A brand new community cafe intent on giving everyone access to affordable food and drink opens this weekend.
Chari-Tea has been masterminded by foodbank Food For Thought and will be a safe space for members of the community to socialise.
Lorraine McLeish from the charity said: “It will be run on a ‘pay it forward’ scheme to enable those who cannot afford to pay to enjoy a hot drink and a small meal free of charge.
“Menu highlights include breakfast favourites like French toast and omelettes to lunchtime treats like wraps, paninis, and salad boxes.
“To ensure that our new project meets its aims, we are assessing everything that a cafe may traditionally use, and what that means for our carbon footprint.
“We are therefore happy to say that our takeaway cups will be made the way a paper cup should have been made from the start — with recycling in mind.
“The cups are made with earth coating, an innovative barrier coating that replaces up to 51 per cent of the plastic with minerals.
“Alongside this, we will strive to reduce waste by using some of our donated surplus food to make different dishes.”
The cafe is situated next door to Food For Thought’s main premises in the Artizan Centre in Dumbarton Centre and there is dedicated space for patrons to use free internet to apply for hardship-related funds and grants.
Lorraine added: “The cafe environment will also seek to provide support and educational opportunities for our volunteers.
“We hope that working in our cafe will afford our volunteers an opportunity to build their confidence and skills.”
Opening hours are 9am until 2pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday with this Saturday marking the grand opening of the cafe.
