Hermon village has a Thriving Community Freezer offering affordable meals to local families.

Hermon village has a Thriving Community Freezer offering affordable meals to local families.

We are thrilled to announce the success of Hermon's community freezer, regularly stocked and ready to serve everyone! The freezer is accessible to all local people, offering meals either for free or for a small donation. Those who donate a little extra help support others who may need to contribute less. Our freezer is stocked by the Community Meals project, led by Heather and Jemma from the CARE team (Cwm Arian Renewable Energy). Local chef and winemaker, Jemma Vickers, based in Hebron, recently earned the UK's first and only Sustainable Wine Award. When she is not at home on her vineyard, she is involved with community cooking. Eager to keep things down to earth, where food and drink are involved. For the freezer, Jemma prepares a variety of delicious dishes, including Asian and African curries, lasagnas, and chilis—just to name a few.

This project aims to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious, home-cooked meals. With the rising cost of living, many people are forced to buy lower-quality food to feed
their families. This initiative combats that issue by utilising our abundant local produce, readily available.

Heather from the Community Meals project says, "The main food systems in place often make us feel like we have to rely on food from big corporations. Why should we, when we have so much quality produce right here in West Wales? I would love to see local food become more accessible to everyone. When we first announced the continuation of the freezer project, local smallholders immediately reached out to offer vegetables. Food is at the heart of building healthy and resilient communities. In West Wales, we are surrounded by excellent produce, yet supermarket prices keep rising as they bring in food from afar."

Jemma is passionate about using locally sourced food, sharing her top tip, "Here in the UK, we grow such great pulses, rarely talked about. We are flying in proteins like  
chickpeas when actually we have wonderful beans such as fava or broad beans grown here to add to stews or salads. We are also surrounded by farmers and smaller-scale growers; we can buy so much within a 5 or 10 mile radius. Not only are we then keeping our money local, but we are getting to know our community too, all of which just strengthens connections."

The Community Meals Project is forming a community group to support this freezer initiative. Under Jemma’s guidance, the group will prepare delicious meals for the
freezer while learning new recipes. Additionally, anyone who joins these cooking sessions will be eligible to receive their Level One and/or Level Two Food Hygiene
Certificates. This is optional but highly beneficial for those keen to obtain a certificate for future job opportunities. If you’re interested in participating, please reach out to the meals team at meals@cwmarian.org.uk.

Cris Tomos, the chair of the local community council and one of the founders of Canolfan Hermon - village hall, is delighted to see this initiative happening in Hermon and says, "All meals cooked at Canolfan Hermon will ensure a minimal carbon footprint by using a 9kW solar system and a newly installed battery storage system. This grant was secured with the help of Daniel and Michael from the Cwm Arian Renewable Energy team, highlighting the power of community collaboration and co-production of new ideas in rural communities"

Join us in making this project a success and enjoy some fantastic home-cooked meals! Upcoming Community Cooking Sessions:
Thursday, July 18th - Canolfan Hermon, 10 AM 
Thursday, August 1st - Y Stiwdio, 10 AM 
Thursday, August 15th - Canolfan Hermon, 10 AM 
Thursday, August 29th - Canolfan Hermon, 10 AM 
Thursday, September 5th - Y Stiwdio Hermon, 10 AM 
Thursday, September 19th - Canolfan Hermon, 10 AM
 
Each session runs from 10 AM to 12 PM, followed by a communal lunch. Participants can take home meals for their evening dinner.
This project has received generous funding of £3,000 from PAVS via the Doing The Small Things Grant.