Address: Platform Cafe, 2 Ridgway Road, SW9 7AH

Open: Mondays & Tuesdays, 12.30 pm to 2.00 pm and 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm

Twitter: @brixtonpound

The Brixton Pound Cafe has given itself a new name and, following the loss of the premises in Atlantic Road, has moved to Loughborough Junction. But it still offers lunch and supper made from surplus food on a pay-what-you-can basis. It describes itself as a new social eating place serving vegetarian & vegan meals using surplus food saved from landfill.

It’s located on the corner of Wyck Gardens, in what used to be a toilet block that has been turned over for community use as The Platform. And it does look like a canteen, with simple tables and chairs. When it’s not a cafe it offers workshops on a variety of subjects, from how to wire an electric plug to tarot card reading. More details if you’re interested on Twitter.

We went on a Monday lunchtime. There’s a no choice menu, depending on what food has been donated. So we got organic cauliflower and thyme soup, topped with nigella seeds and grated pecorino, plus what turned out to be a tasty flower. Hearty fare, although we didn’t really notice the thyme.

Alongside there was a plate of greens, with what was described as buckwheat soda bread. Sean, the manager, apologised for the bread, explaining that he had only learnt to make it the weekend before and it was still a work in progress. In truth it was more like a biscuit, although still edible.

We washed it down with a sweet hibiscus drink. The suggested price was a fair value £6 per head, so that’s what we paid. I’m not sure we are going to become regulars but, as Sean has pointed out, it provides something useful in an area that is otherwise a food desert, as well as having a real social purpose.