A network of neighbourhood kitchens which bring residents together around convivial meals and local produce is expanding rapidly across France, with 17 new projects in the pipeline.
Les Petites Cantines, launched in Lyon in 2016, is a not-for-profit organisation that allows diners to participate in the cooking process – and pay whatever they can afford for the resultant meal.
The concept has already won over 125,000 people, with 14 canteens now open spanning Lille to Strasbourg, and Paris to Grenoble.
More are scheduled to open in 2025, including in Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme) and Montbrison (Loire).
Diane Dupré la Tour, 43, co-founder of Les Petites Cantines alongside Etienne Thouvenot, had the idea in 2013 after the death of her partner in a road accident.
Diane Dupré la TourJustine Nerini
In the depths of her grief, the mother-of-four was inspired by her neighbours, who rallied round to make meals for her family.
The first Petite Cantine opened its doors in Lyon three years later.
“I could never have done it on my own,” she said. “It’s thanks to the collective energy of the neighbourhood and the people who joined in the adventure and had some really good ideas.”
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Les Petites Cantines aims to do far more than simply fill empty stomachs. The organisation wants to tackle loneliness and isolation, two issues Mrs Dupré la Tour believes often get confused.
“Loneliness is something we all have to go through at some point in our lives, sooner or later. It depends on your life path, but isolation is something else.
“Isolation is when you feel excluded, or when you exclude yourself. In other words, we exclude difference because it frightens us, and we have to fight very hard against it.”
Les Petites Cantines help break down barriers in society and allow people to get to know each other.
“Three-quarters of our guests tell us that they have broken down their prejudices or abandoned preconceived ideas, clichés they had about others,” Mrs Dupré la Tour said.
“The majority, around 97% of guests, tell us that it’s a place where they finally feel welcome as they are, without having to play a role.”
Mrs Dupré la Tour added that Les Petites Cantines brings together people from all walks of life, both young and old and from a variety of cultures, creating a true melting pot of experiences.
Just as everyone is invited to help out or eat at a Petite Cantine, setting one up is relatively straightforward too. All potential organisers have to do is contact the organisation, who will then organise a video meeting to discuss the project’s aims.
Among those attending the meeting are people who have already launched their own community kitchens with the support of Les Petites Cantines, who can offer advice and guidance from the frontline.
“We’ll provide you with human support and a toolbox to help you set up your association,” Mrs Dupré la Tour said.
“Teams help and support each other, they need support and feedback.”
She added: “It’s a lot of human commitment, but above all it’s all about relationships. It’s a living thing, it’s not something you can control and master. That’s why trust plays such an important role.”
The passion project has become Mrs Dupré la Tour’s full-time job, but she still recently found time to document her experiences in a book.
Comme à la maison, published in May, recounts her journey from bereavement, through the founding of Les Petites Cantines, to the present day.
Not just a social project
It offered a way to showcase the work of Les Petites Cantines and address some common misconceptions. One of these, perpetuated by parts of the French media, is that the kitchens are simply a ‘social project for the poor’ – something she believes has put many people off visiting.
“I think we all need to meet different people, otherwise we’re stuck knowing only those who look like us. We urgently need to cultivate a culture of acceptance, of meeting people, of dialogue and of difference,” she said.
“The book helps to show that this is not a social project, but a societal project, because it transforms the whole of society through a simple meal experience.
“I also wanted to deconstruct the image of success. People think that success is based on strengths when, in fact, it is very often based on weaknesses and relationships.
“We need to cultivate relationships, beautiful relationships, nourishing relationships, quality relationships.
“Because the more things go on, the more there are going to be shocks and upheavals in the years to come, and it’s thanks to the quality of our connections that we’ll get through them.”
