Reconsidering food shopping habits? Whether it’s prompted by a change in financial circumstances, or ethical buying, it’s a great opportunity to think about how we give and receive from the world around us. A Food Works patron box is a great way of striking that balance – and here are three good reasons for adding one to your weekly shop.
Go straight to our shop, or read on.
What’s in the box?
The Food Works Patron box is a weekly subscription box of groceries from the surplus food in our warehouse and our nature-friendly, community-led farm, and costs a minimum contribution of £10 per week. As well as fresh and store-cupboard items, the subscription allows you to customise and top up the selection when you collect it from one of our three patron box hubs in Sharrow, Upperthorpe and Handsworth. Add on two items from the list below.
The whole box is stocked from variable surplus and grown sources, which means it’s different every week, and supplies ebb and flow with the seasons. Our patrons tell us they enjoy the surprise!
So, why subscribe to a patron box?
1) Your subscription helps build a better food system for Sheffield
Food Works stands for better food for everyone in Sheffield, all year round – and becoming a subscriber means you stand for this too. Your patron box purchase directly funds the transformative actions we need to take for better food in the city, including:
- Serving affordable, freshly-cooked hot meals to over 33,000 Sheffield folk through our kitchens over the last year
- Distributing our Just Meals to nearly 20 access points in our partner hubs across the Sheffield region
- Kick starting our community-led growing mission at Norton Nurseries and expanding this across the city via schools, community organisations and more.
2) Your subscription helps mitigate the climate impact of the current food system
About one third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions is linked to food – and sharing food that would otherwise go to waste is a critical step to tackling climate change. In the last year, Food Works rescued over 530 tonnes of food from going to waste, reducing the city’s carbon footprint by around 1,500 tonnes of CO2. That’s the equivalent of 2,500 European flights according to openco2.net.
Your patron box is stocked with a weekly, varying supply of food from our surplus supplies and directly supports this work.
3) People tell us they love their patron box
From the surprise they get when they see what’s in this week’s box, to the conversations it helps them have with their loved ones about better food, people tell us they love their patron boxes. Scroll down to see what they got in their boxes.
Hayley told us she discovered the Food Works patron box through social media and has already recommended it to her friend. Her young daughter absolutely loves choosing the Just Meal that comes with the box – it’s a delicious, exciting homemade food experience!
Abigail learnt about Food Works on Instagram. “I was truly inspired by the amazing work you do, and I wanted to support your mission, so I decided to sign up for a Patron Box. I’ve also started bringing my child to swim lessons in Zest , and it’s the perfect opportunity to stop by, enjoy a delicious lunch, and savor your homemade food. Looking forward to many great meals and supporting your wonderful cause!”
Another patron, whose name we didn’t catch, is a particular fan of the nature-friendly contents of the box. “The patron boxes are great! My kids loved the seedlings that are a part of the box. We are able to plant them as a family which creates such a nice activity to do together.”
Our city’s whole food system will be better when everyone shops with better food in mind. Invite a loved one to be a patron or become one yourself today.
