Currently in pop-up form, Canteen is managed by Frome Food Network: it is a project set up by, and for, the Frome community to help local people access responsibly-sourced, wholesome food in a communal setting.
Canteen is inspired by projects and concepts such as The Long Table, Absalon, the British Restaurants of the 1940s, and the National Food Service.
Photographer: Peter Halpin
Step 1: Buy a Canteen token at the till, or ask for ‘a token for Joe’ to get a free one
Step 2: Turn in your token at the hatch round the corner for a meal
Step 3: Join other guests at the table, and welcome others to sit with you
Step 4: Eat and enjoy (and don’t forget to come back for pud!)
Photographer: Peter Halpin
Do you serve vegan food? Options are available for vegetarians and vegans
Can I bring my dog? Unfortunately we can’t accept dogs, unless they are assistance dogs, into Trinity Hall
Do you take card payments? We take cash or card
How can I hear about future pop-ups? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or sign up to Frome Food Network’s newsletter
The cost of a meal at Canteen is up to how much you’d like to pay for it. Even if that’s nothing.
On the day, there will be an indication of how much a single meal at Canteen costs to make. Since Canteen is not-for-profit, it only seeks to cover that cost.
The food served at Canteen is hearty, nutritious, familiar, and – most importantly – delicious. Think pie and mash, ragu, curries, stews, and so on.
Canteen’s dishes are based around seasonal fruit and vegetables. Meat is from local, regenerative, and ethical sources.
At least for the time being, we aren’t serving drinks. But it is something we’re working on for the future.
©Celie Nigoumi
Due to the fact this is a public kitchen, we cannot guarantee any food to be free of nuts, gluten, etcetera. Please ask at the till about any dietary requirements to make sure it’s suitable for you. Or, if you need to know in advance, contact Hugh via hugh@fromefoodnetwork.co.uk
Children are welcome to come and eat too, provided they are accompanied and looked after by a responsible adult. If they want to eat among themselves, there is a designated children’s table in the dining hall.
Canteen is currently at proof-of-concept stage. We’d love to help set up a community restaurant in Frome permanently, but we need to fully understand what the community wants from it first – if indeed it wants it at all.
Canteen is hosted at Trinity Hall, BA11 3DE
Next pop-up: TBC
No reservation needed – pop along any time from 5pm. Food is served up to 7:30pm, or until it runs out.
Trinity Church is an 8-minute walk from Frome town centre, or a 4-minute cycle. Unfortunately, we can only accomodate assistance dogs.
Canteen is the product of a Frome Food Network 2024 and 2025 residency with Future Shed, a Green & Healthy initiative that offered practical support in getting health and climate friendly projects and enterprises off the ground.
Throughout both residencies, Canteen put on eight pop-ups serving a total of 1,072 people:
30 meals claimed free of charge
70–80% of food prepared from ingredients sourced from local and nature-friendly farms
~600 litres of food waste composted by community service Loop
79 meals donated to the Community Fridge
Six of those pop-ups took place at Trinity Chuch Hall; one at Wesley Church as part of Frome’s Green & Healthy Conference, and one at Victoria Park in collaboration with Victoria Park Community Cafe, Frome Seed Library, and Frome Town Council (see below video).
222 people came to eat at Canteen in the Park on 15th August 2025
Green & Healthy Frome (2021-2025) was a unique partnership of Edventure Frome, Frome Medical Practice and Frome Town Council taking action on health and climate in our town, funded by The National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund.
This zine tells the story of Canteen (as a project within the Green & Healthy Frome initiative), from its incidental ties to a state-supported restaurant in Frome in 1943, through to recipes for dishes we’d put on for its pop-ups in 2025.
Read the zine in full here.