This week we sit down with Clare Relton of Fresh Street UK to talk all things food and how they’re supporting households to have access to fresh, healthy fruit and veg, and championing local businesses while they’re at it!
Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the UK, with 2.5 million adults reporting they hadn’t eaten for a whole day because they couldn't afford or get access to food. (source)
With 18.0% of households with children reported experiencing food insecurity, we know the current food system in the UK is broken, and calls for more robust, firmer solutions.
Flying the flag for a more inclusive approach is Fresh Street, a pioneering initiative committed to transforming food deserts into fresh food oases. By addressing the fundamental need for quality nutrition, Fresh Street is not just offering a quick solution but is instead laying the groundwork for long-term systemic change.
Fresh Street originated from large trial testing supporting and encouraging breastfeeding through vouchers. Motivated by the need for broader change, Fresh Street adapted the model to promote fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, directly addressing the UK's nutritional gaps. As Clare says, “We applied the same idea of vouchers for fresh fruit and veg... less than one in five eat five a day and with children, it's one in 13.”
The Voucher Scheme: Simple Yet Effective
The vouchers are straightforward yet effective. All households in an area are offered vouchers. Vouchers can be redeemed for fresh fruit and vegetables at local independent retailers, which ensures that the benefits remain within the community.
"Supermarkets seem like oases for us, but when you actually go in, 99.9 percent of the stimuli is to buy some form of ultra-processed food... the profits go to Walmart, they get sucked out of the local area.”
Fresh Street tackles nutritional inequality head on, supporting local fruit and vegetable retailers in deprived areas and establishing weekly fruit and veg pop-up stores at community centres in areas with no local retailers. These initiatives not only provide access to fresh produce but also foster a sense of community.
"Once you introduce food into any meeting, people start to relax and talk to each other and feel like they've got something in common,"
Building Strong Community Partnerships
The success of Fresh Street hinges on its partnerships with local councils, community centres, and retailers. "The community centres are really pleased because it's bringing lots of new people to their space and increases the sense of community.”
Reconnecting People with Food Sources
Fresh Street’s vouchers are offered to all households in targeted areas, fostering inclusivity. “We design it so that it goes directly to the basic eating unit... every household in each of the target streets,” helping fresh fruit and vegetables to become part of everyday life. This approach promotes inclusivity and accessibility while helping to remove the stigma often associated with food support.
Fresh Street's mission goes beyond just providing immediate access to food. It also aims to reconnect people with their food sources and encourage sustainable practices. "It's about connecting back to grandmother earth and our communities, honouring and respecting them."
The driving force behind Fresh Street is the motivation to create lasting change. "It needs to be visible, beautiful, shareable... something that people just feel good about when they see it."
Sharing Knowledge and Inspiring Others
For organisations looking to implement similar initiatives, Clare invites you to join them! "We're holding monthly webinars... I'm always happy to talk about what we've learned." By sharing knowledge and experiences, Fresh Street hopes to inspire others to adopt similar approaches.
"Households took up the scheme and used nine out of ten vouchers... we've got other organisations interested in using the funding and we keep on evolving." This evolution and commitment to long-term change underscores the potential of Fresh Street to reshape the UK food system.
Like Fresh Street, Be Enriched is dedicated to long term solutions to food insecurity. Our work emphasises comprehensive support to communities, fostering resilience and self-sustainability. With shared values and mission, perhaps one day we’ll see a potential collaboration of Fresh Street and Food Bus voucher initiative. But for now, we feel privileged to have worked with Fresh Street to spread the word and learn more about their mission.
Head to the Fresh Street website to learn more and find ways to support:
Website: https://www.freshstreet.uk/
Twitter: https://x.com/freshStreetUK
Webinars:https://www.freshstreet.uk/webinars/
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