OCTOBER 2025
Eco-innovation in the P-O
This new series aims to highlight examples of eco-innovation and experimentation by local groups in the P-O forging new paths for living and thriving within the boundaries of our natural systems. This is the fourth article in our series. Read our previous pieces about an inspiring community farm in Sorède, Micro ferme la Cotcolleda, La Casa Bicicleta in Perpignan and Céret’s annual Écofestival.
MIAM Collectif, Perpignan
Located near Perpignan’s re-vitalised commercial thoroughfare, Rue des Augustins, you will find MIAM Collectif. (‘Miam’ is the French for ‘yum!’.)
It’s yellow and red-coloured exterior reflects the warm and welcoming atmosphere you will find inside this delightful dining spot. MIAM is not a regular bar-restaurant; it is a community canteen.
What does that mean?
“The original idea was for a bar-restaurant that the majority of the population could afford,” explains Camille Rosa, one of MIAM’s chefs and a founding member. “We were thinking about how we could make the city more pleasant by creating a truly inclusive place for people to meet and eat”.
What makes a community canteen?
There are a few distinguishing features of this community canteen. First of all, it relies on the active participation of numerous volunteers, who work either in the kitchen or in the bar and service area. MIAM currently has six part-time employees and a large team of volunteers.
Secondly, one of the restaurant’s key values centres around waste reduction. It serves healthy, wholesome vegetarian dishes using locally sourced fruit and vegetables. The main suppliers are two local enterprises, Pronatura and NéaBio, who donate their surplus produce. Other donors include École de la Terre, a local organic farm that runs re-integration programmes for people who are unemployed, and La Biocoop de Cabestany.
The third significant feature of MIAM is its free-pricing model.
Free pricing
“A friend who was involved in a collective restaurant introduced me to the idea of free pricing,” says Camille. “This approach encourages people to consider what they can afford depending on their income. You self-evaluate your means, and you pay what you can. It’s an uncommon model and people need to be educated around it.”
The concept is born from the belief that everyone should be able to access good food. It is also based on honesty. People who are accustomed to fine dining and eating out are encouraged to pay what they would normally expect to pay for a delicious and nutritious restaurant meal. This allows MIAM to serve people who might not normally eat out.
“This is a restaurant for everyone,” says Camille. “We see a whole range of people, including poor people, and we want them to feel welcome and proud to come here.”
Solidarity ethos
The canteen serves a daily set menu (Tuesday – Saturday, 12h15-13h45) for an average of +50 customers. It requires close cooperation between staff and volunteers. Staff member, Astrid, describes the solidarity ethos underpinning MIAM’s approach, both for customers and for staff and volunteers: “This is a safe space; everyone’s wellbeing is paramount. I have worked in hospitality in the past, but this place is different, we respect and take care of one another. I have met wonderful friends here. Many of our customers are regulars so we have gotten to know each other.”
Social realities
When Camille came to Perpignan ten years ago, she was struck by what she saw as a “peripheral” city, neglected by central government. While there are wonderful initiatives taking place in the city and across the region, there is no denying the problems of poverty, social exclusion and insecurity and related mental health problems that exist among our population. MIAM Collectif, which opened its doors in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when few other restaurants were open, aims to rebuild human social connections, in a way that removes stigma and bestows dignity. Its free pricing model also encourages us to think more about the way we use our money.
MIAM’s café is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11h-15h00. The team also run daytime and evening events through the year, including language exchanges, workshops, theatre, karaoke and seasonal celebrations.
Find further details about MIAM Collectif (including how to become a volunteer) at miamcollectif.org.
If you would like us to highlight an inspiring eco-initiative in your area, please get in touch with maebh.nifhalluin@gmail.com.