Network Rail introduces coffee cup recycling: Passengers encouraged to Sip, Save and Recycle to help make stations greener

Coffee loving commuters are being encouraged to Sip, Save and Recycle their cups in Britain’s biggest and busiest stations, as Network Rail rolls out the first of their new coffee cup recycling bins at King’s Cross, Leeds, London Bridge, Waterloo, Liverpool Street, Charing Cross and Cannon Street.

As passenger numbers slowly increase and with 60% of station retailers now open, those travelling by train or visiting the stations can make use of the bright orange bins to recycle any paper coffee cups purchased during their journey.

Recycled cups are turned into upcycled reusable cups and other products including tissue and packaging, reducing waste and encouraging a circular economy.

Partnering with environmental charity Hubbub and working closely with waste provider, Interserve, Network Rail will be installing specially designed bins at all managed stations – including Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Edinburgh Waverley, Manchester Piccadilly and 11 London stations – by the end of October.

The rollout comes as a new YouGov study commissioned by Network Rail reveals that consumers want to recycle cups but often do not know how:

  • 58 per cent use either a waste bin or general recycling bin to recycle cups despite these systems being unable to manage paper cups; almost a quarter (23 per cent) of those who use a general recycling bin did not realise that coffee or paper cups should be recycled in specific bins.
  • Only 3 in 10 adults (30 per cent) who purchase a cup of coffee while travelling reported that they use a bin specifically designed for recycling coffee cups once they have finished with it.
  • Of those who don’t tend to recycle paper cups, just over half (52 per cent) say it’s because there isn’t anywhere available for them to do so throughout their journey, while 21 per cent feel that public recycling facilities are inadequate.

The initiative follows Network Rail’s launch of their new sustainability strategy, which includes ambitions to make stations greener.

Jo Lewington, Chief Environment and Sustainability Officer at Network Rail, said: “We know that more of our passengers want to do their bit for the environment and recycling is an easy way for them to get involved. So, as we start to welcome passengers back in ever increasing numbers, we’re working harder than ever to ensure our stations are not only cleaner, but also greener.

“By installing accessible, easy-to-use cup recycling bins across our managed station network this year, we’re helping our passengers to reduce their waste with a simple message – “Sip, Save and Recycle”. We believe the initiative will go a long way to supporting the circular economy and making our stations more sustainable.”

Gavin Ellis, Director and Co-Founder of Hubbub, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Network Rail on the introduction of these new cup recycling points. Cups can be easily recycled but, because they have a plastic lining that stops hot drinks from leaking, they need to be collected separately from other recycling. There is now plenty of capacity to recycle cups in the UK; what is needed is more infrastructure to collect the cups in high footfall places, so train stations are the ideal location. Our support for this initiative was made possible with funding from the Starbucks 5p cup charge, which Hubbub uses to make it easier and simpler for the public to recycle the cups they use, as well as promoting the use of reusable cups.”

It’s time to put “recycling’s most wanted” where they belong

A playful new campaign will help West London residents recycle more and better as Kensington and Chelsea Council teams up with Kensington-based innocent drinks and environmental charity Hubbub this Recycle Week (21-27th September 2020).

As people spend more time at home, we’re generating more waste than ever before, including an average of 128 pieces of plastic per household per week. This creates a particular problem in densely populated boroughs, such as Kensington and Chelsea. Over the last 3 years, K&C has achieved an overall increase in its recycling rate of just under 3% (2.9%). Now standing at 28.6%, this is ahead of most other boroughs with similar housing composition, but there is still room to do even better.

Polling shows that 1 in 3 Londoners find recycling information difficult to understand, with less than half (45%) saying they’re confident about what can be recycled and more than half (51%) agreeing that clearer information would encourage them to recycle more.

From this week, residents of the borough will see messages on posters, recycling bags and leaflets, digital displays and recycling trucks asking them to help catch “recycling’s most wanted”. These include items such as drinks cans, yogurt pots and bathroom plastics that belong in the recycling, but sometimes manage to escape.

Recycling can easily be spoiled by food and drink, meaning that even if items are put in the right bin, they are too dirty to be recycled. Residents are being urged to “wash their bits” to reduce pressure on the collection crew who often have to make decisions on whether items are fit for recycling.

Vaughan MacIntosh, Chargehand/Loader for the Council’s waste collector SUEZ, said:

“It’s great that the new campaign will help people know what they can put in their recycling and what should go in the rubbish. We work hard to recycle as much as possible, from pulling-up and separating recycling and waste bags at the kerbside, to spotting and removing items that can’t be recycled during collection and loading. We remove as many items as we can, when it’s safe and practical to do so, but it’s challenging. Sometimes the contamination is hidden, or it is wet and dirty, and spoils the rest of the clean recycling. It would be a great help if people separate their recycling at home correctly.”

Cllr Cem Kemahli, Lead Member for Environment at Kensington and Chelsea Council said:

“I hope residents connect with this fun campaign and it makes recycling at home simpler. Our waste collectors and sorters have made heroic efforts during the pandemic to provide an essential service that we couldn’t manage without. We can all make their jobs easier by recycling the most wanted items.
“Getting recycling right contributes to our ambition for a cleaner and greener Kensington and Chelsea with less waste, better air quality and a carbon neutral borough by 2040.”

