Newsletter #2 - 29/11/2020
As we bide our time in lockdown and eagerly wait for shop doors to reopen, we’re looking back on the success of our fruit and veg stall this November! We have stayed open as an essential business and have had a great time providing nutritional food to the community this lockdown.
This month, we’ve sold a variety of goods from fresh produce to cakes, jams and juices. Our ‘Pick n Mix’ section was particularly popular, which is great news for the environment. It features the wonkiest and most unique vegetables that supermarkets would discard – but are perfectly edible and sometimes even more fun to cook with. Rather than buying multipacks wrapped in plastic, ‘Pick n Mix’ ensures you only buy the quantity of fruit and veg you need, and we provide biodegradable paper bags if you haven’t got your own.
On the donations side of things, we are working with the Trussell Trust to distribute fruit and veg across Durham. Their network of food banks work throughout the nation to provide emergency food and support to those who are food insecure, with an objective to one day reduce the need for food banks in the UK. In total, we have delivered 180 food packages in the past 2 months!
The pandemic has been challenging for food banks that rely on volunteers, many of whom are within the vulnerable category and need to stay at home. Meanwhile the need for food banks over the coming winter is projected to increase by 61% from 2019 due to the increasing financial difficulty and job losses associated with Covid-19. Currently, The Trussell Trust is providing 6 emergency food parcels per minute across the UK.
As a result, food banks are recruiting for extra volunteers this winter and you can get involved here, whether it be storing food, driving vans or distributing food at the shelter. And please reach out to your local food bank if you are struggling this winter and need an extra boost of support.
As for The Ugly Fruit Group, you can find us selling fruit and veg at Scoop Durham on the Riverwalk on the 5th December from 11am to 5pm. You can find the images from our last stall in November here.
Stay tuned for more details on how we will be operating in the new year – we can’t wait to meet more of you and expand our operations to reduce even more food waste!