A NEW community hot food project is set to warm bellies in Crewkerne in the New Year.

Volunteers from the group Open Doors – set up by Crewkerne Community Kitchen which has distributed surplus food in the town since July 2020 – will create meals once a week for the wider community to enjoy.

The meals will use some of the ingredients the community kitchen receives from shops and donors.

These ‘winter warmer’ sessions will take place from 11am to 2pm each Thursday morning at the George Reynolds Centre, with the first taking place on January 2.

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The meals are available for a voluntary contribution of £3. The sessions are being supported by Somerset Community Foundation’s Help Through Winter fund.

Organisers said the sessions will feature a “surprise” new item – a Crewkerne Crimper – but added people will need to attend the sessions to find out what it is.

Michael Fox, who chairs Open Doors, said: “We will be turning the Beech Suite, the large room at the George Reynolds Centre, into a warm space where everyone will be welcome to come and enjoy a hot drink and a nourishing meal.

“The grant money will pay for a cook to lead the sessions, but we also need help with preparing the food and providing hot drinks, setting up tables and so on.

“If you would like to get involved, come along after 9.30am on January 2 and we’ll find you something fun to do.”

“We at Open Doors see this as another step on our journey towards setting up a thriving community hub that provides a warm welcome to everyone in the area.

“We would love you to get involved to help us make this vision a reality.”

You can find out more about the project by visiting the Open Doors website or keeping an eye on the Crewkerne Community Kitchen on Facebook page.