Changing Lives Through Cooking with King’s Arms Project

Food etc is a charity that empowers people to make better food choices by teaching them how to cook healthy, affordable meals from scratch. Their work goes beyond nutrition — it’s about building confidence, creating connections, and inspiring independence through food. One of their most impactful partnerships has been with King’s Arms Project, a charity that tackles homelessness, displacement, and isolation. Through several series of engaging cookery workshops, Food etc has helped transform the lives of individuals supported by King’s Arms Project’s Pathways Community.

The Pathways Community is a central part of King’s Arms Project’s mission. It offers a welcoming, inclusive environment where people can rebuild their confidence, discover new interests, and feel a sense of belonging. Participants are often navigating significant life challenges — from homelessness to isolation — and the Pathways programme provides access to a wide range of courses and activities designed to support personal growth and community engagement.

The partnership between Food etc and King’s Arms Project began with a series of virtual cookery workshops. These sessions were created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that support and connection could continue even during lockdowns. Members of the Pathways Community could join from their own homes, using basic kitchen equipment and simple ingredients.

These online workshops proved to be a gentle but powerful way for people to connect. Without the pressure of being in a room full of strangers, participants could explore new recipes and ideas, ask questions, and begin to engage. For some, it was the first step towards rebuilding confidence and routine — cooking for themselves and starting to open up to others.

Encouraged by the success of the virtual programme, Food etc began offering in-person courses, first in hired venues and later at King’s Arms Project new home, which features a purpose-built kitchen. This new space became the perfect environment for deeper engagement. It allowed participants to work together, learn hands-on skills, and enjoy the sensory experience of cooking and sharing food as a group.

Over time, Food etc has delivered 12 courses of cookery workshops for the Pathways Community. Each course has offered something unique — from exploring dishes from around the world to recreating childhood favourites, making vegetable-based meals, experimenting with different styles of soups and pies, or learning healthier alternatives to takeaway food.

Micha Strange, Pathways Learning & Engagement Coordinator at King’s Arms Project said: “We have loved working with Food Etc. They have been great in engaging with our clients by chatting to them, answering any questions, giving informed cooking/food tips, and just having a good old banter or natter.

“We have watched and learnt from them to create our own in-house cooking course having permission to use Food Etc’s easy and nutritious recipes.

“Many of our clients have appreciated the cooking course big time saying they have learnt a lot, it helped with their mental health, increased their confidence somewhat in cooking skills, improved their overall self-confidence and enjoyed coming together with other people. The majority said that because of this course they would cook again. Result. One client remarked that this has reignited their desire to cook for themselves again. The same client has loved handing out the food they cooked for others to taste and have a little bit of a lunch or a snack.”

While the recipes varied, every course shared a common goal: bringing people together. Cooking provided the framework, but it was the conversations, the laughter, and the shared meals that create lasting impact. Participants worked side-by-side to prepare food, tried new ingredients, shared memories, and built meaningful connections.

One course focused on “variations on a theme” — teaching several different ways to prepare a single type of meal, such as pies. This approach encouraged creativity and gave participants a sense of mastery over a basic skill. Another popular course focused on vegetable-based meals, helping people see how they could eat healthily on a tight budget.

The courses have helped participants feel more capable in the kitchen and more confident in themselves. Some now cook regularly at home, eat more healthily, and even cook for friends and family. The process has sparked a renewed sense of purpose and pride.

Food etc’s partnership with King’s Arms Project is a shining example of how cooking can change lives. Through a mix of virtual and in-person workshops, tailored to the needs of the Pathways Community, they’ve helped people reconnect with themselves and others. The kitchen has become a place of learning, laughter, and belonging — a reminder that with the right support, everyone can discover their own value and potential.

Food etc founder and director Julie Clay concludes: “Our courses had a range of meaningful impacts on people from the King’s Arms Project’s Pathways Community. And we are delighted that we have passed on sufficient skills and knowledge to enable their in-house team to run their own cookery workshops from now on. So, we really have empowered them to help the people they support make better food choices which perfectly encapsulates our mission.”