Danny McCubbin was baffled that he couldn’t give food away. “Come for lunch,” he said, inviting people to The Good Kitchen, “It’s free!” But no one came. He had enough donated food to feed many townspeople and he knew that there were families who needed freshly cooked meals, but the little dining room in the small town of Mussomeli in Sicily remained empty. But Danny didn’t give up. The next week six people had lunch together and before long 10 families were having freshly cooked meals delivered to their homes. Slowly the town opened up to this Aussie-turned-Brit-turned-Italian who had arrived – lured by the chance to buy a house for 1 Euro (about $1.80), not knowing a soul and unable to speak the language – only knowing that after years volunteering for community initiatives and connecting people through food and social projects (he worked with Jamie Oliver at Fifteen for 17 years), he wanted to create a community kitchen where rescued food could be put to good use. The Good Kitchen became this place.

During COVID, Danny’s team delivered food to those forced to isolate, and when the town welcomed families fleeing the war in Ukraine, The Good Kitchen provided food and respite from the tragedy they had faced.

Danny’s book The Good Kitchen tells the story of the first years and shares recipes, some from the Sicilian kitchen and some given by its many supporters – chefs such as Antonio Carluccio, Gennaro Contaldo, Stephanie Alexander and Anna Jones. As Danny says, “People also ask me why I set up The Good Kitchen and what motivates me to help others through food. My answer is always simple: I help because I can. I have everything that I need in this world and from that place I have been able to carve out a life for myself that is full of purpose and promise. In food, we find common ground. It unites us and has no borders. The Good Kitchen is more than bricks and mortar, it is a story of love, hope and connection, and every time I open the doors to the space I am reminded just how good we humans can be.”
TRACY WHITMEY