Whether you’re concerned about the cost-of-living crisis, the sustainability of the UK’s food industries, or both, there are a lot of places in Brighton promoting gift economy business models, food waste reduction, and sustainable food stability.
Those mentioned in this article are only a few of many in the city and getting involved in projects like these not only fills you with some do-good dopamine but will also help you connect with your local community and learn and teach skills to each other respectively. Make sure to check for your local social supermarket to help reduce food waste, and save some money in the process!
The Real Junk Food Project Brighton
The Real Junk Food Project network is a movement of cafes, projects, and pop-ups which intercept potentially wasted food before it reaches a landfill and use it to feed people in need on a ‘pay as you feel’ basis.
The gift economy model used by the Real Junk Food Project encourages people to put a value on what their meal personally means to them and consider what the individual can afford.
‘Pay as you feel’ essentially removes the exclusionary element present in individuals with differing financial circumstances and allows everyone to access food fairly. They strive to remove the stigma which may be present in the zeitgeist surrounding somebody taking a free or cheap meal.
In the UK, an estimated 2 million people are malnourished, while our food waste amounts to 15 million tonnes every year. This project’s mission is to source and use food considered as surplus to feed people who may have otherwise gone hungry.
All intercepted food is delivered to the Real Junk Food Project hub in Bevendean which is open to ‘shoppers’ on weekdays. The project holds pop-up cafes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at St. Luke’s Church and on Thursdays at Hollingdean Community Centre. The Fitzherbert Community Hub in Kemp Town is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
The project can also cater events and weddings with a choice of Indian Street Food, Italian Buffet, and Spanish Paella!
If you would like to volunteer for any of the hubs or cafes mentioned, please email volunteer@realjunkfoodbrighton.co.uk.
Address: 13 Leybourne Parade, BN2 4LW
Website: www.realjunkfoodbrighton.co.uk
BrightStore
BrightStore was one of six community food pilot projects set up across Brighton and Hove in 2020 to help combat food insecurity with long-term and sustainable outcomes. The idea was formed by the way people adapted to shopping for and sourcing food during the pandemic.
BrightStore identified a need for an affordable, weekly grocery store in the Hollingdean area and launched on October 24th, 2020. In January 2021, they opened a second store in Hove and have expanded to locations in Whitehawk, Mile Oak, and Coldean.
BrightStore is a community-led social grocery store and partners with local and national suppliers to source surplus and donated high-quality food. They offer a donation-based service, and the amount is suggested based on the member’s household size and financial position.
However, if somebody is in a food emergency, BrightStore’s commitment to equity and solidarity extends to offering free places. They provide fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, and cupboard staples at a fraction of the cost you would typically find in big supermarkets.
BrightStore is open to new members provided they live within a 20-minute walk of the closest store. Each store is run by members, for members to encourage a community spirit but they do also welcome volunteers from the wider area.
If you’d like to get involved and help run your local BrightStore please visit their Get Involved page.
Locations: Coldean, Hollingdean, Hove, Mile Oak, Whitehawk
Website: www.brightstore.org
Moulsecoomb Community Market
Moulsecoomb and Bevendean are located on the outskirts of Brighton and house several large estates. They are a tight-knit and supportive community with many families calling this area their home for generations.
The area exists conversely to the luxurious shopping and leisure districts of central Brighton and the ward has been identified as being in the top 10% of the most deprived areas in Britain. Brighton’s neglect of Moulsecoomb and Bevendean was only exacerbated by the issues the whole country faced during the pandemic.
Operating out of St. George’s Hall, Moulsecoomb Community Market provides its community with a membership-based social supermarket where its patrons pay a small nominal fee that entitles them to choose a fixed number of items within the store. The items are colour-coded to reflect their cost/availability and the social supermarket bridges the gap between commercial stores and food banks.
Moulsecoomb Community Market’s mission is to provide people with dignity and choice when it comes to food and to promote a more varied and healthy diet, they even have recipe ideas to get people more confident with adventurous cooking.
The market stocks fresh fruit and vegetables, cupboard essentials, and household items with the aim being that people have more income left to spend on meat, utilities, and general cost of living.
Moulsecoomb Community Market is open every Wednesday morning. If you are interested in volunteering for this excellent community program, or donate towards it head to their website below.
Address: St. George’s Hall, Newick Road, BN1 9JG
Website: www.our-mcm.org.uk
Very Local Food Hubs Brighton
A group of local volunteers who came together in response to the covid pandemic, the Very Local Food Hubs team pooled their skills to create a community veg box scheme which has seen their members through three lockdowns and are still going strong.
The team provide weekly boxes using a scaled pricing system to ensure people paid only what they can afford. This grassroots projects success has seen them grow from a committee of six, to more than thirty volunteers who continue to train and upskill with the hub even beginning to create paid roles.
Since Spring 2021, Very Local Food Hubs have been helping people learn about growing their own food and shared skills about cooking from fresh, encouraging an affordable and sustainable lifestyle for their members.
Using the knowledge of their local chefs, the veg boxes are organised in a way to make up as many meals as possible. The seasonal produce is sourced locally from farms in Sussex and Kent who receive a fair price for their work which solidifies better food security for the community.
Very Local Food Hub also puts on events throughout the year such as food fairs, workshops, and cookalongs. If you would like to get involved in packing or delivering their veg boxes to your community, please visit their website.
Very Local Food Hubs: Moulsecoomb, Bevendean, and Bates Estate areas.
Website: www.verylocalfood.org
