A big glass-fronted fridge by the kitchen door, open to everyone from eight in the morning until eight at night. No sign-up, no questions and no judgement: anyone can take food, and shops, growers and neighbours can leave it, as long as it follows the rules below. Plenty Kitchen is fictional, so the fridge has no real address. A real one would add its location, opening hours and the name of its food safety lead here.
THE COMMUNITY FRIDGE
Take what you need. Leave what you can.
The fridge rulesWhat can go inSix fridge rules
Really. There is no limit and nobody watching. If you are taking a lot, think about leaving a little for the next person.
Take what you need
Volunteers label every tub and bag with what it is and the day it went in. On a real fridge, ask a volunteer for allergen details before you eat.
Everything gets a label
Best before is about quality; use by is about safety. Nothing stays in past its use-by date, and nothing goes in that is already there.
Mind the dates
Close the door properly. Volunteers check the temperature three times a day and write it on the clipboard.
Keep it cold
Lovely as your lasagne is, we cannot take home-cooked food, opened packets, raw meat or fish, or alcohol.
No home cooking
Say hello, share the good stuff and tell a volunteer if something looks wrong. It is everybody’s fridge.
Be kind
Yes please. Whole or neatly halved, in a bag or a crate, wonky very much included.
Fruit and veg
Shop-bought or from our bakery partners, wrapped and dated.
Bread and bakes
Unopened and within the use-by date. Eggs in their box.
Sealed dairy and eggs
Labelled portions cooked here by our team. Never home-cooked food.
Kitchen tubs
RESTOCK TIMES
Weekend bread and the farm crate. Busy by ten.
Monday, 9am
Kitchen tubs from lunch, plus market fruit.
Wednesday, 3pm
The dairy run and a big veg drop before the weekend.
Friday, 4pm
Market ends, straight from the stalls.
Saturday, 1pm
Leave food with usInvented, but true to life
Notes on the fridge door. Real fridges collect notes like these; ours are invented for this template.
Pinned up by the kettle
Left on the door
“Took a bag of apples for my nan. She made a pie and says thank you, with feeling.”
Tuesday, in blue biro
Left on the door
“First time here. Nobody looked at me funny. Took bread and milk. I will be back to help when things are better.”
Monday, on the back of a receipt
Left on the door
“Whoever left the mangoes: you are a legend.”
Saturday, in green felt tip
Left on the door
“My son asked why the food is free. I said because people share. He said, can we share too? We brought lemons.”
Sunday, in pencil
Left on the door
“The soup tubs saved my week. Please thank whoever peeled all those carrots.”
Thursday, on a sticky note