Cooking Up

Some superheroes wear capes, others wear aprons. 🦸‍♀️✨

A big 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨 to all our volunteers who sign up for our cooking classes each week, put on their grey Cooking Up aprons, and share their enthusiasm for supporting participants to cook a delicious meal to take home. 🙌🎉

In 2025, our team contributed an incredible 1,227 volunteer hours, which meant 1,484 portions of delicious and nutritious food were taken home by our participants.

But the true impact goes way beyond the food—our amazing volunteers are fun, friendly, and create a warm, welcoming space for those who join. They build community, one recipe at a time.

We couldn't do it without our amazing team of volunteers!! ❤️

Friday fajitas - something fun to start the weekend.
𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗷𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀
Serves 4

These spicy veggie wraps are an easy family meal, full of protein and super tasty too

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
1 red onion
1 red pepper
1 small, sweet potato
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 x 400g black or mixed beans (drained and rinsed)
1 small tin of sweetcorn (drained)
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, plus ½ tin water
60g cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Pack of 4 large or 8 small tortillas
150ml natural yoghurt

Like 🧡 & comment 'recipe' and we’ll send you the recipe link.

This , we’re highlighting the incredible link between volunteering and wellbeing. 🌟

At Cooking Up, our volunteers are the heart of everything we do—but the benefits go both ways! Research shows that volunteering can be a "win-win" for your health. A major study by the NCVO found that 𝟳𝟳% 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 through their service, while 74% reported a significant boost in confidence. 📈

Whether it’s gaining new skills in the kitchen or the simple joy of connecting with others, volunteering is a fantastic way to improve both your mental and physical health.

Meet us next week! If you’ve been thinking about giving back, come and meet the Cooking Up team at the Richmond Volunteer Fair 2026. It’s the perfect, low-pressure environment to learn about our volunteer roles and see if we’re the right fit for you.

📅 Date: Wednesday 20th May
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
📍 Location: RHACC, Parkshot, Richmond TW9 2RE
🔗 Register for your free ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/richmond-volunteer-fair-2026-tickets-1984481024164

𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆! 🍲✨

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝘆 𝟯 𝗩𝗲𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮
Serves 4

The perfect comforting supper, tasty and healthy too!

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
1 leek (washed)
Small or ½ a head of broccoli
30g butter
120g cheddar cheese
30g plain flour
400ml semi-skimmed milk
3 tablespoons frozen peas
1 tablespoon French mustard
Salt and pepper
400g dried pasta (macaroni or penne)

Like 🧡 & comment 'recipe' and we’ll send you the recipe link.

𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 Richmond CVS 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲!

Curious about volunteering or looking for a rewarding new opportunity?

Meet 50+ local charities & community groups under one roof & discover a huge range of roles you could make a difference with, including Cooking Up.

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝘆, 𝟮𝗽𝗺 - 𝟲𝗽𝗺.
RHACC, Parkshot, Richmond, TW9 2RE

https://bit.ly/47QiJH7

𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮
Serves 4

Fresh and vibrant, this Spanish-inspired dish is packed full of flavour!

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
1 large onion
1 large pepper
2 courgettes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves
320g cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
200g paella rice
700ml water
1 vegetable stock cube
200g frozen peas
1 lemon
20g fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

Like 🧡 & comment 'recipe' and we’ll send you the recipe link.

Local charity Cooking Up are offering free, five week cooking classes teaching people in Richmond how to cook healthy meals from scratch 🥦

New classes in Ham, Whitton and Hampton Hill get underway in mid-June!

Find out more and register ⬇️
https://orlo.uk/BMBQz

A huge thank you to for their continued support of Cooking Up! 💛

Thanks to the team at 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗬𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵, we have a secure space to keep everything organised. Their support helps us focus on what we do best: bringing people together in Richmond to cook healthy, delicious meals.

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗲𝗮 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝘆 & 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗮
Serves 4

Full of protein and fibre, this simple curry goes perfectly with the cooling cucumber yoghurt.

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
1 large red onion
1 thumb ginger (20g)
1 green chilli
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
300g basmati rice
2 x 400g tins of chickpeas (drained)
200g passata
100ml water
200g fresh or frozen spinach
¼ cucumber
A handful of mint leaves
200g thick natural yoghurt
Salt and pepper

Like 🧡 & comment 'recipe' and we’ll send you the recipe link.