The kitchen, as nearly any member will tell you, is the heart of a co-op house. Much of the work revolves around food and nearly the entire house comes together in the evenings to eat dinner. Late night quests for sustenance have many times made for memorable scenes in the kitchen. Because keeping food in the pantry and on the table is the responsibility of members, the food system evolves with the changes in membership and the food served reflects the tastes of the members. Co-opers plan menus, order the food, deliver it, keep inventories, supervise the kitchen, monitor the budget, and cook the food.

Food is included in your monthly fees.  While each house conducts food purchasing and meal planning slightly differently, each house is stocked with pantry staples such as beans, grains, flours, produce, oils, and spices. House food coordinators order staples in bulk to take advantage of bulk discounts and meet the needs of the house.  In addition to having access to a stocked pantry, members prepare communal house dinners several nights a week.

Diet

Houses purchase vegetarian and vegan food, and most house meals are vegetarian or vegan.  House members are free to purchase meat for their own personal consumption.