HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Energy Cafe has been off the virtual radar since June 2010. Find out what’s been going on in the following news updates and stories: Testing Testing – the Hawkwood cookups
The story of The making of Energy Cafe Kitchen
More Solar cooking and the arrival of the sister swirl stove.
Coming soon: Energy Cafe on the move.
The next Open day at Hawkwood Plant Nursery is Sunday 30th January at 12 noon. Check the Organiclea website for further details.
TESTING TESTING…The Hawkwood cookups
Time to start testing the ranger hot plate and oven
and to re ignite our old faithful swirl stove.
and we have a very useful new oven thermometer. Apparently wood such as Ash and blackthorn are the best to cook with, burning slowly at a high temperature. A mix of wood seems to work well. Its quite a job to keep the temp high. On site at Hawkwood Plant Nursery we’ve been cooking up – for the crew, volunteers and visitors. Henry Ranger is being fully tested..baking and roasting in the oven and frying, boiling , simmering and steaming on top.
Tuesday 21st December 2010
The Hawkwood crew say thankyou and
to all their volunteers. This winter solstice coincided with a Lunar Eclipse and full moon.
Energy Cafe joined in the celebration and lit the fire during this shortest day to make hot toddy, roast potatoes and
spicy mulled wine for the occasion.
lit the fire at 10.30am – serving drinks and roast potatoes at 1pm. Max temp 175 degrees
Sunday 28th November
Tea and cakes for Hawkwood Plant Nursery Open Day visitors.
On arrival the trailer was an ice box, it thawed throughout the day, helped by the sun and the ranger fire that took around half an hour to heat up. Physical and practical activity is part of the enjoyment and thrill of Energy Cafe. Simple tasks such as Chopping wood, building fires, filling water butts are a few of the energetic activities that accompanies preparation and cooking food.
The menu: a milky chai, black ceylon or choice of various herbal teas.
With a melt in your mouth bite size Hot Rock Cake.
Baking time: approximately one hour. Oven temp rose to 150 degrees.
Thursday 18th November
just as the chillis ripen in the glass house..
we make a Lunch time cook up for the Hawkwood Crew.
to say thank you and introduce the workings of the kitchen
The Vegetables were supplied by the farm shop stall open every Wednesday and Thursday at Hawkwood Plant Nursery.
The menu: Baked potatoes
and Vegetarian Roots Goulash (seasonal veg including squash, carrots, parsnip and celery).
cooking time: approx two and a half hours.
We made just enough!
If you live locally to Hawkwood Plant Nursery we recommend you check out the farm shop for delicious seasonal vegetables – or even join the weekly box scheme. Its great value and you can really taste the difference!
Sunday 26th September
Students on the Permaculture course at Hawkwood Plant Nursery wanted to cook the Sunday lunch time meal.
So they used Energy Cafe and loved it!
and called the occasion the impromptu ‘inauguration’ of Energy Cafe
It was the first Energy Cafe cook up on the Hawkwood Site – the trailer came to life. As the soup cooked, the salad mixed and plenty of parsley chopped, chatting and laughter filled the hungry atmosphere.
Bon appetite!
The story of…
The making of Energy Cafe Kitchen.
BEFORE (pictured above May 2010)
AFTER ‘As if it grew there’ (pictured above – with Vince – September 2010)
Handcrafted out of recycled materials by local carpenter Vince, Hawkwood Nursery, Chingford, summer 2010.
with creative tips, advice, inspiration and practical help from the Hawkwood Crew, volunteers; Amanda and Polly and kim
materials donated by FRP (Forest recycling Project )
Energy Cafe kitchen has been collectively designed. The final layout based on designs and ideas gathered from many people during the pilot phase, Gunpowder Park, Waltham Abbey, 2008 – 09.
A gradual transformation
took place over the summer and into the autumn of 2010. Undercover in the Hawkwood Nursery garage, we sketched the design layout and
gathered scrap wood from the street and from skips and anywhere we spied a piece that would fit the job. We stripped the trailer bare, first removing the black rubber side panels and flooring – to let it breathe.
Meanwhile Vince (and his tools) got to work.
First step to remake the the original self supporting ceiling storage unit (designed by Barry at Gunpowder Park).
Then he added storage units for the cups and glasses.
‘as if it grew there’ was his motto. meaning that whatever he made and fitted into the trailer would have to feel naturally part of the kitchen, yes, ‘as if it grew there‘ became our mantra too.
