Features / Pop ups and supper clubs
The supper club serving up trans solidarity
On a cold and wet evening in Easton, people gathered to enjoy an evening of laughter and conversation blended with the aromas of beef stew infused with cola and red wine.
This was Serving: a queer-led supper club raising funds for trans people’s gender-affirming care.
It began in 2023 inside founder and chef Robbie Cottle’s home in Bedminster.
“It started as these elaborate dinner parties for six to ten people,” Robbie explained.
“I’ve always loved cooking, and I love bringing people together around food.
“But I also wanted to respond to what I was seeing every day – many trans people crowdfunding to access healthcare.
“It felt important to do something.”
Serving is a queer-led supper club raising funds for trans people’s gender-affirming care – photo: Carla Wakfer
What began as a DIY project with his friend Kit has grown into a grassroots initiative providing meals and support to up to 30 people and drawing on 40 volunteers.
Robbie’s main motivation was learning how many trans people need to self-fund to secure their health and wellbeing.
Finn, a 25-year-old from Horfield, is one beneficiary who attended a Serving event organised to help raise funds for their healthcare needs.
For Finn, attending the evening carried a deep emotional weight.
“It was a really lovely evening, seeing strangers show up for me – people I’d never met – supporting me without even knowing me,” they said.
“Sometimes you feel like you’re fighting a battle you can’t win, but seeing people show up reminded me that community still exists.
“When the voices against you are louder, it’s easy to lose sight of the people fighting your corner – but that night gave me that sense of community again and restored a bit of faith that people still want to help, even when everything feels heavy.”
So far, the team has hosted 18 events and raised over £8,000 for fundraisers.
Beneficiaries submit a form and for each event someone is randomly selected.
In 2025, Serving moved into a dedicated kitchen in Easton, hosted by restaurant group Bianchis.
Serving was able to add a lump sum to Finn’s top surgery crowdfunder – photo: Finn Coll
The UK Supreme Court ruled in April that the term “sex” in the Equality Act means biological sex assigned at birth.
This fuelled an already steady increase in hate crimes towards trans people in the UK.
But it also sparked widespread solidarity and allyship from businesses and employers, reflected in responses like the Safe Space Bristol initiative.
Serving’s events are about feeding that solidarity.
The menus, designed entirely by Robbie, are inventive and generous, each themed around a regional cuisine that he happens to feel like doing at the time.
One month might feature seasonal Basque flavours, another might draw on Indian, Middle Eastern or Mediterranean influences.
“I usually start with a single idea I’m excited about and build the menu from there,” Robbie said.
Robbie’s dedication to Serving isn’t only visible in the menu – photo: Carla Wakfer
At the next supper club, Robbie and his team will be serving up a Korean menu for both a vegan and a sober event at Cotto on St Stephen’s Street.
Proceeds from ticket sales directly support both the running costs and trans individuals.
Each event draws a mix of Bristol’s LGBTQ+ community, allies and newcomers who might not yet understand the realities of trans healthcare in the UK.
“At first, I realised not everyone knew what we were doing,” Robbie recalled.
“So now I always make sure to talk a bit about why we’re here and who we’re supporting, without speaking for anyone.”
For many trans people in the UK, the journey toward transition can be long and isolating.
NHS waiting lists for gender clinics can stretch well over a decade, and private care – while often the only timely option – is financially out of reach for most.
Studies consistently show that gender-affirming care reduces depression, anxiety and suicide risk, yet access to it is increasingly difficult and people’s general understanding is often minimal.
“It’s hard to explain just how difficult it can be,” Robbie said.
“You see people doing everything they can to raise a few hundred pounds here, a few thousand there – just to be themselves. That’s why every meal matters.”
The supper club serves vegan, vegetarian and meat dishes as well as making some events sober – photo: Serving
Volunteers like Rio, who help in the kitchen, see Serving as both a community experience and a learning space.
“My favourite thing is meeting all kinds of people who care about both food and trans people,” they said.
“As a home cook, it’s such a learning experience getting to work in a real kitchen alongside professionals.”
The event’s marketer, Jardine, said the supper club represents something bigger than a meal: “It’s a wonderful balance – raising money for something serious while still celebrating joy and community.”
Robbie said that “the main goal is just to keep going” with sustainability and community being key to Serving’s long-term future.
Future goals include forging more relationships with Bristol’s broader food industry, from local breweries to ingredient suppliers to help reduce costs and expand their impact.
Between clinking glasses and every delicious dish served is the quietly meaningful act of helping a trans person in need.
As Robbie puts it: “I wouldn’t still be doing this if I didn’t love cooking, nor if I didn’t believe in what it represents.”
The next Serving supper club has a vegan Korean menu and is a sober event on January 25 at Cotto. For tickets, visit www.tickettailor.com/events/servingbristol/1979448
Carla Wakfer is reporting on the LGBTQ+ community as part of Bristol24/7’s Community Reporters programme, aiming to amplify marginalised voices and communities often overlooked by mainstream media. This initiative is funded by our public, Better Business members and a grant from the Nisbets Trust.
Main photo: Carla Wakfer
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