“It’s almost like everything that I’ve ever done has led me to this town of Mussomeli and the kitchen.”
Danny McCubbin, an award winning author, food campaigner and overall passionate advocate for social change, is the visionary behind The Good Kitchen in Italy, redefining the meaning of community and sustainability in the culinary world. With years of experience working alongside renowned chefs, including Jamie Oliver, Danny has dedicated his career to combining his love for food with a mission to make a difference.
The Good Kitchen is more than a place to enjoy delicious meals; it’s a community-focused initiative that uses food as a tool for connection and healing. Based in Mussomeli, Italy, a country celebrated for its culinary heritage, Danny has created a space where sustainability meets compassion, offering free meals to those in need and championing zero-waste practices.
In this conversation, we dive into Danny’s journey, the inspiration behind The Good Kitchen, how he balances the art of cooking with the heart of giving, and understating how good food can transform lives and communities.
Let’s start from the beginning. What or who inspired you to become a chef?
I came from a family that’s very food-focussed. My grandparents were farmers back in Australia, so I grew up surrounded by good food in ‘Oz’ and great cooks in the family. We grew all our own produce. My mum encouraged me to be in the kitchen from a very young age, and I had that premise of knowing where your food came from – what a real tomato tastes like.
What was your first experience with food advocacy?
In 2003, I was working for Jamie Oliver. Our office was above Fifteen, the restaurant Jamie started in 2002 to train hard-to-reach young people. No one was really talking about social enterprise back then, how a business could be profitable and have social value. Watching these apprentices, young souls that society had turned their back on, learning to cook incredible food, was a lightbulb moment for me. It showed me the transformative power of food.
It ignited my passion for helping young people through food and mentoring. Over the years, I also volunteered for other campaigns, like Cook for Syria and the Chefs’ Manifesto, and built a network of amazing souls who use food to bring people together.
Australia, the UK, and now Italy. How did you end up in the small Sicilian town of Mussomeli?
After Brexit, I realized I wanted to move to Italy, where I could combine my passion for food, social impact, and volunteering. In 2019, I left my role with Jamie after 17 years and pursued my dream of living in Italy.
I was approached to participate a TV program where they would follow six residents from the UK going to a tiny town in Sicily to renovate a One Euro House. I thought it was a great opportunity, so I pitched the idea to buy a house and turn it into a community kitchen. While I wasn’t desperate to be on TV, I saw this as a chance to continue my passion for bringing people together through food and potentially start my life in Italy.
In November 2019, we started filming in Mussomeli. I saw 28 houses and ended up buying one with an amazing stable, which I envisioned turning into a community kitchen – a hub where we could rescue food. Midway through filming, I returned to Australia, but by February 2020, on my way back to Sicily, the pandemic struck. The TV program was canceled, which was fine, but I was stuck in London instead of continuing the project.
But my heart remained in Sicily. As I owned the one euro old house I decided to move there. I arrived in Mussolini on the 7th of December 2020 with the intention of continuing my idea of establishing a community kitchen.
What a feat! How was the project received by the local community?
We opened in July 2021. Initially it was a challenge because there was a lot of local press and people kind of knew what I was doing, but they didn’t really quite understand, and subsequently, no one wanted to be seen in the kitchen due to misconception.
The churches didn’t want to let me know who was struggling and what families needed food. It was such a new concept to this small town. To set up this space in a remote town in the middle of Sicily, rescue food from the supermarkets, and then give it all away for free – people couldn’t get their head around it in the beginning.
I said to myself, “Okay, I’m just going to stick with it and I’m going to be here. I’m just going to talk to people about what we’re doing.” I ended up inviting anyone and everyone, and it was beautiful.
We first launched in this old shop with glass doors, looking out onto the town square. I would put the food out, and then on a Sunday I started to invite anyone in for lunch. Friends, people that were coming to the town, young people who were there for volunteering experiences. People started walking past and gradually seeing that it’s not this place of shame. It’s a place of joy. That was one of the big turning points.
“I’m so proud of what we’ve done. I’ve just created this space for Italians to do what they do best, and that is to connect over food.”
Since you’ve started the Good Kitchen, you have rescued over 19 tonnes [19,000 kgs!] of food, delivered over 8000 cooked meals, and supplied over 750 fresh food parcels to families here in the area who are facing food insecurity. What does this incredible impact look like day-to-day?
We’re open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thursday is when I rescue food from the supermarkets. I’m a partner with Banco Alimentare, which is Italy’s biggest food rescue charity. We’ve rescued over 19 tons of food in three years, which is incredible.
Thursday is also fresh food delivery parcels. Every parcel has enough food for a family of five, for five days. We have around 20 families we look after regularly, and we’ve started going into smaller towns around Mussolini.
One of the key challenges for people here is not just food insecurity, it’s loneliness. On Fridays, we’ve started a co-working program. We open the doors from 10am to 2pm. We offer a free lunch. It’s a space for food and community, welcoming locals or travellers to come and connect.
That’s The Good Kitchen. And I never want it to change. It’s tangible. It’s real. We know the families we’re working with. It’s become this beautiful place – there is music playing, I talk to them, it’s a place of joy. They have coffee and tea and sit down and connect. I’m so proud of what we’ve done. I’ve just created this space for Italians to do what they do best, and that is to connect over food. Food becomes the conversation, initially, and then people start talking about how they’re feeling and connecting and asking for help.
About Danny McCubbin
Learn more about Danny here, and learn more about the important work at the Good Kitchen here.
You can find Danny on Instagram @dannyforgood.
To hear more about this story, check out the recent episode of Future Fork with Paul Newnham, The Good Kitchen with Danny McCubbin.
