TBBT spreads to Stoke at the new Bentilee Family Hub

·        New affordable food hub opening at Bentilee Family Hub on 26th September

·        First The Bread and Butter Thing hub in the West Midlands

·        Launched with funding from Comic Relief and Tu Clothing

Award-winning affordable food charity, The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT), is opening its first hub in Stoke-On-Trent on 26th September.

Working with the new Bentilee Family Hub and with support from Comic Relief and Tu Clothing, the charity will bring the benefits of its affordable food to hundreds of local families, providing innovative support to low income families across the community.

Founded in Manchester in 2016, The Bread and Butter Thing takes quality, nutritious food to more than 100 communities across the north of England from Cheshire to Northumberland and as far afield as Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The Bentilee hub is the first of its kind in the West Midlands.

At its weekly hubs, TBBT’s members access three bags of food comprising fruit and veg, chilled food and cupboard staples for £8.50, enabling them to feed their families, improving diets and saving them money for other household priorities. Heathy Start cards are accepted and low cost period products are also available.

TBBT extends the benefits of its hubs further by working with partners to provide expert advice and practical solutions in income maximisation, energy savings, digital exclusion and mental health support.

Mark Game, CEO The Bread and Butter Thing said: “I’m pleased to be bringing our affordable food clubs to Stoke-on-Trent to provide support to the local community as part of the new Bentilee Family Hub.

“TBBT is about creating long-term, sustainable routes out of poverty and building strong communities. Our members tell us that over 80% of them have previously had to skip meals to feed their families. By using TBBT, most save at least £25 a week on their food budgets with the added benefits of better quality and a bigger variety of food. This leads to healthier lifestyles and puts money back in people’s pockets.”

Louise Brammer, Executive Principal, Alpha Academies Trust said: “We are delighted that our community are fortunate to access this affordable food hub. We hope that it supports parents with providing healthy food to their families in a cost effective way. In turn, we hope that this will raise awareness of the variety of healthy foods available, changing the perception that healthy foods cost more, and helps our families to cook a variety of foods making meal times more interesting.”

Councillor Lynn Watkins, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “I’m thrilled to see events like this taking place in local communities, supporting our children and families. Everyone is welcome to attend, and our Family Hubs team are looking forward to welcoming people to our latest Family Hub site.

“We know that the cost-of-living crisis is one of the main concerns of local people and we’re committed to combatting it in a joined-up way to support people across the city. Family Hubs are a really good example of this as we work not just with The Bread and Butter Thing, but all our partners in the education, NHS, voluntary sector and beyond to support families, children and young people who may be struggling.”

Funding for the hub has come from Tu Clothing’s donation of £50,000, generated from the sale of school uniform and donated through its longstanding charity partner Comic Relief. This funding is being used to support young people and their families through the launching of new affordable food clubs. Bentilee is the first such TBBT hub launched, with further locations to be announced.

How to access the new hub:

Joining is simple. There are no joining criteria.

People interested in using TBBT’s affordable food service need to register as members and should text 07860 063304 or use the contact form at Contact Us — The Bread and Butter Thing with their name, postcode and hub they would like to join.

Once registered, members receive a weekly text offering the food service which they can then collect from their hub.

Prices at the hubs are as follows:

·        Single bags with a condensed offer are priced £5

·        Standard three-bag family packages are £8.50

·        Large family six-bag packages are £17

Cash, card and NHS Healthy Start credit are all accepted as payment upon collection.

TBBT's service is created from surplus food: the sorts of produce that often ends up going to waste because it’s wrongly labelled or there is simply too much of it. TBBT works with supermarkets, factories and farms to redistribute these surpluses - helping reduce their environmental effects whilst increasing their positive impact in communities. As a result, the food available varies from day to day and week to week offering TBBT members plenty of variety and the chance to try new foods.

Hub address and details:

Bentilee: Bentilee Family Hub, Dawlish Drive, Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent,ST2 0HP

Tuesdays at 1.30pm