Underneath the rubber flooring we discovered a mature mahogany (we think) hardwood floor – this we sanded and oiled to bring out the natural sheen.
Henry Ranger
This beautiful and extremely efficient ranger is made by Windy Smithy – the workshop of Jon Snow and Amalia Pes in Devon.
Vince installed the ranger and flue plus designed the quirky flame fire board backing.
Under the paving slab he constructed a very useful bottom drawer for baking tins, tongs and skewers made out of bits of 2 by 2 and oak floorboard. The handle is made out of a part from a fire extinguisher.
plate rack
Perfectly designed and crafted by Vince.
Made of dowel
and two types of plywood found dumped near Waltham Abbey.
double sink unit – for washing hands and dishes
Handbasin unit (left) orginally made at Gunpowder park by Dave. Sink found in Hackney. Right sink found on a street in Whitechapel, customised and fitted by Vince. Top Unit made of Plywood, Cupboard doors made of scrap palette wood.
Highly polished flexi copper tap
made by Vince out of scrap copper piping that was donated during the pilot phase at Gunpowder park.
foot pumping system
The water system comprises of a foot pump
that draws cold water
from the water hog and pumps it up to the tap. The waste water drains out of the sink through external pipe into bucket.
Storage unit
with wine box drawers and secret compartment by maki. The main unit was made by Man Somerlink during the Pilot phase.
Folding table top addition
made out of oak floorboards found on the streets Hackney
cut to size
and fitted by Vince.
rotating global herb and spice rack
jar storage originally installed by kajsa and Maki, Abake, Thanks to Polly for adding the spinning idea.
This special rotating global herb and spice rack will contain samples of herbs, spices and other delicacies from all around the world – delicacies that have been sourced and carried personally, in hand luggage.
To date Energy cafe stocks nutmeg from Kim, Crayfish Bay, The Carribean and Bay leaves from the tree in Anya’s Garden, Bath.
Made out of scrap plywood from Waltham Abbey Marina. The centre nut and bolt – perfect for hanging a lamp was salvaged from Hawkwood. The Jam Jars were donated.
mobile stationary unit
Prototype designed by Vince.
Made out scrap plywood and lengths of 4 by 4 found in a nearby skip. This unique Mobile Stationary Unit contains Energy Cafe reference books and other material . Can also be used as a seat.
Autumn – the time of year when the rosehips are budding…
The trailer is relocated outside, as a mobile kitchen ready for use.
now at last we can make an Energy Cafe ‘Thank-you’ cuppa
for Vince! whom we discovered also carves the finest spoons.
This one he made for Energy Cafe. It’s made from willow.
Do you need a carpenter? ‘no job is too small’ contact Vince : 07786342783
Hawkwood Plant Nursery Open Days
Sunday 28th July
Solar stewed blackberries at 75 degrees Celsius
A few sunny spells amidst a mainly cloudy grey sky day. Optimistically we opened up the flat pack solar cooker – newly modelled out of thin ply, black tape and aluminium tape.
For the Hawkwood Plant Nursery Open Day visitors we made refreshing seasonal drinks – whilst Lucy demonstrated how to use the new solar cooker. Vince had been foraging and brought his findings – a punnet of blackberries – picked that morning from around Waltham Abbey.
So with blackberries, lime, a little icing sugar and water
we made a solar stewed blackberry and lime juice
in a blackened pot covered in a plastic bag. This solar cooker is lightweight and adaptable – its best angle depends on the sunlight and for further improvements Lucy suggests we place a grate under the pan – reducing shadow impact. Despite little sun when the clouds passed and the sun peeped out- even for a few minutes – the water temperature rose quite fast!
Maximum temperature reached: 75 degrees Celsius – fine for blackberry juice. Warming and refreshing. Getting to boiling point is a challenge – virtually impossible here? but solar cooking is perfect for slow cooking, stews etc – barbeques too.
We’re in the testing phase – everyone came up with some great solar cooking ideas – and so now we wait to catch the next heatwave. The flat pack Solar cooker was made by Lucy Sheldon. Thanks to Amanda for helping out and Lucas too!
Sunday 27th June
Sister Swirl Stove arrives
It was another scorching summers Open Day at the Hawkwood Plant Nursery
Elderflower cordial on tap to quench the thirsts. Great to see a few familiar faces arriving….including a surprise visitor – Andrew Heggy with his new invention Sister Swirl Stove, this one slightly more compact than his first model ( that we use constantly for boiling water) is designed for portability.