Louise Stevens, Head of Circular Economy at innocent drinks, said:

“We’re thrilled to be a part of this campaign, and we feel this could be a breakthrough when it comes to recycling rates. We got a few of our talented writers and designers on the case and we’re looking forward to supporting our neighbours in their recycling efforts.”

Gavin Ellis, Co-Founder and Director of Hubbub said:

“Lockdown completely transformed the way we live and work, including our recycling habits and we know from our research that 43% 5 of people are more concerned about plastic pollution than before Covid-19. At a hugely challenging time for local authorities, supporting households to recycle better is more important than ever before. We know that many people want to recycle correctly but that they’re confused about what to do with their waste and we hope this campaign will make it easier for the people of Kensington and Chelsea to do the right thing.”

To find out more about the campaign and recycling guidance visit www.rbkc.gov.uk/recycling

HRH The Prince of Wales opens community fridge at Dumfries House

HRH The Prince of Wales today opened the Community Fridge Network’s 100th fridge at Dumfries House to help bring together the local community of East Ayrshire to tackle food waste.

The Community Fridge Network, run by environmental charity Hubbub, supports community fridges across the UK to share good food from local businesses and individuals that would have otherwise gone to waste. Run by local volunteers, the fridges also provide a positive social space for local residents to learn more about food, sustainable eating, growing your own and eating on a budget.

Many of the fridges have provided a lifeline to communities during the Covid-19 pandemic, adapting their offering to support the most vulnerable and families hit particularly hard financially.

The Prince’s Foundation, whose headquarters is at Dumfries House, has set up the fridge to benefit local residents around the former mining communities of Auchinleck and Cumnock. Regular collections of surplus food from local retailers will be organised and food will also be donated from the estate’s Coach House Cafe, Kauffman Education Gardens and The Belling Hospitality Training Centre.

Thousands of school children visit Dumfries House estate every year to take part in hands-on food, farming and horticulture workshops run by The Prince’s Foundation which highlight the provenance of food and importance of sustainable practices. Those managing the community fridge plan to run similar sessions for local residents on how to grow your own fruit and veg, in addition to cooking workshops, and health and wellbeing sessions.

Food waste remains a huge issue in the UK, with £13 billion of edible food thrown away from our homes every year and a further £3 billion of food wasted by the hospitality and food service sector.

With the opening of the 100th community fridge, the network is redistributing an average of 975 tonnes of food surplus per year, the equivalent of approximately 1.9 million meals.

Julie McCluskie, manager of the Coach House Cafe at Dumfries House, will oversee the Dumfries House community fridge. She said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything The Prince’s Foundation does so we are delighted to officially open the 100th community fridge in partnership with Hubbub. Supporting the local community has always been a huge part of the Dumfries House ethos and we hope that the opening of this fridge will not only be of benefit to local residents but that it will also strengthen our commitment to reducing food waste.”

The first community fridge was opened in 2016 in Derbyshire and the idea has been rolled out in communities across the UK. Unlike food banks, the fridges are available for anyone to use and have given residents an opportunity to try new foods, share recipes and even cook together.

Kanahaya Alam, Community Fridge Network Manager at Hubbub, said: “We’re thrilled that HRH The Prince of Wales has officially opened a Community Fridge on Dumfries House estate. We’ve seen these projects strengthen and enrich communities across the country in community centres, schools, universities and now a country estate. Community fridges are not only tackling food waste but are providing a crucial service at what is a really difficult time for many. We’d love to see more people volunteer for their local fridge, more retailers donate food and more businesses provide sponsorship.”

Neil Ritch, Scotland Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “It’s remarkable that thanks to National Lottery funding, the Community Fridge Network is providing almost 2 million meals a year from food that would have otherwise gone to waste, as well as bringing people together so they can learn more about making the most of the food we have. The pandemic has seen the Network supporting some of the most vulnerable people and families and National Lottery players can be proud that the money they have raised is funding this vital work in an exceptionally difficult time.”

The Community Fridge Network is supported by a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, and the fridge at Dumfries House is one of over 80 kindly donated by fridge manufacturer Liebherr. Retailers redistributing their surplus food across the network include Co-op, Costa, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Riverford Organic, Sainsbury’s, Spar, Tesco and Waitrose, alongside local food businesses around the country.

This week Hubbub launched a Greenprint for a Better Britain – a manifesto of policies seeking to ensure that the UK makes a sustainable recovery from COVID-19. This includes asking the Government to support ‘Community Food Hubs’ in areas of high food insecurity to improve access to healthy food.

More information on The Community Fridge Network, including a map of fridge locations and advice for those interested in setting up a community fridge can be found at www.hubbub.org.uk/the-community-fridge.

