Beginning this Valentine's weekend (Feb 14-15), the team behind Opposite Mess Hall, led by chef Jess Barnes, will launch a collaboration project with the charity kids cooking project The Courageous Kitchen.

The fruits of the collaboration are a range of new products that will debut at this weekend's K Village Farmers' Market (which takes place every second weekend of the month, 9am-5pm), including pickles, olives and sauces. Proceeds will feed back to the project.

The cooking project is an initiative of the charity In Search of Sanuk, which aims to improve both the nutrition and confidence of kids from impoverished families through fun, kitchen-related activities.

After working with In Search of Sanuk on a series of food drives, with varying degrees of success, mainly due to logistics, Barnes says this latest venture feels like a natural progression.

“By working on a basic business model—creating food products for retail sale—we can teach the kids kitchen skills, hygiene, food safety, basic business maths and marketing. I declare full transparency and Opposite is absorbing all costs. After costs, the profit is split 50/50. It’s a positive business venture for all involved; the main focus is teaching the kids and giving them the opportunity to build a skill-set and learn self-sufficiency."

“This is only the beginning, we have a lot of ground to cover, implementing training programs and systems, and I would love more individuals and businesses to get involved. Consumerism seems to be at an all-time high, so if we can put a socially positive spin on it, why the hell not?” 

In related news, as of this week, Opposite operates Mondays, meaning it's now open 7 days a week, from 6pm. For reservations, [email protected].

Opposite Mess Hall, 27/1 Sukhumvit Soi 51, 02-662-6330. BTS Thong Lo