Energy Cafe is slowly building a resource of portable handmade stoves. We’d asked Andrew if he could design one – that would be easy to carry and move around.
We’re very happy to meet Sister Swirl, looking forward to testing during future cook ups. Now we have the brother and sister swirl stoves and the flat pack solar cooker…many more possibilities …from storm kettles, rocket stoves to tin can micro cookers and hay boxes. If you would like to add to the energy cafe portable cooker and stove resource do get in touch.
Sister Swirl Stove is made of bits from a luggage rack, a microphone stand and a fire extingusher. The fan is from a computer.
Andrew gave an insightful introduction how it works and explained the concept “it is that it gives you the three things that you need in a fire – you need a high temperature, you need turbulence – for gas mixing and you need time for the flame to burn out and that’s what these things combine.”
Hawkwood Nursery Open Day this Sunday 27th June 11 – 4
Hawkwood Crescent
Chingford E4 7UH
Energy Cafe will be serving Elderflower cordial, made with flowers harvested from a Hawkwood tree. If you are curious to see the beautiful site where we are based, please join us for a glass, take a walk through the meadow grass, see what’s growing and have a peek in the garage to see the trailer interior undergoing a transformation: from humble horse box to hand crafted kitchen.
Solstice Solar Cooking
Being summer solstice weekend, it felt timely to start some solar-cooking experimentation, thanks to Lucy who has been making simple cookers out of tin foil and cardboard.
Although the weather wasn’t quite up to temperature to cook the noodle dish she managed last week, she set up in the glass house encouraging people to make their own cookers.
We’ll be trying out more DIY solar cooking inventions with Lucy in the sunny future and finding solar solutions for the off-grid kitchen.
Want to try it? Click here to download the solar cooker DIY handout
Thanks to Windy Smithy, Henry has arrived!
We are looking forward to holding the first Energy Cafe soup kitchen with the help of this beautiful hand-made wood-burning stove. More than just a small-scale oven and hob, it will keep the mobile kitchen cosy in winter and potentially heat up water too.
We’d like to shout “thanks!” to Jon Snow of Windy Smithy, down in Devon for giving Energy Cafe a generous discount on the Henry Ranger model.
Energy Cafe is ready for Interns and Volunteers, Thanks to Organiclea!
In sympathy with the slow food movement the trailer is edging its way south. With a wink of its new indicator lights (thanks Andy!), last week Gino towed it just half a mile down the road to Organiclea’s Hawkwood Nursery on the woodland edge of Epping Forest. This inspirational worker’s cooperative aims to help people get their hands into the soil, encouraging community food growing in the city. A beautiful, productive, tranquil oasis, Hawkwood is home to their latest resource: glasshouses, growing beds, fields, a classroom and future plans for orchards and vineyards. With our shared philosophies, its a perfect partnership for Energy Cafe. Responding to the spring call-out for an undercover base, they’ve very generously offered us space in their Hawkwood garage until the end of August in exchange for rent-in-kind.
A roof! Organic Lea’s Huf nudging the trailer into its new home.
Throughout the summer months we’re planning to install as many of the ideas for the off-grid kitchen as we can, getting it ready for the road. We’ve enlisted Vince, a local member of the Energy Cafe team and skilled joiner to focus on the interior fit-out and we’re now ready for energetic interns.
If you’d be interested in joining the team during this young and exciting construction phase, we’d love to hear from you. We are seeking one or two people who can spend a few days a week, preferably over the duration of the next three months. Tasks can be wide-ranging and may include: helping out with the trailer customization inside and out; investigating off-grid technologies (solar panels, water harvesting, bicycle power); supporting publicity, planning events and workshops; hunting for materials and scrounging things for free; searching for local / wild food; making off-grid cups of tea… and more! Its a wonderful learning opportunity and although we are currently working to plan, Energy Cafe welcomes fresh input and ideas. We’ll cover travel and lunch expenses too.
Please email us: pilotpublishing@googlemail.com or phone: 07791246022 / 07947367463, and tell us about your experience, your passions and what you hope to get out of volunteering with Energy Cafe. We look forward to hearing from you!
