Volxkuche facts for kids

A Volxküche event in Hannover, Germany, 2014

Communal washing up at a degrowth conference in 2014

VolxKuche (pronounced "Folks-koo-kheh"), also known as VolxKüche (VoKü or VoKu), is a special kind of group cooking event. Other names for it include Küche für Alle (meaning "Kitchen for All") and Bevölkerungsküche ("People's Kitchen"). At these events, a meal is prepared and served, often for free or at a very low price. It's a way for communities to share food and connect.

What is VolxKuche?

The name "VolxKuche" comes from a German phrase meaning "people's kitchen." It's similar to a soup kitchen, but it's not usually run by religious groups. VolxKuchen often happen in places that are managed by the community itself. These can be local pubs, information centers, youth clubs, or other independent spaces.

Food for Everyone

At a VolxKuche, you will almost always find at least one vegetarian meal. Often, they also offer vegan food, which means no animal products at all. A cool thing about VolxKuchen is how they get their ingredients. They often use food that is close to its "best by" date but still perfectly good. This food might be bought cheaply or donated by food banks, food companies, or even local community gardens. This helps reduce food waste!

Where Did VolxKuche Start?

The idea of VolxKuche as we know it today began in Western Europe in the early 1980s. It grew out of the "squatter" scene. Squatters are people who live in empty buildings or land without owning them, often to protest housing issues or to create community spaces.

Early Days in Europe

In the Netherlands, squatters started using the name "volkskeuken" or "VoKu." They cooked vegan or vegetarian meals and sold them at a very low price. This idea fit well with other community activities. These included systems where people traded skills instead of money, groups like Food not Bombs (which shares free food), free shops (where items are given away), and food cooperatives (where people work together to buy food).

In 1982, squatters in the German city of Hamburg opened a VolxKuche at a famous place called the Hafenstraße. Years later, in 2009, students in Vienna, Austria, took over a lecture hall. They started a VolxKuche there as part of a bigger plan to create sleeping areas and event rooms for their community.

VolxKuche in the United States

The idea of a "Free Supper Club" also spread to the United States. For example, in 2013, a group in San Francisco, California, held a "Free Supper Club" twice a month. They called themselves VolxKuche San Francisco, showing how the idea traveled across the world.

See also

• Freegan
• Homeless ministry
• List of supper clubs