Serving Up Community: Our First NOMA Lunch with All Together Otherwise

This week, the Vegetarian Society had the absolute pleasure of taking part in a community lunch hosted by All Together Otherwise at Sadler’s Yard — right in the heart of the NOMA neighbourhood and just a short skip from our HQ in Ancoats.

All Together Otherwise is a grassroots initiative that runs occasional events to bring together the people who live and work in and around NOMA. Their lunches aren’t just about food (though the food is always brilliant); they’re about making connections, having conversations, and creating a sense of belonging in this growing corner of Manchester.

When they invited us to be part of their latest event, we jumped at the chance.

This wasn’t just a few of us popping over for a bite — our whole organisation came together to represent the Vegetarian Society. It was a full team effort, and a great opportunity for us to step out of the office, get our hands dirty (or floury!), and introduce ourselves to our neighbours with the thing we know best: delicious, accessible veggie and plant-based food.

The menu was lovingly cooked and served by our COOK! team, using ingredients sourced from LIDL and topped up with generous surplus donations from FareShare Greater Manchester. With creativity and care, the team crafted a vibrant lunch that was nutritious, affordable, and packed with flavour — proof that great vegetarian food can be both accessible and exciting.

We shared food, swapped stories, and talked to dozens of people curious about what we do — from cookery courses and membership, to how they can start incorporating more plant-based meals into their day-to-day lives. It was a relaxed, joyful atmosphere filled with laughter, great smells, and the warm hum of connection — exactly the kind of gathering we love being part of.

As newcomers to Ancoats, this felt like a perfect introduction to the neighbourhood. Being just around the corner from NOMA means we’re in the ideal spot to take part in more events like this, and we’re already looking forward to building relationships with the local community, one shared plate at a time.

A huge thank you to the wonderful organisers at All Together Otherwise for having us, and to everyone who came by to eat, chat, and learn more about what we do. We left with full hearts, empty trays, and a renewed excitement for the future.

See you at the next one?