New affordable food hub to open in Easington Lane

The new hub at the Apostolic Church in Easington Lane in the Coalfields area opens on Wednesday 5 April and joins four others which have opened in recent months in Hendon, Washington, Silksworth and Southwick.

All are being supported by Sunderland City Council and delivered in partnership with The Bread and Butter Thing. Additionally, there is a The Bread and Butter Thing hub at Pennywell Neighbourhood Centre, supported by Gentoo and Karbon Homes.

For just £8.50 people who sign up to become members of The Bread and Butter Thing will get around £35 worth of food, including fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled food for the fridge, and store cupboard staples.

Councillor Linda Williams, Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Vibrant City, said: "I'm delighted that we've been able to support the opening of an affordable food hub in the Coalfields area of the city. 

"The four food hubs we've already helped to set up across the city have really proved their worth these last few weeks by providing a vital lifeline to struggling families as the cost of everyday essentials continues to spiral.  They're an important part of the wider work we're doing to support our communities through the cost of living crisis.

Councillor Kelly Chequer, the City Council's Cabinet Member for Healthy City, added: "These hubs are playing a really valuable role in helping residents who would otherwise struggle to afford healthy nutritious food to feed their families. Healthy eating is so important in protecting people against a range of diseases and conditions, so it's brilliant to see this project making such good use of surplus healthy food at the same time as providing a valuable service to our communities."

The Bread and Butter Thing was founded in Manchester in 2016 and works with manufacturers, retailers and the hospitality industry to redistribute surplus food to people who need it the most. Its community vans regularly redistribute over 100 tonnes of food a week to over 90 community locations.

Mark Game, CEO of The Bread and Butter Thing, added: "Almost three quarters of our members tell us that they're getting better access to affordable fruit and veg and 80% have tried new foods by using The Bread and Butter Thing. We're proud to be supporting people in this way and that we've such a positive welcome to the city. I'm delighted that we can now get our sixth local project up and running, spreading the benefits of our affordable food further across the area."

The scheme is free to join, anyone can become a member, and there is no ongoing commitment. To sign up, text The Bread and Butter Thing with the name of the hub you'd like to join. Once you have signed up to be a member, you will receive a weekly text asking if you'd like any groceries that week. If you reply 'yes', your order will be delivered to your chosen The Bread and Butter Thing hub. You can choose from a top selling family bag at £8.50, an individual bag for £5 or a large family bag for £17. There is also a vegetarian option.

Because the groceries are sourced from lots of different places, including wholesalers, food manufacturers and farmers, they will be different each week. But they will always include fresh, healthy fruit and veg, cupboard staples, and other everyday ingredients, so you can always be sure that you'll save money on your shopping.

The other affordable food hubs are at:

• Austin House in Southwick
• CHANCE Sunderland in Hendon
• Rainbow Family Centre in Washington
• Silksworth Youth and Community Centre in Silksworth

To find out more about the project and sign up, visit: https://www.breadandbutterthing.org/become-a-member . Full details will be supplied when people sign up.