Members of the Good Food Club came together at the Caer Heritage Centre last month to celebrate World Pulses Day, with a hands-on cooking session exploring the versatility of beans, lentils and chickpeas.
The session welcomed partners from FoodCycle, the national charity that brings people together over nutritious community meals made using surplus food.
Participants heard about FoodCycle’s work tackling loneliness and food waste through shared meals, including the charity’s Ely project in Cardiff, before getting stuck into cooking.
The event also explored the health and environmental benefits of pulses – affordable, nutritious ingredients that play an important role in sustainable diets.
After a short introduction, Good Food Club members split into small groups to prepare a range of dishes, including a hummus duo with pitta and cucumber, Moroccan squash and bean tagine, and a black bean chocolate cake (click here for the full recipe)!
Once the cooking was complete, everyone gathered to share the dishes they had made together, discussing the different ways pulses can be used in everyday meals.
The session forms part of the Good Food Club programme, which launched in autumn 2025 with support from the National Lottery Community Fund. The club runs fortnightly sessions for residents of Ely and Caerau, helping people build confidence in cooking healthy, affordable meals from scratch. It also helps those under financial pressures, who may struggle with access to certain ingredients or have limited cooking facilities at home.
Led by community food practitioner Caroline Holroyd, the sessions combine practical cooking skills with information about nutrition, seasonal ingredients, sustainability and reducing food waste. Members work together to create themed dishes each week, learning new techniques and ways to use different ingredients, often from the local community gardens.
Good Food Club sessions regularly feature guest speakers from across Cardiff’s food community, including local producers, community growing projects and health specialists, helping members discover new food skills and connect with initiatives happening across the city. Partners involved have included Grow Cardiff, Upfront Gardens, Absorb Health, Cardiff Salad Garden, 4Winds, Barnardos and Ely & Caerau Children’s Centre.
To find out more contact: goodfoodhub@aceplace.org
The World Pulses Day session was another example of how simple ingredients and shared cooking can bring people together – creating not just delicious, nutritious meals, but stronger, healthier communities.
