Due to the lack of healthy food provision and evening entertainment opportunities I felt it sensible to create a facility that could provide good quality meals available throughout the day and into the evening. The food could be prepared on-site via instructor lead cooking classes aimed at elderly residents providing an opportunity to socialise and availability of affordable healthy meals in one go.
Inspired by the FareShare food sharing model I decided to base my project on sourcing all food from this scheme. This would allow free food to be soured alongside reducing food waste.
Providing quality daytime and evening eating options
Improving Stretford's Food Scene
STRETFORD
FOOD
SCENE
LACK OF INDEPENDENT FOOD RETAILERS
NO WEEKLY MARKET
NO RESTAURANTS IN THE TOWN CENTRE/OPEN EVENINGS
LACK OF ORGANIC
PRODUCE AVAILABLE
LACK OF HEALTHY/AFFORDABLE MEALS
Investigating Manchester's Community Food Networks
King Street Food Project
FINDINGS
Some charities relied on food donations however a substantial amount were linked to FareShare, a 'waste' food distribution charity based in Gorton. Fareshare collects ‘waste’ (usually due to damaged packaging or low sales) food from surrounding supermarkets and distributes this to local charities.
Surprisingly, on contacting Fareshare, lack of take up from charities and a surplus of waste food was revealed. Due to increased participation from local Tesco stores more and more food was being delivered but many charities were either unaware of this availability or unable to participate due to stringent hygiene requirements and lack of reliable volunteers to pick up food.
