Do you like cheap and delicious food?
Do you want to support your local anarchist social centre?
Then Sunday evenings at BASE is where you want to be!
VEGAN DINNER
EVERY SUNDAY 6 PM – 8 PM
Pay-what-you-can
(Suggested donation £0 – £5)
The Cafe Collective
The BASE Cafe Collective is a non-hierarchical group responsible for running the cafe side of BASE and has been providing affordable, delicious, vegan meals since 1995. Our aim is to create a safe and welcoming space for people to come together, to cook and to share food (and ideas) in a non-commercial environment. The cafe collective and all cafe events are run entirely by volunteers on a not-for-profit basis. A big thank you to everyone who has volunteered their time and energy to keep it going!
We act against food waste, and for that reason we use donated and local produce whenever possible. Some of the ingredients we use are unused products discarded by supermarkets that would have otherwise gone to waste, but are still in a good condition. Other ingredients are donated by local shops, BASE community members, local radical food projects (like Royate Hill community orchard and allotment site) or through resource sharing partnerships (like with Sims Hill Shared Harvest.) We act for animal liberation, and for that reason all our food is vegan. We act for human liberation, and thus we are a revolutionary space that stands against all forms of oppression and discrimination. We want the Cafe to be a safe and welcoming space for everyone and somewhere we can plan and grow a better world.
In protest against capitalist exploitation we serve food on a “pay what you can” donation basis. Our goal is to be accessible to those in financial distress or need, no-one should go home hungry! Unfortunately we do have some costs (like building and appliance maintenance, utilities, some ingredients and consumables, etc.) and thus, to meet our various goals, we have a sliding scale of suggested donations. Our suggested donation is £3 – £5, but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Those who are able to give even more are encouraged to do so, so please assess your personal financial situation and donate if you can. Those who can’t afford to donate money are encouraged to donate their time by cooking, cleaning or washing up. We are grateful for all your donations, which help keep BASE going and provide food to those who can’t afford it.II
We believe in solidarity and mutual aid (working together and supporting each other) instead of charity, because the latter does not address the inherent inequalities in our society and thus can not lead to real social change. The rich give away their crumbs to stave of pangs of guilt and the poor are disempowered and excluded from the process. We all have to give what we can so everyone can get what they need. Thus we would love for you to join us in cooking up this revolution. If you would like to get involved (by cooking, cleaning, organising, sourcing ingredients, doing admin, etc.) please email basecafe@riseup.net or come speak to us at one of our cafe events.
Please join us for one of our legendary Sunday Solidarity dinners from 6 to 8pm. A better world is possible if we all work together!
Sunday Solidarity Dinners
The Sunday Solidarity Dinner consists of a single vegan meal (rather than a menu). This usually includes a main course, sides and pudding or cake. Various teas and coffee are also available.
Gluten Free options are available and we list allergens for all dishes.
Remember, this is an anarchist social centre, not a business or a charity, so feel free to make yourself a cuppa and please do your own washing up.
We are open on Sunday evenings from 6 – 8 pm. Get here early to be guaranteed a meal – sometimes we get very busy and, as it’s usually delicious, it can go pretty quickly!
We sometimes also have films screenings, talks or music events. Various activist campaigns and voluntary groups also run cafes and small benefits to promote their causes. Check out the events page to see what’s on.
Are you involved in any campaign or group and would like to run a promotion cafe at BASE? We would love to have you! Please email us at basecafe@riseup.net.