E-asy riders deliver surplus food to vulnerable households in Milton Keynes

Helen Innes delivers food Environmental charity Hubbub launches the pilot of Food Connect today. The initiative will use fleets of electric bikes and vans to redistribute surplus food from retailers, helping to tackle increased food insecurity. Recent research from the charity found that nearly 1 in 5 people in the UK are concerned about access to free food during lockdown, such as that from food banks and community fridges.

Community fridges in Milton Keynes have been delivering food packs since the beginning of lockdown to those who are struggling to access food due to low incomes or travel restrictions, in partnership with FareShare, local NGOs and councils. The team has now been awarded a fleet of e-bikes and an electric van thanks to funding from CAF Venturesome and The National Lottery Community Fund, and Milton Keynes Council through the eCargo Bike Grant Fund3, funded by the Department for Transport and delivered by Energy Saving Trust. They will be used to distribute fresh food that would have otherwise gone to waste to vulnerable households across the town.

Using more environmentally-friendly transport to deliver the food supports the public’s desire to reduce air pollution. Research released recently by Hubbub found that 62% of Brits have noticed cleaner air as a result of lockdown and they would like to see this continue long-term. Electric vehicles were also found to be one of the most popular forms of transport for government investment.

Food Connect Volunteer Bike Rider Joe BulmanThe Wolverton Community Fridge in Milton Keynes was one of the first to open in the UK in 2017 and an original member of Hubbub’s Community Fridge Network of community fridges across the UK. Further fridges have opened since in Coffee Hall, Netherfield, Great Linford and West Bletchley. Whilst community fridges are open to everyone and have become hubs for sharing food education, skills, knowledge and goods, they have had to adapt to the challenges of Covid-19 and social-distancing. Many have now temporarily switched to new operations, including delivering surplus food to the doors of the most vulnerable households in their area.

Following the pilot, Hubbub’s ambition is to roll out Food Connect to other parts of country, connecting community fridges and local retailers. Businesses and organisations interested in supporting and collaborating in the next phase should visit www.foodconnect.io

Kanahaya Alam, Community Fridge Network Manager at Hubbub said: “We know from our recent State of the Nation’s Plate report that a significant number of people are concerned about accessing free food during lockdown. Yet millions of pounds worth of food is wasted every year in the UK. Community fridges already play an important part in tackling this, and our ambition is that Food Connect will help retailers distribute surplus food straight to those who need it, whilst supporting the need for cleaner air.”

Helen Innes, Project Co-ordinator for Food Connect said: “We’re pleased to be part of this effort during the pandemic to reach some of our most vulnerable residents in Milton Keynes. Even before Covid-19, getting surplus food that final mile to the community fridge was a challenge, so this fleet will have a huge impact through lockdown and beyond as we begin to reopen to the wider community.”

Richard Kennell, CEO of education charity SOFEA, which operates FareShare South Midlands, said: “Demand for FareShare’s service has skyrocketed since the coronavirus outbreak, and we’re now working tirelessly to significantly increase the amount of food we deliver each week, ensuring surplus food gets to those who need it most. Our partnership with Hubbub, the Community Fridge Network and Milton Keynes Council therefore comes at a critical time as we work together through the crisis to fight hunger and food waste whilst minimising our environmental impact.”

Cllr Jenny Marklew, Cabinet Member for Sustainability at Milton Keynes Council said: “We are committed to new and innovative ways to contribute towards our ambition of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. E-cargo bikes are such a fantastic way to help us achieve this, meaning the council staff, social enterprises and local businesses are all able to play a part in reducing our impact on the environment.”

Holger Westphely, Acting Head of CAF Venturesome, said: “We have been supporting the growth of Hubbub with social investment for the past five years and are delighted that the previous loans have been fully repaid as a result of that growth and their success. So when they applied for a new social investment loan for Food Connect we were only too happy to support it. We are very impressed by their response to the Covid-19 crisis, developing an eco-friendly solution delivering vital supplies to vulnerable people, whilst reducing food waste. Hubbub continue to deliver projects with a high social impact and we look forward to working with them for many years.”

Tim Anderson, Head of Transport at Energy Saving Trust, said: “The Department for Transport eCargo Bike Grant Fund attracted a significant number of applications. The 18 local authorities who have successfully secured funding will purchase a total of 273 ecargo bikes and nine ecargo bike trailers, enabling more businesses to benefit from access. eCargo bikes are an attractive low carbon transport solution which offer important benefits, most impressively fuel cost savings and contributing to improved local air quality. Last mile delivery is an important area for consideration in our journey to reduce transport emissions to net zero by 2050.”

Borough Market Launches ‘Market Explorers’: Free Kid-Friendly Food Education Resource for Families

On 22nd June, London’s iconic Borough Market is launching ‘Market Explorers’, a free education resource aimed at connecting primary school children with the food they eat. With the curriculum in mind, children will be encouraged to look at how produce is grown or made, its history, preparation, cooking and how the ingredients are used in the dishes of different cultures.

Borough Market is a charitable trust and has a commitment to providing a market for public benefit and community. With school groups and children unable to currently explore, touch and taste food at the Market due to social distancing measures, the fun learning resources have been created to help parents to inspire their mini masterchefs at home during the Summer Term.

