Random Café

Last month, Random Café put the call out to the community to design a superhero to help us fight food waste in Watford. Despite saving over 47 tonnes of food from being wasted since 2017, we knew that there was more that we could do so we asked for your help. As a further incentive, Watford Asda donated a hamper of prizes for the winner.

As a result of our competition, we were inundated with entries and our team had the difficult decision to decide who would be Watford’s Food Waste hero. After some consideration, we are delighted that Watford has its own food waste superhero in the form of Super Sam Broccoli Man. Designed by Katie aged 7 and checking everyone’s wheelie bins, he will be making sure that as much food as possible is saved in the town. Congratulations Katie and to our four runners up who also won prizes and thank you to everyone who entered.

As a result of this competition, the Random Café team will now be working with designers to create a digital version of Super Sam Broccoli Man who will be featured on bags, key rings and badges that you can purchase to help support us. We hope to be running similar competitions in the upcoming months so keep an eye on our social media pages to find out the latest opportunities.

As lock down eases, some of our volunteers have gone back to work so we are now looking for more volunteers to join our team. If you would like to volunteer for Random Café or would just like to know more, fill in the form below and we will arrange a call to discuss it further.

Whilst Batman serves the city of Gotham as its Dark Knight, and Peter Parker swings through the streets of New York as its resident superhero, Watford needs its own superhero to help save the town from food waste.
As a result, Random Café has placed the call and needs you to create a Food Waste Superhero who can help us reduce food waste in the town.

Throughout August, we are looking for budding artists under the age of 11 to send in their ideas for a Food Waste Superhero. As well as a design, we’d like a Superhero name and a description of their Food Saving superpowers.

Once the competition has closed, the Random Café team will decide on the winning design and that winner will receive a Boredom Busting Hamper (basket not included) full of fabulous things, to keep you busy, donated by Asda in Watford and Random Café volunteers. As well as this amazing prize, the winner will also have their design become one of Random Café’s logos and featured on badges, bags and many other products.

The four best runners up will also win a prize, donated by Asda, Watford.

To enter, click here to download the entry form.

Alternatively, pop into our Pop Up Shop at Leavesden Green Community Hub on Tuesdays and Thursday between 10 am and 12 pm, or Saturdays between 10 am and 12 pm and 1 pm and 3pm and collect an entry form from one of our volunteers.

Entries can be posted to Random Café HQ (41 Highwood Avenue, Bushey, WD23 2AL) or handed in at our our Pop Up Shop at The Hub.

We look forward to seeing all the entries and having our own superhero to fight food waste alongside us. You can also help Random Café fight food waste by becoming a Friend of Random Café.

Click here to find out more information as well as the various benefits of being a Friend of Random Café.

For those who didn’t know, the 1st August 2020 was Random Café’s 3rd birthday, and despite not being able to celebrate properly, due to the social distancing restrictions, we had a celebration this year with cup cakes provided by Linda and the amazing team at The Kitchen in Croxley Green.

Since launching in 2017, we have managed to save over 44 tonnes of food from being thrown into landfill. As you know, this food may be past its best before, have a damaged box or a product that was over stocked by the store.

Since that first cafe on 16th September 2017 at Centrepoint Community Centre, we become a weekly café, initially at different venues across Watford before settling down at the Meriden Community Centre at the end of July 2019.
Due to the pandemic, we had to find a new home temporarily. We found that home at the Leavesden Green Community Hub where we have expanded our pop up shop to run three times a week during the period of lock down. As well as helping to feed over 1500 people during the pandemic, we have also helped support over 500 people with regular emergency food boxes, a lifeline for those shielding during the lock down period.

Looking forward, we are reviewing the government guidelines around social distancing and when it is safe to do so, we will have another birthday celebration. However, until then, we remain open three days a week at the Leavesden Green Community Hub. We would like to thank all our customers, volunteers and supporters for their help so far and we look forward to having a celebration with you all when it is safe to do so. Until then, come and see us at our pop up shop and help us #FeedBelliesNotBins
Whilst we didn’t ask for any birthday presents this year, we would love if you could become a Friend of Random Café. For as little as £1 per month, you can help us make Watford a more sustainable town.
For more information about the Friends of Random Café scheme, click here.

Random Café has been based at the Leavesden Green Community Hub for three months since we were unable to use our regular venue at the Meriden Community Centre due to the pandemic.

In the initial few weeks, we were facing some uncertainty. We were not sure if we would be able to continue our mini market during the pandemic as our regular venue had closed indefinitely. This meant we had lost the majority of our weekly income and the cancellation of our fundraising events. The future looked bleak for Random Café.

Without the continued support and donations, Random Café would not still be here.

The Random Café team want to give a huge thank you to all the Friends of Random Café who have continued to donate to us throughout this challenging period. As a result of your membership fees, we have been able to save 42 tonnes of food and have helped feed over 2000 people since lock down. We have since been able to successfully apply for funding from various organisations to supplement your support.  

However, we are in the process of finalising some very exciting plans and we need your help to continue with them. Becoming a friend of Random Café not only supports the work we do to reduce food waste and creating a community but allows you to receive a whole host of great benefits such as:

• Entry to our monthly prize draw
• Early bird notice for our events
• Discounted prices for our events

If you would like to become a friend of Random Café click here and thank you again for your continuing support.