Alsager’s Bread and Butter Thing hub is celebrating its first anniversary.
Since opening, the hub has provided local families and individuals with access to nutritious, affordable food while helping reduce food waste.
Members can access three bags of food each week, including fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled items and cupboard staples from just £8.50.
Healthy Start cards are accepted, and personal hygiene and other non-food items are also available.
The Bread and Butter Thing (“Bread and Butter”) is the largest member-based food redistribution charity in the UK, working in 158 locations across 33 local authorities from the East Midlands to North Tyneside.
It helps food budgets go further by providing fresh, healthy, affordable food to its 100,000 members in low-income communities.
Over the past year, this has equated to roughly 21.4 million meals saved and saved most members £25 a week.
Bread and Butter is on a mission to improve diets, save people money and strengthen community resilience.
As an organisation, it uses its platform to amplify members’ voices on the daily challenges they face such as diet diversity, food security, social isolation and debt and finance.
It works with leading supermarkets, such as Aldi, Morrison’s, Co-op and Sainsbury.
“The Bread and Butter Thing has encouraged me to get out”
member from the local community
A member from the local community said: “The Bread and Butter Thing has encouraged me to get out. I’ve made new friends. As you don’t know what you are going to get in your bags, it has extended my palate. As a family we sit down and meal plan together. Often there will be things we haven’t had before so we will Google recipes.”
Vic Harper, chief executive of the Bread and Butter Thing, said: “Marking one year in the Alsager community is something of which we’re incredibly proud. Over that time, we’ve seen how access to affordable, healthy food can bring people together, reduce waste and strengthen neighbourhoods. None of this would be possible without our brilliant volunteers, whose commitment and care sit at the heart of everything we do.”
Across The Bread and Butter Thing’s network, 79% of members have reported eating more fruit and vegetables, 71% were cooking more meals at home, and 72% felt more connected to their community. Many were saving up to £25 a week, freeing up money for other household priorities, the enterprise said.
Anyone interested in joining can register by texting 07507 237311 with their name, postcode and hub. Volunteers are also welcome. Go to breadandbutterthing.org/volunteers to find out more.
