Who We Are & What We Do
Café ReCharge CIC is a surplus food café that uses unsold supermarket produce to prepare delicious fresh meals. We’re a not-for-profit social enterprise in Galashiels, Scotland, with a mission to tackle food waste and food poverty in our community. We believe everyone deserves a delicious and nutritious meal, regardless of their financial situation.
Our aim is simple: to reduce the gap between food poverty and food waste. We want to ensure everyone can afford to eat out to reduce social isolation and bring our community together.
We Don't Have Fixed Prices (PWYC)
We suggest a price for our meals clearly displayed on our table tops, and you can contribute what you're able to afford based on these amounts. We also have free meal tokens available for those most in need of a meal but with insufficient funds to even get close to our suggested prices. This ensures everyone can enjoy a cafe experience and reduces social isolation for those struggling financially.
Surplus Food Heroes
We fight food waste by using perfectly edible surplus donated by supermarkets and local food producers and growers. This helps the environment by diverting food from landfill and allows us to offer fresh, affordable meals.
Born from Passion
Founded in 2019 by co-directors Amy Wight and Amanda Robinson, Café ReCharge is driven by the belief that good food shouldn’t be a luxury. We’re passionate about creating a welcoming space where everyone can come together over a delicious meal.
About Our CIC
From concept to today
Café ReCharge started as a small project born just before the Covid outbreak of 2019 and was originally set to run from a community centre in the town. Through the following 18 months after many pivots and pitfalls we opened as a sit-down cafe in our current premises, a former church. We have grown from a staff team of two, drafting in friends and family, to a team of staff and volunteers including
- Two Directors
- One Operations Manager
- Two Part time kitchen supervisors
- Over 20 volunteers currently on our books doing everything from kitchen prep to evening collections
Amy Wight (Director and Co-Founder)
Recognising a community need, Amy wanted to achieve a 'Pay What You Can' model of café utilising surplus food from local supermarkets. Amy is known for the best banter, creative & original food ideas and being the friendly face at the front of house. Amy has experienced food insecurity herself and is fully aware of the social stigma and feeling of inequality this can bring. Drawing on her background in hospitality, community work and education Amy is on a mission to promote the ethos of Café ReCharge both in the cafe and to a wider audience.
Amanda Robinson (Director and Co-founder)
A keen and creative home cook, Amanda grew up in the US and trained as a graphic designer before moving to London to work in the arts and education. After moving to Galashiels to raise her family, she met Amy through mutual friends. Recognising their shared passion for thrifty cookery and combating food waste, Amanda joined the enterprise, bringing her admin skills as well as a wealth of volunteer and fundraising experience from school, playgroup and local sports clubs. Amanda manages the café’s bookkeeping as well as keeping a hand in the kitchen with recipe development for daily specials and catering menus.
Donate Today
If you would like to financially support our mission, the valuable work we do within the community and enable us to continue to welcome everyone at Café ReCharge, regardless of their financial situation please consider donating. Please click the 'Donate Now' button below to be taken to our seccure donations page on the National Fundraising Scheme website.