The Grumpy Cook
STEVEN SHORT meets a man on a mission to tackle food poverty who has opened a café in the town centre.
Barry Ashley’s CV includes managing public swimming pools and a lengthy stint at a big corporate organisation, but it was being made redundant as he approached 50 that put him on the path to The Grumpy Cook and its amazing work in helping to fight food poverty and tackle loneliness in older people.
“I didn’t want to be told what to do by anyone again,” says Barry. And so he started doing something he had always enjoyed – baking (his children nicknamed him The Grumpy Cook when they were young). He started selling his goods to local cafes and farm shops and was doing well until, one day, one of his clients told him about a café that they’d been offered but didn’t want.
And so Barry opened his first outpost, in Milton Keynes, with others following. For a few years the cafés did well as normal cafes… and then the government stopped giving school children free school meals, and lockdown happened. This meant Barry’s focus shifted from running cafes to helping the local community, offering free meals to children in need and combating loneliness by giving the over-65s somewhere to socialise and the chance to enjoy cheap food.
Time for change
In order to continue doing the pro-bono work he loved, Barry eventually changed The Grumpy Cook operation to a Community Interest Company, which is now run as a not-for-profit – any money raised is ploughed straight back into the operation.
He recently opened a new café in the centre of Hastings, next to what is now Owens: this Grumpy Cook (there is a sister venue in Hastings Country Park) is the perfect showcase for Barry’s five missions, chief among them a desire to remove the stigma from needing help. “No one wants to have to use a food bank or accept a food parcel,” he observes. The café is another way that people in need can access help when they need it.
“I saw the cost of living crisis coming,” says Barry. “I want to fight food poverty by offering cheap meals to those in need.” He also wants to help combat loneliness in the older generations. “Lots of over-65s lost their confidence during lockdown and now feel really isolated. We host sessions for older people to socialise, they’re really enjoyable.” The café offers regular free cream teas for the over-65s.
Food, drink, good company and safety
The café also provides a safe haven for teens – “somewhere they can come and do their homework, access cheap food…” – as well as running cookery lessons, teaching parents how to make budget-friendly food, and training hospitality staff to help run the café.
The launch breakfast menu for adults features The Grumpy Breakfast (two sausages, two rashers of bacon, poached or fried egg, hash browns and toast) and The Grumpy Veggie (with veggie sausages) for £8 each, as well as various baps, while for lunch there are sandwiches and paninis (£4.50-£6.50), jacket potatoes and soups.
There’s a children’s menu, too, with all meals for breakfast (pancakes with fresh berries or porridge, a piece of fruit and a drink) and lunch (a sandwich or half jacket potato with a chocolate brownie or piece of fruit and a drink) for just £1.
In addition to this, once a week the Grumpy Cook also offers free meals to those in need: “Take-up’s been incredible. We’ve probably given away 1,000 to people since we opened,” says Barry.
For more information on
Barry and his work visit table88.co.uk, or better still, pop in for a coffee, a slice of cake and a chat.
The Grumpy Cook
1a Robertson Street, Hastings, TN34 1HL
table88.co.uk/
facebook.com/grumpyatthebalehouse
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Hey Mr Short
Hi there, you forgot to mention as well as free meals for whoever is in need once a week, The Grumpy cook also has a donation service in place. Basically any one can donate and a receipt is placed on the community notice board opposite the till. Anyone in need at any time can come along and pick off a recipe take it to the till and exchange for food off of the main menu.. AWSOME… More businesses should employ this very cool public service… so thank you Grumpy Cook Barry for the amazing passion and efforts..