This September, social enterprise Real Junk Food Manchester will open the North’s first waste food catering business.
The new, larger operation, which will also be a not for profit, will use food that would otherwise go to waste to provide catering and meals for a huge range of people, businesses and organisations.
In September 2017, Real Junk Food Manchester opened the UK’s first waste food pay-as-you-feel restaurant on Oxford Street in Manchester's city centre. The project was initially set up as a short term pop-up, but due to its massive popularity has been open for nearly a year, and has doubled the size of its operation over that time.
Founder and Director, Corin Bell said, “The year that we have spent running the restaurant has been amazing! A huge social and economic experiment that we have learned so much from.
'We’ve been astounded by the welcome that we’ve received locally, and we’re beyond proud of the sense of community and inclusion that we’ve created. What we want to do now is take everything we’ve learned, and do more.”
Real Junk Food Manchester would like to give huge thanks to Bruntwood, and the Oglesby family particularly, for the opportunities and support they have offered over the last two years. The relationship has been incredibly important to Real Junk Food Manchester growing as an organisation, and we hope to continue to work together to support people in our city.
The new operation will offer commercial outside catering, including buffets, canapés and hot meals, all using food that would have gone to waste, to businesses and organisations. The project will also supply meals to vulnerable people across the city through partnerships with local charity and public sector groups. The project will be sited in a large commercial kitchen, and is part of a new partnership with a local social housing provider.
This new venture will allow Real Junk Food Manchester to intercept, process and use more food that would otherwise go to waste, further lowering our city’s carbon footprint.
The move is also prompted by the organisation’s wish to offer more structured and significant volunteering and back to work support to a range of people.
Project Director Chris Haydon said, “The volunteering opportunities we’ve been able to offer at the restaurant are social and engaging, and we’ve loved working with a huge range of people, but we feel like we can do more. Having spent a year with customers and volunteers from a massive range of backgrounds, we recognise that we’re in a position to offer people who have become marginalised more structured and significant opportunities to learn, train and work in hospitality”.
The social enterprise have confirmed that they do intend to continue to have a cafe and restaurant presence in the city, but at the moment details of the next site are a closely guarded secret. The Real Junk Food Mcr team have promised that they won’t leave Mancunians without a waste food lunch spot for too long.
Bell said, “Everything that came out of the Crowdfunder in 2017 – all of the equipment, furniture, decor, will be coming with us to a new home. The whole ethos of our project is about reducing waste, and we build the restaurant with the idea in mind that we might have to move from one location to another. We’re excited about the idea of setting up somewhere new!”
