Since before the word covid was even a whisper, we’ve been supplying food to residents of Mid Sussex through charities such as Age UK’s Haywards Heath Centre. Unfortunately, with the food crisis ever growing, pressure on our services has dramatically increased. The Mid Sussex Covid Recovery Fund has let us delve deeper into the community and reach even more people by supplying new charities with our rescued food! 

One of the organisations we’ve been able to help is the Bentswood Hub, who set up a new community larder in direct response to the rising need for food. During the national lockdowns a lot of hospitality venues have been forced to close, creating a surplus of catering sized food that UKHarvest have been able to rescue. Using our rescued ingredients, from 25 kg bags of flour to boxes of tart cases, they have cooked delicious meals for the community using their professional kitchen. 

Feeding up to 60 people a day for free, they have been offering retailed sized ingredients and cooked meals to reheat at home and have created firm favourites such the classic Mac n’ Cheese, for local residents to enjoy. The Bentswood Hub also offer an optional give-back scheme, giving the opportunity for patrons to pay for food through volunteer or trading items such as unwanted tins of food. 

“Thank you so much for bringing us food, from staple ingredients to the finer things. It’s been an incredible contribution to the meals we create, which our community love to eat!” 

– Anna Sharky, Founder of Bentswood Community Larder.