Welcome to The Blend Culinary Foundation at Cambridge Street Collective (CSC)
The Blend Family offers a platform for talented and innovative chefs to bring authentic street food from around the world to the diverse communities of the UK through its food halls. At Cambridge Street Collective in Sheffield, the flagship venue, the team sought to do even more.
In 2007, the journey began at The Milestone in Kelham Island, where founders Matt and Nina noticed a stark contrast in their community. While guests happily paid £15+ for main courses, the same area was home to three food banks. This prompted them to launch the "buy a meal, give one back" initiative. As their business grew, so did the tally of meals donated, culminating in 17,500 meals given to local food banks by 2019, before the pandemic.
During lockdown, the kitchens at Cutlery Works in Kelham Island, Sheffield were utilized by the Blend Family to prepare meals for local food banks. This helped alleviate food poverty in the community, especially for children who missed out on school meals. Food collection points, "tap to donate" card readers, and kids-eat-free programs during school holidays were introduced to further support the cause.
Fast forward to the opening of Cambridge Street Collective in May 2024, the latest addition to the Blend Family portfolio. With a city-centre platform, Matt and Nina saw an opportunity to make an even greater impact. Thus, the Blend Culinary Foundation was born, with the long-term vision of eradicating food poverty throughout Sheffield.
At the heart of CSC’s vibrant and energetic food hall lies the Community Kitchen, a space dedicated to sharing, learning, and giving. With 18 fully equipped workstations, the Blend Culinary Foundation offers a wide range of activities, from tutored tastings and master classes to workshops and demonstrations. Every event provides an opportunity for guests to give back to the community, with all profits going towards the foundation’s goal of delivering 1 million meals.
Sheffield is known for its rich and diverse cultural heritage, and the Blend Culinary Foundation aims to support these communities by giving them a platform to share their unique food stories. With the Community Kitchen, locals can experience authentic meals from around the world, prepared with love and tradition by families steeped in culinary heritage.
When purchasing lunch from the Community Kitchen, diners not only enjoy an authentic meal but also give back to the community. Through this initiative, local mothers from different ethnic backgrounds can share their culinary skills, offering an opportunity to broaden the community's knowledge of lesser-known cuisines.
The Community Kitchen is also available for corporate events, providing a unique space for businesses to celebrate milestones, reward teams, or foster creativity and unity. These events help companies achieve their economic social governance (ESG) goals while supporting the foundation’s mission of eradicating food poverty in Sheffield.
The Blend Culinary Foundation is committed to supporting organizations like The Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust and The Trussell Trust via Sheffield S6 Foodbank. With continued community support, the foundation pledges to keep working towards its goal of delivering One Million Meals and eradicating food poverty, insecurity, and child holiday hunger in Sheffield.
Read more and explore BCF events here.
There is street level access with lifts to the various different levels of the building.
