Berwick's Northern Soul Kitchen to hold public meeting as it fights to stay afloat

Northern Soul Kitchen, which was formed six years ago with the concept of intercepting unsold food and creating pay-as-you-feel meals out of it and runs a café at 19 West Street, launched a Crowdfunder as it is in desperate needed of financial support.

Following some initial private donations, it set the online target of £18,000. However, despite support from around 100 people, it was not successful as whilst the Crowdfunder method allows money to be raised and handed over quickly, the full amount is needed for the cash to be released to a business, enterprise or individual.

But the team are not giving up and project manager Millie McRobbie announced this week that a public meeting is being organised for the middle of next month.

She added: “We have seen with the Crowdfunder that we do have a support network, so it’s a case of now coming up with new ideas for how best to use this network to keep us going.

“Those interested in helping us will be welcome to come along to the meeting and have their say – whether that is just ideas, or ideas and saying they would be willing to volunteer.

“As for the immediate future, we will be open as normal until Friday, December 23 and then closed for a festive period break until January 4 as we need a bit of a rest and time to reflect on what has happened, although there is the possibility of a pop-up shop between those dates if we are offered a large amount of surplus food. Check our Facebook page for any announcements.”

Northern Soul Kitchen stated on its Crowdfunder page that it would use the money to cover the increase in running costs it is having to deal with, ‘rejig’ the current premises, including the kitchen space, and purchase a ‘proper coffee machine so we can offer customers high-quality drinks’, among other measures.

However, none of the money would have been allocated for paying staff as the team felt it would ‘not be ethical’. It also felt that a smaller amount would just ‘plug the issue for a short while’.

Crowdfunder will process refunds and all donations will be returned in full.