Over 500 people turned up to share food for a harvest festival street feast in Hackney Central, which saw 30 people join in with a spectacular giant salad toss.

Hackney Gazette: Volunteer Cassy Ouszewski invites people to try some cheese in a street party at the Narroway festival,Volunteer Cassy Ouszewski invites people to try some cheese in a street party at the Narroway festival, (Image: Archant)

The lettuce leaves were put in a giant tarpaulin for the stunt in the recently-pedestrianised Narroway which was pulled off by caterers Cinnamon and Custard.

“It’s gonna be messy, although hopefully not as messy as the last one we did on a very windy day when a poor woman got a face full of oil and balsamic vinegar,” they said on networking site Facebook before the event.

The main course for the gathering was made by People’s Kitchen - which runs a weekly voluntary kitchen at Passing Clouds in Richmond Road – using food sourced from local businesses which would otherwise have been thrown away.

Chairs and tables were made the week before in public workshops by a co-operative of architects, builders, carpenters and makers, RARA, and have now been donated to various community projects including the Wilton Way Estate in Hackney Central and the Robin Hood Community Gardens in Big Hill, Lower Clapton.

E5 Bakehouse, Spandelli, L’Epicerie and Spice and Grill were also commissioned to make food for the feast, which was supported by Hackney Council, and music came from music from Whiskey Moon Face, Theo Bard and members of the Grand Union Orchestra.

See our picture gallery on the right hand side.