Six ‘Market Explorers’ units will be piloted initially, focusing on a different ingredient each time. The first two ingredients for children to explore are cauliflower and milk. Subsequent units and accompanying videos will be released on Mondays and Wednesdays for three weeks to support home schooling parents through to the school holidays. The free to download A5 booklets will have a range of engaging information and activities aimed at 5-8 year olds, and budding foodies can look forward to learning more about strawberries, bread, honey and tomatoes later in the month.

Parents are encouraged to sign up ahead of time to access the free educational materials, which will be available on Facebook Units, enabling social learning in a private group. Registration opens via https://www.facebook.com/groups/marketexplorers/ at 9am on Monday 15th June. Parents can join and explore at the same time, enabling them to ask questions and build a collaborative community. In line with Borough Market’s commitment to sustainability, the resources will also cover topics such as seasonality and food waste.

The programme has been produced in collaboration with children’s cookery consultants Sally Brown & Kate Morris, who have created successful CBeebies cooking shows including ‘I Can Cook’ and ‘My World Kitchen’, as well as publishing four children’s cookery books. Sally and Kate have also worked extensively with teachers, local authorities and schools to devise and deliver training courses rooted in the current curriculum.

‘Market Explorers’ links to Borough Market’s existing work with London’s primary and secondary schools. To date over 20,000 children have learned valuable growing, cooking and selling skills through the Young Marketeers initiative – culminating in special biannual sales at the Market with profits going to food waste charity FareShare.

Kate Howell Director of Communications and Development at Borough Market, said: “Borough Market is all about sharing and connecting with others through the joy of food. We want to inspire the next generation of chefs, home cooks and food lovers. We know that not all children will be back at school in June, and so we thought that parents might like a helping hand with fun activities to get children interested in different ingredients – especially as so many have been cooking at home during lockdown. Our traders share a wealth of food expertise, with many of them being primary producers who grow, rear or create the food they sell. By teaching young people where their food has come from, how to grow it and what to make with it, we hope to inspire young people to take a more sustainable approach to their food choices in the future – perhaps we might see some of them join us as traders.”

Borough Market has a longstanding commitment to sustainability and reducing waste. None of the Market’s rubbish goes to landfill, with all cardboard, paper, plastic, glass and wood being recycled and the remaining food waste going to an anaerobic digestion plant to be turned into power, fertiliser and water. In 2017, Borough Market removed all plastic bottles and installed drinking fountains around the estate and in 2019 it became the first food market in the UK to replace plastic carrier bags with a fully biodegradable alternative, made from GM-free cornstarch.

Borough Market welcomes new funding lifeline for traders

Borough Market today welcomed vital new funding for its traders who had been previously excluded from government financial support.

Following a campaign by the market’s constituency MP Neil Coyle, a loophole which meant the market’s food traders were not entitled to government grants has been closed by Business Secretary Alok Sharma.

In an announcement made at the weekend, an extra £617 million in grants were made available to help small businesses in financial difficulties due to the lockdown. Small businesses who did not pay business rates – a group which included many market traders – had not been able to access the previously-announced £12 billion government small business support fund.

The issue had been highlighted by Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP Neil Coyle after the Market’s management alerted him to how the loophole meant many of the market’s traders faced ruin because of it. The market pays business rates on behalf of its traders, meaning the individual businesses could not claim the grants as they were classified as non-business rate payers.

Darren Henaghan, managing director of Borough Market, said: “Our traders had effectively fallen through the gaps in the floorboard of the government scheme for small businesses and have suffered considerably as a result.”

“Thankfully Neil Coyle was alive to the issue and campaigned to get this loophole closed. We are hugely grateful to him.”

Mr Coyle, who wrote to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to raise the issue, said: “In the current circumstances, the traders deserve all the support they can get. I am delighted that this unfortunate discrepancy has been resolved.”

“Due to the unique make-up of the market, the traders were denied access to the grants available to other small businesses. I am sure this was unintentional. Having already come through the 2017 London Bridge terror attacks to prosper again, it is crucial the traders get support at this crucial time.”

It is anticipated that approximately 120 traders from the market’s community will be entitled to the grants of up to £25,000.

Despite suffering a drop in visitor numbers of about 90 per cent, the market remains open on six days a week. It is maintaining social distancing rules by limiting access to 800 customers at any one time under its “Come, Shop, Leave” guidelines.

Full details here: https://boroughmarket.org.uk/articles/come-shop-leave

COVID-19 is changing Britain’s relationship with food

Research paints picture of a divided nation

  • Just under 3 in 5 people (57%) say they value food more now
  • But almost half (45%) are more worried about food than before

Virtual meals, cooking from scratch, wasting less food and families eating together more are some of the positive shifts in food-related behaviours taking place in households across the country according to new research commissioned by environmental charity Hubbub. But the research also reveals many are struggling to put meals on the table and are worried about food, with increasing numbers turning to food banks for the first time.

90% of the nationally representative sample of 2,000+ UK adults surveyed* say their shopping and/or cooking habits have changed since the Coronavirus lockdown started.

What’s Cooking?

