7am
If I’m at my Mum's I’ll usually get up at this time, have a shower and get ready to go, then I get the bus into work at about 8.15am. Sometimes I’ll have been babysitting my niece at my sister’s, or looking after my pal’s bairns in Wester Hailes. I have to start work a bit later if I’m at their houses, because it takes so long to get across town. Catering managers, Claire and Will, in the café are okay with that as long as I let them know when I’ll be in.
9am
When I get to work I put my coat and bag away and get my apron on and wash my hands. Once I’ve got my apron on it feels different, like I’m definitely at work. Quite often, I will do some baking and make a batch of brownies. I like baking brownies because I know what I’m doing and they always smell so good!
10.30am
We do some prep to make sure we’ve got enough fillings for the sandwiches and baked potatoes that we’ll serve that day. We’ll also make the day’s specials and set up so we’re ready for the lunch rush. The café is in the NHS Comely Bank Centre, so all the staff there are our regular customers, which is good because we get to chat to them and know them quite well. They’re all really nice!
12pm
I have lunch at the café – usually whatever we’re making for the day’s special, which could be anything. My favourites are mince and tatties or chicken curry, but I had fajitas the other day and that was really good.
1pm
We sometimes go on the Scran Van (Scran Academy’s charity food truck) to feed youth groups in the evening, so if we’re doing that we’ll cook something in advance to take along – quite a lot of the time it’s mac and cheese, because everyone likes it. I make good mac and cheese.
3pm
We clean the café then I finish work, go home to shower and get ready to go out in the Scran Van.
5pm
I help out when we take the van to youth groups in Gracemount. It’s nice going up there as it gets me out and about doing something, and it’s good to meet and speak to new people. Some of the primary kids are really funny and cute too.
6pm
We finish feeding people and I make my way home to chill out for a while before going to bed.
Edinburgh’s Scran Academy is a catering social enterprise, who run a youth-work based Community Catering School. They also operate Scran Van, a mobile catering van that allows young people to gain leadership skills in a safe environment. Most recently, they teamed up with NHS Lothian to open their Scran Cafe in NHS Lothian’s Comely Bank Centre. For more information or to support the charity, see www.scranacademy.com
