Families in Moss Side are buying 'good quality' food for just £7 a bag thanks to a scheme that makes use of surplus products from supermarkets.
Based at The Work Shop on Alexandra Road every Tuesday, The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) has expanded after a six-week trial.
As the food is surplus, usually donated from supermarkets, a bag of food will vary each week and could contain anything from cereals, pasta, smoothies, meat, and vegetables.
People can also order an individual-sized order at £3.50 or a larger-sized order for £14.
The service runs on a membership model, where members are sent a text to sign up to pick up a collection of food each week.
Working on a first come first served basis, if people aren’t able to secure a collection one week, they will be given advanced notice to sign up the following week.
“At the start of the scheme, we had about twelve people signed up and now we’re regularly having 50 families each week,” said Julie Blairs, Financial Inclusion Manager at One Manchester who worked alongside TBBT to help set up the hub at Moss Side.
“It isn’t just for people who are desperate, it’s for working families who might just be falling short towards the end of the month too.”
The service is open to anyone in the local postcode area.
With 20 hubs across the Greater Manchester area, the service is hoping to not only help people keep costs down but to also tackle the issue of food waste.
“The food we get is good quality stuff,” says Rachel Reid-Fernandez, 28, operations manager for TBBT.
“It’s not all going to go out of date tomorrow, there’s a lot of branded, good quality food there. It’s ridiculous to even call it food waste really.
"While some food may have a short shelf life, others will just have damaged containers. In other cases, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the product.
“It’s fantastic that we’re able to take the food waste from supermarkets and distribute it elsewhere, but a lot of it is down to oversupplying,” adds Reid-Fernandez.
“After Christmas we will get a lot of surplus mince pies.”
Despite initiatives, such as Morrisons ‘Too Good To Waste’ campaign, British consumers have long been conditioned to prefer perfectly-shaped produce.
“Everyone is so used to buying with their eyes,” Reid-Fernandez says. “If it doesn’t look perfect, people might think it won’t taste as nice.
“There’s a whole van out there full of food that would have gone to landfill otherwise.”
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Across all of its hubs, TBBT delivers 15 tonnes of surplus food a week - equating to around 1.8 million meals a year.
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see the amount of food that people are wasting in this country,” says Renee Salter, 46, who has worked with the group since July 2018.
“It’s proper staple food that families need. It’s the stuff that’s going to last a couple days, it’s going to make a big meal for everyone.”
A recent study identified that Manchester is the most disadvantaged local authority in the city-region.
TBBT estimates that it saves its 6,000 members across the area over £25,000 per week, with an average saving per week of £20.
"Even if you’re on benefits, you should still be able to manage but a lot of people are nowhere near being able to manage," Renee adds.
Cara Peacock, 31, has used the service at Moss Side twice now.
"I’ve got three children and I’m a student at the moment as well," she says.
"Things are quite tight, especially with paying bills, rent, and things for the kids.
"I get the kids involved in sports at school, and it means that the little bit of money I’m saving can go towards them.
"I’m not an extravagant spender but it’s nice to know that they can do these clubs at school or can go swimming lessons."
The staff at TBBT say that anyone wishing to use the service should be open-minded as they could be given the 'most bizarre' selection of food.
“If you’re prepared to give it a go and try something new, you might discover something really nice," adds Salter.
“People will tell you about what meals they are planning to make with the food, or ask you for tips on how to cook something.”
Despite having just launched the Moss Side hub, the organisation is already planning to expand but is in need of volunteers if it wishes to do so.
People can either donate food, their time, or even volunteer as a driver to collect donations from across the city.
“The need is massive, and we’re trying to fill it,” Salter said. “But we can’t do it without the help.”
To find out more about how you can sign up for The Bread and Butter Thing in your area, or how to volunteer, visit https://breadandbutterthing.org/ .
