Almost 4,000 residents in North Tyneside are signed up as members to food clubs ran by charity The Bread and Butter Thing.
The affordable food service first launched in the Borough in April 2022 offering weekly groceries for a fraction of high street prices, with no referral needed.
Since then, we hasve supported the award-winning charity to expand to six hubs that bring nutritious and affordable food to the heart of its communities.
And now figures show that by shopping with The Bread and Butter Thing in 2024, residents have made a cumulative saving of over £419,000.
Cllr Karen Clark, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing at North Tyneside Council, said: “Putting money back into resident’s pockets while improving access to nutritious meals is something we have strived for as a Council, and these figures show just how beneficial introducing the hubs to our borough has been.
“80% of each shop is made up for fruit, vegetable and chilled produce meaning our residents don’t need to break the bank to have food that is good for their health and is helping to tackle the inequalities we know exist.
“Not only is it addressing the cost of living crisis, but the model of these hubs are helping to reduce food waste and adding to our target of being carbon neutral by 2030.”
Alongside offering affordable food, The Bread and Butter Thing hubs offer wrap-around support for residents.
Those in the community often get involved too as the hubs are ran by volunteers. In 2024, more than 2300 volunteering opportunities were created which equates to around 7000 hours of support.
Bread and Butter chief executive, Vic Harper says:” We’re now eight years into our mission of tackling food insecurity and have learnt a thing or two over the years. The benefits of having easy access to affordable, nutritious food at the same time as being able to catch up face to face with your neighbours, are even more compelling. The Bread and Butter Thing is now about so much more than food, it’s about strengthening communities through getting people excited about great food, social interaction, improving health and being able to access additional support if needed.”
The six hubs in North Tyneside take place at the following dates:
- Monday – St Aidan’s Church, Tynemouth
- Tuesday – St Mary Magdalene in Longbenton
- Wednesday – Shiremoor Adventure Playground
- Thursday – Whitley Bay Young Peoples Centre and Jubilee Centre Hub in Cramlington
- Friday – Howdon Community Hub
A map of locations, and opening times, are available on The Bread and Butter Thing website.