Imagining a world where no food goes to waste
Bringing beauty and dignity to the table
Inviting you to
join our family
Rescuing Food
Restoring People
Rethinking Hospitality
Our story
Food for Soul began with a simple but powerful idea: to prevent food waste and loss and turn it into a force for good.
Founded by Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore, they saw a world where surplus food could become a source of nourishment, hope and dignity for those in need.
Working alongside chefs from around the globe, we rescue food that would otherwise be discarded and transform it into delicious, life changing meals.
The Refettorios we open are places of welcome, where people come together, not just to eat, but to experience connection, respect, and the power of community.
We’re not just feeding people or rescuing food; we’re challenging the systems that allow waste and insolation to exist. Together, we are rethinking the value of food and rebuilding a more sustainable world, one meal at a time.
Our Work
Activism & Civic Engagement
We activate spaces, voices, and ideas to shift perspectives and drive systemic change.
Civic participation is a key ingredient for impact.
Refettorio Development
We co-create Refettorio spaces with local partners, blending food, art, and social inclusion. Each project responds to unique community needs.
Educate & Inspire
We share knowledge, tools, and stories that spark new ways of thinking and doing.
Inspiration fuels action.
Our impact
2471 tonnes
FOOD SAVED
Our model reduces waste and promotes conscious choices by transforming surplus into nourishing meals. Refettorio projects source seasonal ingredients to support local growers and offer food that protects both people’s health and the planet’s future.
3.97 mil
MEALS
Hospitality around the table. Our Refettorio model’s anchor food program provides a multicourse meal at a convivial table. Fresh groceries, hampers, and food education programs complement each cultural project and Refettorio partner.
1.59 mil
GUESTS SERVED
Beauty transforms. Refettorio projects welcome individuals facing social vulnerability and marginalization, of all ages and lived experiences — including those who are isolated, homeless, refugees, or impoverished — seeking a place of belonging and connection to community.
170.584
Volunteers, CHEFS, APPRENTICES
Taking action together. Refettorio projects thrive thanks to volunteers and creators of all kinds — chefs, designers, artists, organizations, and changemakers — who offer their time, skills, and voice to raise awareness, build community, and care for people and the planet.
Our refettorio projects
Refettorio Geneva
Refettorio Geneva
refettoriogeneva.org
Rue de Lyon 120, 1203
Genève, Suisse
Google Maps
Refettorio Made in Cloister
Refettorio Made in Cloister
Piazza Enrico de Nicola, 48 80139 Naples, Italy
Google Maps
Refettorio Antoniano
Refettorio Antoniano
Via Guinizelli 3 – 40125 Bologna, Italy
Google Maps
Refettorio Modena
Refettorio Modena
refettoriomodena.org
Via Leodoino, 9 41121 Modena, Italy
Google Maps
Refettorio Paris
Refettorio Paris at Foyer de la Madeleine
refettorioparis.com
Place de la Madeleine, 75008 Paris, France
Google Maps
Refettorio Felix
Refettorio Felix at St Cuthbert’s
refettoriofelix.com
51 Philbeach Gardens, Kensington,
London SW5 9EB, UK
Google Maps
Refettorio Mérida
Refettorio Mérida
refettoriomerida.com
Calle 60 550, Centro, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
Google Maps
Refettorio Harlem
Refettorio Harlem
refettorioharlem.com
Emanuel AME Church
37 W 119th St, New York, NY 10026
Google Maps
Refettorio Ambrosiano
Refettorio Ambrosiano
refettorioambrosiano.it
Piazza Greco 11, 20125, Milano
Google Maps
Refettorio San Francisco
Refettorio San Francisco
refettoriosanfrancisco.org
149 Fell Street, San Francisco California
Google Maps
Refettorio Gastromotiva
Refettorio Gastromotiva
refettoriogastromotiva.org
Rua da Lapa 108
Lapa – Rio de Janeiro, 20021-180
Google Maps
Rescue Kitchen
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Bean Flour Pancakes with Fresh Avocado & Herb Salad
Recipe created by Food for Soul
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Apple Donuts with Homemade Apple Scrap Caramel
Recipe created by Food for Soul
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“
Culture brings knowledge.
Knowledge leads to consciousness.
And when we become conscious, we are one step closer to becoming socially responsible.
Culture is the key.
Massimo Bottura
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Together, We Are Stronger