Open Day
During our time at Gunpowder Park, Energy Cafe sparked and grew the possibility of a common land. Being open and attracting community was at its core. For this next phase, retreating from the public feels important, to focus and prepare the trailer for community once again. Energy Cafe is sensitive to wherever it finds itself. Hawkwood Nursery has its own network of workers and volunteers, all of whom are coming into contact with the project in their own unique way. But Energy Cafe will be holding some public events during work-in-progress and we hope to see you there! The first will be on Sunday 27th June when the Nursery holds is next open day. Watch this space for a more detailed posting nearer the time…
Once again, a massive cheers to the brilliant people at Hawkwood Nursery, Organiclea! Thanks for your support guys…
Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring!
Being the first day of Spring and exactly a year since the Energy Café 24 Hour Spring Banquet at Gunpowder Park, we felt it timely to share the exciting news that Energy Café has recently received a grant from the Big Lottery Fund.
This means, after months of figuring through plans and restoring energy we can now move into the new phase: Energy Café goes mobile. We will use this funding to complete the construction work inside the trailer, to continue what we started, to make a fully functional off grid community kitchen, based on all the ideas and designs generated during the pilot phase in Gunpowder Park. We will also be launching a new website in the coming months, planning some Energy College Workshops and host a launch celebratory cook–up (locations to be announced later!).
All this time – since May last year, the trailer has been quietly lodged at Gino’s place that he calls ‘the land where time forgot’ – a scrap yard local to Gunpowder Park. Now we are searching for a new temporary home for the trailer, ideally in East London – but we’re open to other possibilities – we are looking for a practical workshop space or any secure disused undercover plot to work on the trailer ready for the summer. If you know of such a place that we could use for a couple of months please contact us!
A big thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and enthusiastic about the potential for Energy Café during this fallow time, those whom have shared ideas and given advice… behind the scenes the momentum is gathering…. We’ll keep you posted!
The Big Lottery Fund distributes half of the National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. The fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need. www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Read more about the post Gunpowder Park phase here: about
Energy Cafe Spring Banquet
Filmed and edited by Francisca Bancalari
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0WFkDhiU7I
click the link below to read all about it! a great ‘Spring Banquet’ Review by Kate Towerzey
www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Essex/Waltham-Abbey/EN9
A big thanks to everyone who brought food to share and set the field alive with community spirit!
Rubber Tyre Stage (and sprung dance floor!)
designed and constructed by Dave Richter.
Bike Power sound system with ‘Magnificient Revolution’
Check their inspiring blog for news and updates this summer! Thanks guys!
Dr Realgood – local rhythm and blues band
Great set! first live ( solar powered) band to play at Energy Cafe !
Solar Panels loaned by Ken Boak
Worked perfectly – only a couple of blips when a cloud passed over the sun!
Cooking areas and other off grid demos
Burger Bar hosted by Florian -a specialist in outdoor kitchen and cooking choreography! who made a special trip from Berlin to construct the bar and cook! Top! The Oil drum Barbeques were made and welded beautifully by Chen.
Energy Cafe sprouts – amanda’s speciality added an extra nutritious crunch!
Fire circle – South African Braai
Anna and Alan demonstrated how to make one in just over an hour!- sourcing bricks, earth and pebbles on site
Fuel: Locally felled birch and ash – thanks for chopping Ray! – then a communal feast of roasted pumpkins, squash, corn and sweet potatoes .
Copper fire pit – loaned by Kerrie
intimate set up for food sharing, frying, grilling, roasting.
Wild food area /around the millstones – Nettle and mint tea was the most popular!
Swirl Stove made by Andrew Heggie
Brilliant fuel-efficient invention (runs off wood chips, sawdust pellets) that kept the water boiling into the night
Bio Diverse power station – designed and constrcuted by Shaun, Termite low impact construction. Fitted with water harvester ‘pitted olive’….
provided 24 hours of washing up water!
Vertical Strawberry Tower – designed and constructed by Tak Hoshino
With bike wheel wind turbine and umbrella water harvester
Energy Cafe Shelters
Love Shack Tipi area
Lynn Saunders from the Magic Music Box and team – check out : funky puppets
organised loads of arts and crafts activities – in true spring festival style…
Giant bubble making, face painting to a sunset dragon procession .
Marquee loaned by Sherilee- A tranquil space for watching the sun set.
Willow bender – made by Shaun, Sherilee, Amanda and Polly
Great for the night time crashers! Six fit comfortably.
Landrover Tent – Ideal for two
birch bread boards made by Peter !
Sun stove –loaned by Ken Boak
Runs off waste wood – ideal for heating up homemade dishes. and making fried eggs breakfasts
Solar air balloon demo with Eileen at 12 noon
To be continued!!
Energy Cafe 