds—some trained on site, others learning by doing.

Methods and tools proposed are developed on the concept of inclusive, flexible, and solidarity-based food systems:

• Shared kitchens and “solidarity meals” are central to social engagement and food justice.
  
• Suspended meals and drinks allow contributions from patrons to support others in need.
  
• Spaces are used for both public service and family cooking during day programs, especially for vulnerable groups.
  
• Internal tools like shared supplier directories, pricing matrices, and common schedules support coherence across sites.

Beyond technical compliance (licensing, HACCP, etc.), the focus is on accessibility, autonomy, and care—especially through volunteer integration and multipurpose space use.

L’Asilo, a common space in Naples, dreams of a canteen that is collective, ecological, feminist, and accessible. Cooking is seen not just as a service, but as care work, often invisibilized. Despite interest, the project faces cultural and logistical barriers, such as minimal kitchen facilities.

Training at l’Asilo emerges through hands-on preservation and repair skills, as demonstrated during a May 2024 skill camp that included building a prototype mobile kitchen. The canteen is envisioned as a bridge between artists and neighborhood residents, helping shift l’Asilo from a cultural hub to a wider civic space.

The camp (May 27–30, 2024) brought together French architecture students and local actors to imagine and test a modular kitchen setup. Shared meals fostered connection and revealed both latent potential and a real need for an operational kitchen. Recommendations included: Gradual implementation of mobile units; Co-designed furniture and signage; Continued experimentation to define the most suitable model.

The final section proposes the outline for a training program in sustainable and solidarity-based catering, co-designed by commons actors and formal VET institutions:

Core principles:

• Combine technical instruction (budgeting, space design, hygiene) with immersive experiences and visits to model canteens.
  
• Emphasize peer learning, interdisciplinary teaching, and exposure to real common spaces.
  
• Address soft skills such as teamwork, responsibility, and social entrepreneurship.
  

A first pilot has been planned for February 2024 in Paris (Césure and Les Amarres), involving both VET students and participants in the DU Espaces Communs. The course will cover food ethics, economic models, and inclusive kitchen practices.