Thanks to SCC’s support, the Teapot Project were able to showcase their work to reduce food waste at the Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival.
The Teapot Project intercepts perfectly edible food from supermarkets and restaurants such as M&S, Morrison’s and Nandos, that would have otherwise been sent to landfill, and turns it into nutritious meals for all. As winners of the Creating the Greenest County award for Waste & Recycling, they were invited to take the county council’s stage slot at the Festival. As well as raising awareness for their community project, they were able to collect 180kg of excess food from exhibitors (providing meals for at least 40 vulnerable people), and made a huge number of positive links, with the potential for cookery classes for the homeless, and placements at the Teapot for young offenders. Kat Gosling of the Teapot said “We all had a great time and one of our homeless guys tasted food he has never heard of!”
Staff from the SCC Waste Team had their own stand at the festival, providing free advice on reducing food waste and promoting local glass recycling facilities. Lots of fun was had by all on the smoothie bike – using soft fruit to make delicious and nutritious low-waste drinks. Master Composter Volunteers were also on hand to help with tips on home composting both food and garden waste and to promote the council’s subsidised compost bins scheme.
Councillor Colin Noble, council Leader and Cabinet member for Economic Development, said “The Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival continues to showcase the best of Suffolk food, with a strong commitment to local and sustainable produce, as shown by their ongoing support for the Suffolk Carbon Charter. The Teapot Project provides a valuable service that helps the most vulnerable while helping tackle the issue of food waste.”
