Food Rescue in North Herts

There has been a big appetite for food rescue in North Herts for some time. Back in July 2018, the Best Before cafe opened its doors in Letchworth. A ‘pay-as-you-feel’ cafe with a mission – to reduce food waste and support the local community. The idea caught on and so the Hitchin Food Rescue Hub was born in March 2019.

Both cafes follow a similar model. Volunteers visit local supermarkets and food businesses and recue food which is either approaching or past its best before date and would otherwise go to waste. The produce is then put out on display and customers are invited to select what they’d like on a pay-as-you-feel basis.

NHDC awarded grants to both groups to enable them to get off the ground, purchase essential equipment and train volunteers. Since opening, both have attracted cult followings. Regulars form orderly queues, eager to take their pick of the delicious produce on offer.

Then along came the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing them to temporarily close their doors. During this time, both charities adapted by continuing to recover surplus food, making deliveries to those in need, sending boxes of food from local supermarkets to churches and other organisations.

After being closed to the public for nearly three months, the Best Before Café returned to Mrs Howard Memorial Hall on 17 June with social distancing and safety measures in place. After receiving grants from the government, NHDC and the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, the Best Before team were able to purchase a new van to help with deliveries.

Founder Suzy Holding and the team have been busy sorting out their new home in the Garden Square Shopping Centre, Letchworth, which opened to the public on 1 September. Volunteers are still delivering to Letchworth Foodbank, Chestnut Tree and Oughton Family Centres on Tuesday and Friday mornings.

Meanwhile, over in Hitchin, the team behind the Hitchin Food Rescue Hub officially reopened at the Half Moon Pub on Thursday 27 August. Sessions run on Thursdays from 9.30am – 11am. Visitors are asked to take their own reusable bags and face coverings, queue according to social distancing guidelines, take a look what’s on offer, and members of the team will pack the items into your bag and then make your donation. The family run pub is a great fit for the hub. Landlords Freddie and Emily said:

“After being approached by HFRB and hearing how much they do to support people and the environment, it sounded very much like something we would like to get on board with. We are so excited to be able to give back to the local community by providing the pub as the location for the Hitchin base”.

Emma Ince Goulding, who runs the Hitchin Food Rescue Hub said: “We’re thrilled to have this new space in the centre of town to run the hub again.The hub operates in a very different way to how we started out, but we remain committed to continuing our environmental mission to reduce food waste while also supporting the local community. Next steps are to secure our own vehicle, which is essential to increase efforts to recover more food.”