Rob Parr Prepares to Launch Come Dine With Us

At 145 Central Drive in Revoe, one of Blackpool’s most disadvantaged districts, community leader Rob Parr is spearheading an ambitious and socially driven initiative entitled Come Dine With Us. The project has emerged from years of local engagement and research into the links between diet, poverty and wellbeing, particularly in areas where access to affordable, nutritious food is limited. Revoe, historically one of the town’s most densely populated and economically deprived neighbourhoods, has faced long-standing challenges related to food insecurity, unemployment and health inequality. Parr’s vision is to help address these issues at a grassroots level, using food education as a catalyst for personal and community transformation. Come Dine With Us is based on a simple but powerful idea: teaching people how to cook healthy meals from basic, low-cost ingredients. Many households in the area rely heavily on processed or takeaway food, often because of time pressures, limited kitchen equipment or lack of experience. Through this new programme, Parr and his team hope to bridge that gap by offering free or low-cost cooking lessons designed to build confidence, improve nutrition, and make healthy eating both achievable and enjoyable. Participants will be guided through the preparation of everyday dishes, learning how to use fresh produce and affordable staples to create satisfying meals for themselves and their families.

The project is being established as a community-run facility, supported by volunteers, local residents and partner organisations across Blackpool. Once open, it will serve as a combined teaching kitchen and social hub—a welcoming space where people can cook, share meals, and exchange ideas about food, budgeting and wellbeing. Beyond cookery, the initiative also aims to nurture social connection in a neighbourhood where isolation and hardship are common. Parr’s long-term goal is to develop Come Dine With Us into a self-sustaining model that can be replicated elsewhere in Blackpool, complementing the town’s wider regeneration and public health strategies. The project aligns with ongoing efforts by local authorities and charities to tackle health inequalities, reduce food waste and strengthen community resilience.

Although there is still work to be done before opening day, progress continues steadily. Equipment, safety certification and refurbishment of the premises are being finalised, and community support for the scheme continues to grow. Once operational, Come Dine With Us will stand as an inspiring example of how local action, education and compassion can make a tangible difference to lives in one of Blackpool’s most historically deprived areas—transforming not only how people eat, but how they connect, share and rebuild hope through food.