45% of respondents say they are cooking more since the restrictions were introduced to stop the spread of coronavirus. Over half (54%) of those cooking more said it was because they now have the time to cook that they didn’t before and 42% cite the need to cook from scratch more due to the sort of food they can get hold of.

44% of people are enjoying cooking more since the restrictions began although more than a quarter (26%) are finding preparing more meals everyday exhausting.

Young people in particular are keen to learn to cook more, with almost half (47%) of those aged 16-24 are seeing lockdown as an opportunity to improve their cooking skills, compared with a national average of 34%. 16-24s were, however more likely to find this tiring, with 40% saying they find preparing more meals everyday exhausting.

Eating and Meeting

More than half of people (57%) say they value food more now since the corona virus restrictions started, with 43% saying they are also enjoying their food more.

40% of those aged 16-24 have had a virtual meal over video link (Zoom, Skype, Facetime etc.) for the first time and almost half (47%) of people are enjoying spending more time eating with their family or housemates.

The diet implications of lockdown may have a lass positive impact on our health. 36% admitted to comfort-eating more to deal with the anxiety or boredom (40% for 16-24-year-olds) and almost a third (31%) are not eating as much fresh fruit and veg as usual due to avoiding shops as much as possible.

Struggling For Food

Whilst a reconnection with food has been a positive experience for some, for others the pandemic has reduced their food security. 45% of respondents said they were more worried about food than before and 43% are worried about the extra cost of providing food for their household. Almost a fifth (18%) of the population is worried about getting access to free food such as through a food bank or community fridge. 7% of people said they have used a food bank for the first time since the restrictions began, rising to 15% of those aged 16-24 and 14% of those aged 25-34.

Food Savvy

Concerns that a surge in panic buying would lead to an increase in food waste levels appear to be unfounded. Almost half of people (48%) say they are throwing away less food since the restrictions began and only 6% say they are throwing away more.

Of those wasting less, people say they are planning meals more carefully (51%) and are getting better at using leftovers (41%). People are also making better use of their freezer, with 35% using it more and 29% freezing a wider variety of foods. Portion control is also a factor, with 27% now giving more accurate portion sizes and just over 1 in 4 (26%) are leaving less on the plate.

Of those wasting less, one in six (17%) are paying less attention to use by dates, eating more out of date food than usual. One respondent recently found a can of beans from 1989. Others consumed a can of coconut milk six years past its sell-by date, a five-year-old bottle of beer and a six-year-old bag of pasta with, fortunately, no ill effects.

With a reported surge in people growing their own and demand for compost through the roof, 45% of people said they’d like to have more skills in growing food, rising to 58% of those aged 25-34 – the most of any age group.

Shifting Shopping Habits

More than a quarter (26%) said they are buying better quality food as they are not going out or spending money on other things. While more than a third (34%) of people are supporting smaller/local businesses more than ever before, 43% say they are buying fewer takeaways as they are worried about contamination. A further 42% say they are not buying takeaways because money is tight.

29% said they were using their local corner shop/convenience store for the first time.

And there are signs that this will this continue once the restrictions are over. The majority (89%) of those who’ve made changes say they will continue to use at least one of the new shopping alternatives to supermarkets once the restrictions have ended. Many will continue to use local shops (41% will carry on using their local corner shop, 20% the local butcher, 13% the local farm shop and 15% the local greengrocer). And many will continue with home deliveries – 11% will continue with their fruit/veg box, 9% with milk delivery.

Trewin Restorick, CEO and Co-Founder of Hubbub said: “The impact of COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way we are eating.  Our polling reveals a divided nation.  Some families are eating together more, young people are learning to cook, people want to know more about growing food and are planning meals better and using up leftovers. More people are shopping locally. But concerningly, just under half are more worried about food than previously and 43% are concerned about the cost of food.”

“In response to the polling, Hubbub is stepping up the support that we are providing, helping people get more value from their food – but more needs to be done.  Today we are calling on supermarkets to step up their efforts to provide support and guidance to households helping them cope with these extraordinary times.”

Hubbub’s  top  ten  tips  to make your food go further  whilst  in isolation:

    1. Plan ahead  –  plan your week’s meals and  only buy  the food you need
    2. Avoid panic buying – we are all still able to shop once a week, so you don’t need to buy enough food for a month
    3. Check expiry dates when you’re shopping
    4. Remember that  food  might  still be eaten after its ‘best before date’ – check it looks and smells OK. Food past its best  can still be enjoyed.
    5. Make room  in your freezer so you have plenty of storage space  and check out Hubbub’s helpful guide to  what food you can freeze – it’s more than you think!  https://www.hubbub.org.uk/12-freezer-friendly-foods
    6. Many of us have  neighbours  who might not be able to get out to shop, so offer to share surplus food with them, whilst  remembering to observe government guidelines on hand washing and social distancing
    7. Make the most of store cupboard staples to bulk up meals – now is the time to make use of those chickpeas,  beans and  rice that have been sitting in your  cupboard for some time.
    8. Batch cook  meals  and freeze  them for future use
    9. Check out some of the online resources for free cooking and growing tips and lessons, such as  social  media channels for  Hubbub,  Mob Kitchen  and  Borough Market
    10. Take the opportunity of more time with your children to teach them valuable cooking skills  to set them up for a healthier and more sustainable future

For more advice and tips to make your food go further, visit https://www.foodsavvy.org.uk

‘Feed the Frontline’ Gives Fresh Fruit and Vegetables to Staff at Leeds and Harrogate NHS Hospitals

National campaign giving high quality food to those battling COVID-19 reaches Yorkshire

Hardworking staff at NHS hospitals in Leeds and Harrogate will be provided with bags of free fresh fruit and vegetables today, as part of a national campaign to provide high quality produce to frontline workers battling COVID-19.

