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Peckham Supply Kitchen is changing lives in South London with weekly hot meal deliveries and community care. Discover how this grassroots initiative is rebuilding the borough from the inside out.
“We’re about raising a village and building a bigger community.”Founded by two childhood friends from Camberwell, Peckham Supply Kitchen has grown from a response to the cost-of-living crisis into a weekly ritual for vulnerable South Londoners. With hot meals, cultural care, and a whole lot of heart, their mission is simple: show up and serve, especially during Christmas, when community matters most.
In 2022, Dean ‘Fos’ Foster and Junior ‘Jud’ Mohammed, who met at secondary school in Camberwell, launched what would become a small but deeply rooted community food initiative in Peckham. What began as a response to the UK’s cost of living crisis has grown into a weekly ritual for some of the area’s most vulnerable residents.
As household costs surged, Dean says many families were forced to choose between “gas and electric or shopping” and that by providing hot meals and groceries, the kitchen helps remove at least one of those impossible decisions.
“We’re about raising a village and building a bigger community — something I feel has been lost in our demographic today,” Fos told us.
The pair focused on Carolina Estate, a 55+ housing community where many residents are reluctant or unable to leave their homes to access food. It was this reality that shaped the initiative’s defining approach 'Door2Door Wednesdays'.
Every Wednesday, the team delivers hot meals alongside food boxes directly to residents’ doors. The meals reflect cultural familiarity and care, think jollof rice, ground provision, fruit, and essential items like milk, food that feels both nourishing and recognisable.
At first, the response from the estate was cautious, with residents reluctant to open their doors to people they didn’t know. But with consistency, that hesitation faded. Week by week, trust was built. Now, many residents actively look forward to Wednesdays, anticipating not just the food but the warm moments of connection that come with it.
Beyond Carolina Estate, the initiative also extends to Peckham Square on Friday afternoons, operating as an open food provision for the wider community.
The initiative runs with a small, intimate group of volunteers, giving it a warm, familial atmosphere.
Angelique, one of the volunteers, is a fashion designer who’s used to frontline roles within the arts. This work, largely behind the scenes, was a shift but one she embraced because of the cause.
“South London raised me, so even though I’ve moved out, I still think it’s important to give back to the community.”
Support has also come from within the founders’ own families. Jud’s younger brother Jojo is involved, and Fos’ father helps whenever he can. Local chefs and restaurants have contributed their time, skills, and resources, improving the quality and sustainability of the meals.
In the early days, food sourcing was organised through community hubs, including Meeting House Lane, with hot food supplied by White Men Can’t Jerk. For six months, preparation and distribution were run out of the kitchen at Mercato Metropolitano, helping establish a consistent base for operations.
Christmas is one of the busiest, most emotional times for PSK.
Beyond their Wednesday deliveries, they serve hot meals on Christmas Day, from Mercato Metropolitano, and host community provisions in Peckham Square on Fridays.
This year marks their fourth consecutive Christmas running the initiative, and with each year, the impact grows, welcoming new faces and reaching more of the Southwark community.
What Fos and Jud have built isn’t just a food programme. It’s a relationship-based service, rooted in reliability, cultural understanding, and showing up.
“This is about more than meals — it’s about presence.”
As natives to the area, they’ve witnessed firsthand how a once strong sense of community has gradually eroded. This work is what energises them: a way of giving back to the place that raised them and of helping to keep that spirit of community alive for generations to come.
Want to support Peckham Supply Kitchen? Here’s how:
This Christmas, PSK is trying to reach more people with hot meals, comfort, and connection. Every bit of support counts.
See how two friends and a few hot meals grew into something that’s feeding an entire borough.
"These are the people who show up. This is TSB Hidden Heroes."
Know a community hero or local org making real impact? Tag us @TheShadeBorough or email us — we’re always looking for the next story to spotlight.
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