surplus veg? Community Shop in Yorkshire

[Two_Sheds]

I thought some of you might be interested in the South Yorkshire Community Shop, which I've just heard about: BBC Radio 4 - Food Programme, Feeding Britain

I wonder if they could take donations of surplus allotment produce? Unlike Food Banks, which only handle dried goods, Community Shop diverts surplus fresh healthy food from supermarkets to local poor people, rather than putting it in the bin.
This isn't out-of-date stuff, it's food that for one reason or another the shops can't sell (eg. cancelled orders, or might have upside-down labels on).

A great idea, I'm hoping to find one in my area ~ we've been trying to give away surplus courgettes etc for years, but can't find anyone to take them: Food Banks only take dry food, & schools, homes etc don't accept donations

[Penellype]

Around here we have a couple of houses with large gardens and I've noticed that they sometimes put tables outside the gate with things on - often buckets of apples, but also things like bits of perennial plants and so on. Usually there's a tin for donations. I've not ever taken anything myself but I'm sure people might do, especially if they were short of food.

[Alison]

Around here we have a couple of houses with large gardens and I've noticed that they sometimes put tables outside the gate with things on - often buckets of apples, but also things like bits of perennial plants and so on. Usually there's a tin for donations. I've not ever taken anything myself but I'm sure people might do, especially if they were short of food.

You get that in most rural parts of the country with an honesty box but that tends to be for passers by for their own use rather than the more coordinated approach described by TwoSheds. Sounds a good idea - although I do fear that even a venture like that might get to the point when they don't want any more courgettes, people have been known to avoid me in the height of summer when I keep forcing them to take another one

[veggiechicken]

A Glut of courgettes started Foodshare Grow Your Own? | Foodshare

[marchogaeth]

A Glut of courgettes started Foodshare Grow Your Own? | Foodshare

Couldn't find any in Wales - is that correct?

[Knight of Albion]

I thought some of you might be interested in the South Yorkshire Community Shop, which I've just heard about: BBC Radio 4 - Food Programme, Feeding Britain

I wonder if they could take donations of surplus allotment produce? Unlike Food Banks, which only handle dried goods, Community Shop diverts surplus fresh healthy food from supermarkets to local poor people, rather than putting it in the bin.
This isn't out-of-date stuff, it's food that for one reason or another the shops can't sell (eg. cancelled orders, or might have upside-down labels on).

A great idea, I'm hoping to find one in my area ~ we've been trying to give away surplus courgettes etc for years, but can't find anyone to take them: Food Banks only take dry food, & schools, homes etc don't accept donations

What a lovely idea. Sadly, so many people are finding it hard to make ends meet and eating healthily can often be hard when 'you' are on a budget. So some fresh veg ...

As you say, the food banks that collect in shops are set up for dried and tinned food, for obvious reasons. But if you find the local HQ/co-ordinator and explain things I'm sure they wouldn't say no, if you dropped the things off direct to there.

[greenishfing]

A relative is a community nurse working out of a large health centre and she says they get lots of stuff "dumped" on them from the locals who have allotments nearby. I know she (a vegetarian) really appreciates a lot of the fruit and veg and she puts some in her car and gives it away on her rounds

[Jeanied]

I offered some of my allotment spuds to a friend who said she was down to her last fiver for the weekend to feed her and her sons. Sadly my spuds were rejected because they were not like Aunt Bessies- hey ho. I have made some aloo gobi with them and very tasty too. Next time I will make sure they are Aunt Bessified for her before I offer again.
A lot went wrong when cooking was taken off the curriculum.

[WendyC]

A lot went wrong when cooking was taken off the curriculum.

You'll be pleased to hear it's back in the 2014 Primary Curriculum with the requirement that recipes used are of a "predominantly savoury nature". Secondaries round here seem to do cooking.

[buzzingtalk]

Two_Sheds, look into the People's Picnic in Norwich - although it might be a bit far for you - they recieve all sorts of fresh and ambient food and cook big meals to give out to the needy. have various drop off points in norwich/dereham IIRC.

[buzzingtalk]

Cooking when i was at school was just awful. the only thing i can remember was 'traffic light sandwiches' with holes cut in the top so you could see the colors. was bloody rancid and no wonder so many people were put off cooking when the 'food' they got you to cook was pure crap.

[Two_Sheds]

A lot went wrong when cooking was taken off the curriculum.

It didn't help, certainly, but there are other culprits too: the shops selling ready-meals that are often cheaper than making-from-scratch. 2 for 1s are always on processed food, not fresh healthy food.

People on welfare often can't afford the fuel to cook from scratch, some can't even afford to buy a cooker and all the pots and pans, and some kitchens don't even have room for a cooker, only a microwave.
There's no point in cooking in large quantities (a good use of fuel) if you can't afford a freezer