Farnham Foodbank is now providing fresh fruit and vegetable boxes to individuals and families receiving emergency food parcels, thanks to generous donations from local people and businesses. 

Foodbank clients can receive up to two fruit and vegetable boxes a month on top of the regular contents of an emergency food parcel.

These contain non-perishable food items and fresh bread, as well as toiletries, baby products, pet food, laundry and cleaning products depending on the needs of the individual or family concerned. 

Foodbank project manager Harriet Lanyon said: “With demand for our support still high, we’ve been wanting to add fresh fruit and vegetables to our parcels, so that clients can benefit from their nutritional content in their daily meals.

“Many of our clients have special dietary requirements, for example gluten or lactose intolerance, so in addition to stocking items specific to these requirements, it’s great to be able to add some fresh food that they can enjoy. We so appreciate the generous donations that have made this possible.” 

The new initiative has gone down well with Foodbank clients too. Local resident Lizzie recently received a fruit and vegetable box and said: “I have just been able to cook the most delicious stir fry using your beautiful produce. The difference a fresh vegetable meal makes is incredible. Even my 14-year old grandson ate it!”

Farnham Foodbank just finished its latest ‘Eat Well Spend Less’ cookery course at Brambleton Hall in Wrecclesham – with another course already underway at Weydon School
Farnham Foodbank just finished its latest ‘Eat Well Spend Less’ cookery course at Brambleton Hall in Wrecclesham – with another course already underway at Weydon School (Farnham Foodbank)

Farnham Foodbank just finished its latest ‘Eat Well Spend Less’ cookery course at Brambleton Hall in Wrecclesham, where participants are taught basic cookery skills and discuss topics such as nutrition, budgeting and food safety by volunteers, and professionals from the Primary Care Network.

“We’re enormously grateful to Katie Porter who has taken over the running of our cookery course and is doing a fantastic job along with a great team of volunteers”, said Harriet. 

“The most popular dishes this time around were the creamy chicken pie followed closely by Katie’s chocolate Rolo brownies!”  

A second course started at Weydon School after half-term.

For more information about Farnham Foodbank's emergency food parcels and cookery courses, visit https://farnham.foodbank.org.uk/