There are a few different figures around, and there has never a full study on it, but Unilever/WRAP estimate that in 2014, 2 million Christmas dinners were wasted across the United Kingdom: equivalent to 263,000 turkeys; 7.5 million mince pies; 740,000 slices of Christmas pudding; 17.2 million Brussels sprouts; 11.9 million carrots and 11.3 million roast potatoes. Each host … Continue reading Christmas is coming…
We’re aiming to feed up to 80 people on Christmas Day, a very special dinner made from crazy amounts of surplus food supermarkets throw away on Christmas Eve. We are taking bookings from local organisations supporting people experiencing homelessness, mental health issues and loneliness, along with lots of our cafe regulars and volunteers. It promises … Continue reading Christmas Day: can you help?
Lisa arrived at the cafe and offered to 'Pay As You Feel' for her tea and cake with her writing skills: here is a guest blog on her experience! This was my second visit to REfUSE Cafe, and I can honestly say that from the moment that I walked in on both occasions the warmth … Continue reading Guest blog: a warm welcome at REfUSE
For August bank holiday weekend, some of team REfUSE headed to Greenbelt Fesitval. Our team cooked (we think) a couple of thousand meals to festival goers in the Christian Aid tent, using only food that would otherwise have gone to waste. It was an inventive, creative challenge, and an amazing, delicious effort in a HOT … Continue reading Poetry from Greenbelt Festival
Recently we have been considering how our little cafe has contributed to Sustainable Development and, using the UN’s SDGs as a framework, we have put together this summary - have a look and let us know what you think! Re-f-use - Impact on SDGs The Sustainable Development Solutions Network Index suggests that the UK has work to do … Continue reading Our Impact
We are so proud of everything we have achieved in our first year. THANK YOU to all who have helped REfUSE Cafe grow into a beautiful community of people from all walks of life, all doing your bit to save the environment and support local people and the town of Chester le Street. We are … Continue reading REfUSE Cafe, year 1:
When it comes to catering for events, it takes some planning, talent and expertise to come up with the menu that has been requested, with all the dietary requirements and special requests, using only food that would otherwise have been wasted. The event organisers give us an idea of their favourite foods, maybe a party … Continue reading A busy summer of catering
On the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of every month, we host REfUSE Restaurant nights. A restaurant-style dinner with a twist: all the food we serve would otherwise have been destined for waste. We rescue it, see the quantity and quality of food deemed 'worthless' and re-value it by serving amazing three-course dinners, once a month … Continue reading Restaurant nights
We love to see the space in the REfUSE café being used by community groups : from coding workshops for three year olds to mental health support groups to church meetings, open mic nights and birthday parties. On monday mornings, we host a toddler group ran by Emmanuel church : this is one of the … Continue reading Emmanuel Tots
Hi everyone ! My name is Barthélemy, I am a French student doing an internship at REfUSE. Working here is part of my education as I needed to spend a few weeks in an English-speaking country in order to improve my English skills. I heard about REfUSE with my teacher who is part of “The Real … Continue reading Tackling food waste and northern accents.