‘Feed the Frontline’ launched on 3rd April, spearheaded by London’s Borough Market which is making twice weekly deliveries to hospitals in the capital. St Thomas’, Kings College Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, The Whittington Hospital and Orpington Hospital staff have all benefited from bags of seasonal, high quality, fresh food.

The campaign is now launching in Yorkshire, with twice weekly deliveries of 500 bags containing fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables from Bradford St James Wholesale Market and fresh produce supplier Delifresh being made to Leeds Teaching Hospitals, and the newly set up NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire & the Humber, based in Harrogate. Once at the hospitals, the bags will be distributed to frontline staff by volunteers.

Since launch, over 12,000 bags of fruit and vegetable bags have been delivered to NHS frontline staff. Initially funded by private businesses for deliveries throughout April 2020, Feed the Frontline aims to run throughout the peak of the COVID-19 crisis. Set up by new charity, The Healthworkers’ Support Foundation, the organisation is now calling for members of the public to help feed as many frontline staff as possible by donating via www.feedthefrontline.uk. Fruit and vegetable wholesale markets, companies and charities across the UK are also being urged to fund the expansion across the nation.

Jon Kenny, spokesperson for Feed the Frontline said: “We know we are already making a real difference to the hospitals supported by the campaign. The staff who are working around the clock to save lives and care for those affected by Covid-19 are telling us that receiving bags of fresh, seasonal fruit and veg brightens up their day and means they don’t have to spend precious time queuing at supermarkets. We’re asking the Great British Public and more companies to come on board with Feed the Frontline to help fund the expansion to more hospitals so those who are giving so much to care for others can stay healthy and feed themselves and their families.”

Paul Watkins, Director of Fundraising at Leeds Cares, the charity for Leeds Hospitals, said: “I’m so impressed with the quality of fruit and vegetables that we have received. Leeds Cares is proud to support this initiative of supplying fruit and vegetables to staff with a donation of £10,000. Thank you to everyone who is supporting us so that we can fuel the wonderful staff working around the clock at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. A huge thank you also goes to ‘Feed the Frontline’ for this great initiative”

Noel Kershaw, Managing Director at Delifresh said: “The whole team at Delifresh are delighted to be involved in this amazing project in providing beautiful fresh fruit & vegetables to the heroes working tirelessly for our NHS.”

Sara Danesin, a Masterchef finalist who has recently returned to work for the NHS as a Staff Nurse in a busy acute medical ward, said: “A good, balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is paramount to maintain good health whilst we are under so much pressure and stress. Our shifts are so long that by the time we have finished, shops are closed or have run out of fresh produce.” 

Visit  www.feedthefrontline.uk for more information about the campaign and how to get involved. Spread the word on social media via @FeedUKFrontline #feedthefrontline

Borough Market celebrates Easter with online festival

London’s iconic Borough Market is celebrating Easter this weekend with a series of social media events. Running from 9-13th April, the Market is holding a five-day eggs-travaganza which will see chefs, artists and Borough Market traders join together on Instagram Live and IGTV to give advice and tips on cooking and drawing Easter favourites.

The weekend kicks off with This Morning and ITV regular, Juliet Sear holding an Easter Baking class on Thursday, followed by Borough Market favourites, Bread Ahead, teaching us how to make hot cross buns on Good Friday. The Borough Market Butchers will be offering people advice on ‘what to do with your meat’ in a two part series across the weekend, and the Fishmongers’ will be giving their top tips for Fishy Friday. The festival comes to a close with multi-award winning blogger, Poppy Loves London joining an Instagram live, cooking her favourite crumble.

There will also be plenty to keep children at home occupied, with storytelling and draw-alongs from authors and artists, cook-offs between Borough Market’s chefs and recipes for all the family to enjoy. On Easter Monday, TV Chef Beca Lyne-Pirkis will be running a workshop on eggs for children and adults alike!

Kate Howell, Director of Development and Communication, Borough Market said: “Like the rest of the nation we aren’t able to celebrate Easter weekend in the same style that we usually do at Borough Market. However, we couldn’t let the weekend go unmarked and wanted to bring some of our fantastic experts to people’s homes to offer tips, advice and fun things to do with children. We hope that people at home are able to join with us throughout the Easter festival to celebrate all that is great about food and family, and that we bring a little joy into homes across the UK.”

