Skipchen is a community project that takes waste food from shops and supermarkets and repurposes it in their cafe in Stokes Croft. They operate on a pay-what-you-feel basis, so customers can pay what they feel the meal was worth.
Now, I wouldn't normally review a restaurant/cafe without trying the food. But I left Skipchen before I could order yesterday. Not because they had run out, but while I was stood in the queue waiting to order, I was asked by two different people if I had a roll-up they could have (I don't smoke roll-ups and hadn't given any indication that I did) and another guy came powering in, barged passed me to the front asking 'ere mate, is it true you give away free food?'
I like hippies. In fact, I love Stokes Croft and Montepelier because of the hippiness and screw-you mentality of it. But It wasn't the dreadlocks and thick hand knitted jumpers that put me off Skipchen, there was definitely no shortage of either, but after the roll-up thing and a women saying 'if they f'ing moved up we'd be able to f'ing sit down' while trying to get a seat - I didn't really like the vibe.
I applaud the guys at Skipchen for highlighting the huge amount of food that ends up in landfills, rather than on the plates of the people that need it. And it is great that there is a place for people to go to get a super cheap meal - even a couple of meals a day. It's ridiculous to think we live in such an uncaring society that giving food away isn't the obvious thing to do.
Who knows! Maybe I just went at the wrong time. But it wasn't a great experience for me.
I'm giving it a 3 star, which is based on my experience (1) and what Skipchen are doing and what they have already achieved (5). read more