The Free Lunch At The Blandford Parish Centre

Every 2 months PFPC puts on a free lunch - all are welcome

2 ladies having a chat outside the Blandford Parish Centre  -
as you can see during the free lunch
the door is open wide so any member of the public can go on in ...

Every 2 months the Blandford Forum Parish Church holds a free lunch which is open to all members of the public, so whether you live in Blandford or nearby or are just in Blandford for an hour or two, you will always be very warmly received by the members of the BFPC who not only staff the free lunch but also home cook the yummy scrummy delicious hearty homemade soups and the wholesome looking and tasting breads.

The soup menu generously accommodates vegetarians  

The bread made by members of  BFPC  certainly makes a pretty picture
and it tastes pretty good too !

The free lunch was started 15 months ago and is organised by Dan - a member of the BFPC, along with other members of the same church, who basically put on the whole spread, which not only includes the soups and breads but also other light refreshments including biscuits and tea and coffee and of course setting up the tables. 

The tables are set simply though the table cloths add a nice welcoming touch

About 8-10 members of the Church make the soups and bread, Dan says that the various members cook what ever they're best at and during the summer homemade ice cream is also included on the menu.

Busy busy busy...many hands make light work
and in this case at least a yummy free lunch maketh...

Dan organises the free lunch but as you can see it is very much a group effort
and in this case too many cooks have not spoilt the broth - they've made it !

As you can see the large stove at the Parish Centre is certainly not going to waste
with all that soup on the go...

Dan and the other members of the BFPC say that they put the time and effort into hosting the free lunch because Gods love is free and the church also acknowledges that at times life can be quite difficult, particularly in the present challenging economic climate and so this is their way of giving something to the local community. What I really like about the free lunch is that there really is no "bible bashing" and I noticed that the staff members only mention God if you do first and this is good because the free lunch really is without any hidden motive - which I personally think is a good thing, despite the fact that I believe in God - er sometimes and I suppose being utterly truthful when it suits me and when things are going right...  

The people at this table have just finished the free soup & bread meal  

This lady enjoyed the free soup & bread, so much so that she asked and got a second helping !

Between 80 - 90 bowls of soup are usually served up to the public at the free lunch and Dan says that about  70% - 80% of the people who pop in for some bread & soup are non church goers, which Dan and the rest of the team seem to be more than happy about - I think Dan and the team just want to give to the community by feeding people - these BFPC members don't just talk the talk they walk the walk (they don't just say - they DO) and one cannot but help notice that they really are a cheerful bunch of givers, who don't expect anything in return.

One of the BFPC members doing her bit to help the community

Last year I enjoyed mushroom and kidney soup at the Parish Centre free lunch and I must say that I was really hoping that it would be back on the menu because as far as I'm concerned it really is the best most memorable soup I have had - I kid you not, however it wasn't on the menu this time so instead I decided to have the vegetable soup instead, which really was warm and hearty and very tasty and I also had a slice of homemade wholemeal bread which was much nicer than commercial mass produced bread, which since hard economic times have befallen the UK I have noticed is sometimes reminiscent of cardboard, perhaps mass producers of bread have omitted an ingredient to keep costs down.

This member of the public was just about to leave after the free lunch
let The Blandford Buzz take his picture

The Parish Centre ceiling lends an old fashion appeal to this still relatively new building

All in all the free lunch at the Blandford Parish Centre is definately worth going to, the soups & breads are always delicious and nutritious, the people who staff the lunch are always warm and friendly, there's never any sort of manipulation to try to indoctrinate a person to hold certain beliefs and there are quite a few people who now go to the free lunch, so there's always plenty of folk to have a natter with...

The next free lunch at the Blandford Parish Centre  is on Saturday 10th March between 11am - 1pm, hopefully you will be able to pop by for some great tasting bread & soup and to socialise...x

I think this chunky wooden cross looks great and finishes off this blog post nicely