The timetable for the weekend is as follows:

Thursday 9th April

11am, Instagram – The Borough Market Butchers, ‘What to do with your meat, part 1’

1pm, Instagram Live – Easter Baking with This Morning’s Juliet Sear

Good Friday 10th April

11am, Instagram – Borough Market’s Fishmongers’ Top Tips for Fishy Friday

1pm, Instagram Live – Padre Founder Nick Fitzgerald makes fish tacos

2pm, Instagram Live – Bread Ahead Does Hot Cross Buns

Saturday 11th April

11am, Instagram – The Borough Market Butchers, ‘What to do with your meat, part 2’

12pm, Instagram – Borough Market Saturday Cook-Off , featuring Kiwi & Roo’s Lara Lee and Borough Market’s Angela Clutton & Roopa Gulati

4pm, IGTV – ‘Let’s Get Drawing’ children’s drawing workshop

Easter Sunday 12th April

11am, IGTV – Sunday Storytelling with Writer and Cook, Kate Young

4pm, IGTV: Let’s get drawing

Easter Monday 13th April

1pm, Instagram Live – Glorious Eggs with TV Chef Beca Lyne-Pirkis

2pm, IGTV – Poppy Loves London (and crumble)

4pm, IGTV – Get Planting with Kathy Slack

Borough Market’s Instagram account can be found at www.instagram.com/boroughmarket

Borough Market is open for business, Monday to Saturday with its usual trading hours – selling essential supplies of fresh produce and store cupboard ingredients for those working and living in the local community.

All stalls have been repositioned to allow at least 2 metres between them, and the ground is marked out with 2 metre distancing for the public, along with clear signage on the importance of shoppers remaining apart.

For those that don’t live nearby, Borough Market’s delivery and collection service, Borough Market Online, offers an alternative way for customers to access Market produce. The option of a doorstep drop service allows it to be received without contact with couriers.

For more information on Borough Market visit www.boroughmarket.org.uk

Man packing food bags to Feed the Frontline

Borough Market spearheads Feed the Frontline

National campaign launches giving fresh, high quality food to those battling COVID-19

Borough Market, London’s world-renowned produce market, is today spearheading a national campaign to provide free fruit and vegetables to frontline workers battling COVID-19.

‘Feed the Frontline’, has initially been funded by private businesses for April 2020 and aims to run throughout the peak of the COVID-19 crisis. The initiative launches with the provision of regular deliveries of fruit and vegetables to frontline workers at four NHS hospitals in London.

Borough Market is now calling for more companies to fund the expansion across the nation with the help of the UK’s network of food markets and fruit and vegetable wholesale markets. The aim is to feed as many frontline staff as possible throughout the pandemic. Feed the Frontline will be delivering 2,000 fruit and vegetable bags to Leeds General Infirmary and St James’ Hospital.

Borough Market has initially partnered with four London hospitals – St Thomas’, Kings College Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and The Whittington Hospital. 6,000 bags of seasonal, high quality fruit and vegetables are being packed and delivered by Borough Market trader Turnips each week. Once at the hospitals, the bags will be distributed to frontline staff by NHS volunteers. The food is accompanied by recipe cards from Borough Market chefs to inspire easy, healthy home cooking of fantastic food.

Darren Henaghan, managing director, Borough Market said: “With the UK in lockdown, we owe an enormous debt to the fantastic people of the NHS and other frontline workers battling COVID-19. They are working around the clock to save lives, care for the sick and control the spread of coronavirus. With London at the heart of the UK epidemic we want to play our part in the national effort against COVID-19 by caring for the carers – giving them fresh, high quality food to help them stay healthy and feed themselves and their families.”

“We’re asking more companies to come on board with Feed the Frontline to fund the expansion to more hospitals. Borough Market’s position as a charitable trust and a home to high quality wholesale traders means that food can be sourced cost-effectively and at sufficient volumes to make a real difference to the hospitals supported by the campaign. This will mean that the people working tirelessly to look after the nation don’t have to spend time queuing at supermarkets and can spend precious time away from work with their families and housemates.”

Sara Danesin, a Masterchef finalist who has recently returned to work for the NHS as a Staff Nurse in a busy acute medical ward at the Royal Free in Hampstead,  said: “A good, balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is paramount to maintain good health whilst we are under so much pressure and stress. Our shifts are so long that by the time we have finished, shops are closed or have run out of fresh produce.” 

Visit  feedthefrontline.uk for more information about the campaign and how to get involved. Spread the word on social media via #feedthefrontline

Borough Market stays open to feed local community; closes Borough Market kitchen and all restaurants

Borough Market, London’s world-renowned historic food market, is remaining open for business – selling essential supplies of fresh produce and store cupboard ingredients for those working and living in the local community. It has now completely closed all restaurants and its hot food provision area, The Borough Market Kitchen, to focus purely on produce provision. The Green Market area will also be closed, so that all traders are in the Three Crown Square area to avoid shoppers spending unnecessary amounts of time at the Market.

All stalls are being repositioned to allow at least 2 metres between them, and the ground will be marked out with 2 metre distancing for the public, along with clear signage on the importance of shoppers remaining apart.

