After spending 20 years in the food manufacturing business working mainly for M&S , I was ready for a change and a slightly slower pace to my working life. It’s been a few years now since I left but after a while I was missing the creative side of product development. A chance encounter at a celebration of the Sheffield Food scene timed with the departure of my 2 children from our family house leaving me with extra time on my hands found me volunteering at Foods Works.
After passing the performance test done under the watchful eye of Gabi, I found myself working a regular slot on Wednesday mornings. I’ve been here since 2022 and I enjoy every minute of it. Wednesday mornings are a chance to use food that would have otherwise gone in the bin to cook delicious dishes ( I hope) for our community. Along with 2 other regulars we chop and fry and grill and bake to soundtracks and lively discussion. We enjoy coffee and sometimes lunch after our shift and I couldn’t recommend it enough.
Essentially, it’s a way to give back while also gaining personal and professional benefits but so much more than that. I have gained knowledge and hope I’ve passed a few tips on also. I’ve met people that I would pass in the street otherwise and they in turn have enriched my life just knowing them. Best of all , we are using up all that waste food and I hope passing the message on that when we have so much we should take care of that because there are others that have so little.
Want to get involved?
Join our volunteer team and help us turn surplus food into something amazing. Sign up here.
