The best known kitchen is Allesha's Pantry, operated by Allesha Sheevis in an abandoned workhouse not more than a hundred yards from the Slags. While most kitchens pick and choose who they let through the door — some refuse kids, others turn away tieflings or githzerai — everyone's welcome at the Pantry. A sign in the window tells what to expect:
Despite the depressing neighborhood surrounding the Pantry, its interior's surprisingly cheery. Colorful posters cover the brick walls, bearing slogans like "A full stomach lifts the spirit" and "Tomorrow is a new day." Clusters of paper strips, arranged to resemble flower bouquets, decorate spotless wooden tables filled with steaming pots of tomato soup and pigeon stew. Long lines of down-and-outers wait patiently for their helpings, amusing themselves with songs that poke fun at the quality of the food. Allesha herself has been known to join in, bringing smiles to sods who don't have much to be happy about.
At the edge of the Slags, Allesha’s Pantry is a beacon of hope in a drowning wasteland of sorrow. The remnants of an old attempt by the citizens of the Clerk’s Ward to help feed the hungry Hivers, the Pantry is a charity kitchen run by an Indep called Allesha Sheevis. Everyone is welcome into the Pantry, and what they find inside is a cheery, colorful interior filled with inspirational posters. Allesha doesn’t charge for her meals, though she might ask a few of the stronger sods who come in to help out with dishes, cooking and cleaning. Those who help out also earn the right to spend the night – they can sleep on the floor or, for a copper, rent a clean bed.
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Allesha Sheevis