Borough Market will be closely monitoring numbers, and if a stall gets too busy people will be asked to come back when less crowded. Customers are encouraged to pay with card, rather than cash, and reusable coffee cups and containers will no longer be accepted during this period.

In addition to usual extensive cleaning practices, particular attention will be taken to ensure all touch points are wiped thoroughly and regularly with disinfectant.

Kate Howell, Development Director, Borough Market said:

“Our message is clear – we have responded to the Covid-19 outbreak by changing our nature. Our priority is to keep the local community safe whilst providing much needed supplies for people and supporting our traders – who are all small, independent businesses. There is no lingering, no socialising, our restaurants are all closed and our hot food area, Borough Market Kitchen has also now closed. We are no longer a place to travel to and visit as we must all avoid unnecessary movement across London. But if you live near the Market or are still required to come to work in the vicinity, think of us as your alternative open air supermarket, well stocked with fresh produce and other essential foods.”

Borough Market remains open from Monday to Saturday, with the usual trading hours.
As part of its service to the wider community, Borough Market is also hosting a Community Facebook Group where those at home looking for culinary inspiration can access hundreds of free online recipes – many using store cupboard staples, and swap tips.

Live cooking demos and cook-alongs from a range of chefs are hosted on Borough Market’s Instagram Live:

23-Mar: Lisa Fearn – simple doughs to make with children
24-Mar: Jenny Chandler – Dhal recipes
25-Mar: TBC
26-Mar: Tim Maddams – cooking on a budget
27-Mar: Clare Finney – drinks

Borough Market’s delivery and collection service, Borough Market Online, offers an alternative way for customers to access Market produce. The option of a doorstep drop service allows it to be received without contact with couriers.

Borough Market extends online delivery to inside M25 and launches series of “food community” measures

London’s iconic Borough Market is extending its online delivery service to all customers within the M25 amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The Market is also remaining open for shoppers, with new public health and hygiene measures in place in accordance with government guidelines.

Since its launch in November 2019, Borough Market Online has offered deliveries by zero-emission electric bike within a 2.5 mile radius. From 19 March, deliveries will be temporarily extended to any location inside the M25. Click and collect is also available from the market up until 9pm each day.

Electric bike couriers will still be used for deliveries within a reasonable distance of the market, but vans – hybrid where possible – will be used further afield. Strict hygiene practices mean that the food is securely packaged, and the option of a doorstep drop service allows it to be received without contact with couriers.

“In these extraordinary times, the delivery zone has been extended to within the M25,” said Kate Howell, development director at Borough Market. “The priority is for the market to be able to deliver wonderful food from our traders to Londoners who have to stay at home and live outside our normal delivery zone.”

Borough Market is also fulfilling its role of supporting the local community through a series of ‘Food Community’ measures – trader Bread Ahead is offering free yeast on request to those living in the local community who are keen to bake their own bread at home, and the Market will be selling flour alongside other dried goods to keep Londoners cooking at home. People across the UK (and the world) looking for culinary inspiration will be able to access hundreds of free online recipes – many using store cupboard staples, along with live cooking demos and cook-alongs from a range of chefs and Borough Market restaurants.

Borough Market’s partnership with the Plan Zheroes charity will continue, with surplus produce collected from the Market and delivered to community organisations that help feed some of the city’s most vulnerable people.

Darren Henaghan, managing director, Borough Market said:
“Our community is large and diverse, and our responsibilities to it go beyond the sale of food. We will use the online sphere to stay close to those who need comradeship or distraction—that’s why we’re using our resources, working with fantastic chefs, traders and producers to create a digital community which will support people stuck at home and give them a sense of connection through food.”

“We have taken steps to shift the nature of the market from a place of congregation and engagement to one in which contact is kept to a minimum. Of course Borough Market is first and foremost a produce Market – customers can think of it as an outdoor supermarket – so the produce traders selling meat, fish, fruit, veg and baked goods are still all operating.”

“We aim to remain a haven for food lovers while supporting our small, independent businesses. Borough Market has served this community for a thousand years, through thick and thin. It has survived wars. It has lived through food shortages and curfews. As recently as 2017, our community withstood the trauma of a terrorist attack and the subsequent weeks of closure. It did so by remaining close and supportive, by caring about people – and that’s how we’ll get through this crisis too.”

Communal seating has been removed from the Borough Market Kitchen and public events have been cancelled to minimise contact between customers and traders. Several of the market’s restaurants and hot food concessions have closed but produce stalls selling meat, fish, bread and vegetables will continue to operate to serve customers and the wholesale trade.

The Market’s online shopping platform is available for customers to order delicious produce from the majority of Borough Market traders. Once the order is placed the Borough Market Online team will gather the produce from the relevant traders and place them in a designated hub within the Market. From here, customers can either collect their order at the Market between 12pm and 9pm or it will be dispatched via state of the art zero-emission electric cargo bike, within a reasonable distance, or by van – hybrid where possible – to their address at a pre-booked time slot.
To order unique and delicious UK and international produce from a range of Borough Market’s traders, please visit https://www.goodsixty.co.uk/borough-market