Community Larders and Mood Boosting Food

Each summer I look forward to eating the food I've grown in my garden. This year I've had particular success with my hanging basket strawberries, potatoes and herbs. 

According to the ONS 1 in 8 households in Britain do not have access to a private or shared garden but a lack of outdoor space doesn't need to stop you growing. Containers and window boxes can produce great results with crops such as herbs, strawberries, spinach, beans, lettuce, carrots and celery.  Or you could try joining your local community garden or registering for an allotment with your local council.

Some community projects, food banks or larders will offer trays of micro greens or pots of herbs to encourage people to try simple growing at home.

Community Larders are different from food banks. They are pop up hubs that enable people to purchase good food at a significantly reduced price. They can also make a difference to the environment by reducing food waste. Surplus food, that may have otherwise been thrown away, is regularly donated by supermarkets and food producers. Larders offer a range of fresh, frozen and packet produce that may differ each week. They also offer support and advice on topics such as work, health or finances. Many larders have a small annual membership scheme that enables people to purchase a number of items each week free of charge.

The access to good nutritious food can not be overestimated for our physical and mental health. Food and its impact on health seems to be in the spotlight at the moment with discussions about the links between ultra processed food and chronic diseases. 

An article by the Harvard Medical School in 2022 discussed how multiple studies have shown links between the type of food we eat and the impact on our mood and mental health as well as physical health. Diets high in refined sugars impact on the bodies regulation of insulin, promote inflammation, impair brain function and worsen the symptoms of mood conditions such as depression.

The charity MIND suggests that eating protein rich diets such as nuts and seeds, milk, eggs, cheese, lean meat, fish, soya and legumes can support good mental health. They also suggest eating regularly, eating slow release energy foods such as brown rice, nuts and wholegrain bread, drinking plenty of fluids such as water, herbal tea and tea to avoid dehydration and aid concentration, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, eating healthy fats from oily fish, nuts and seeds, avoiding alcohol and minimising caffeine.

Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start in the face of so much medical or scientific publicity or advice but maybe it is possible to start with one step or one thing as recommended by the late Dr Michael Mosley in his books, television shows and podcasts. 

What will be your first step?

Home grown tomatoes 

Food, a Sense of Place and the Scone Wars!

One summer weekend, my parents decided to run a pop up cafe in our garden to raise money for local charities inspired by our frequent trips to Cornwall where we consumed delicious cream teas of scones with jam and clotted cream. They decided to serve Gornal Cream Teas and a selection of homemade cakes.

Those of you familiar with Cornwall and Devon will know of the long running friendly rivalry between the two counties about how to prepare your scone. The Cornish put the jam on the scone first followed by the cream and the Devonians eat theirs with the cream first and jam on the top! The National Media often refers to this as the 'Scone Wars' Although this may sound trivial to some, for many people living in Devon and Cornwall this is part of their identity and sense of place.But what is a Sense of Place? 

Sense of Place is a complex concept that looks at the relationship between people and spaces. It can be used to describe a physical place or the feelings held by people about a place. It is a lens or theoretical framework more commonly used by anthropologists, geographers, sociologists and psychologists to consider topics such as, how exposure to nature as a child shapes an adults view of the environment later in life. It is also an approach used by planners when designing towns and cities.

Sense of Place can also be used as a lens within food systems to renew our relationships with food and farming. One of the simplest ways that food can give us a physical sense of place is by growing and eating our own home grown produce. Food can also be used to craft feelings and a sense of another place. We may do this on a regular basis without even realising, by cooking a favourite dish of a family member or replicating a recipe from a memorable holiday.

Research by Fanfani and Rovai in 2022 discussed how a sense of belonging, sense of place and link to the heritage of an area can reinvigorate local food and bolster fair and sustainable systems between communities and food.

Over the last few months I have been working with colleagues to restart what was the Buckinghamshire Food Partnership. BFP began in 2020 but sadly closed in 2023. Our new incarnation 'Good Food Bucks' will launch later this year. Both of the organisations were founded on the principles of Sustainable Food Places or SFP's. There are currently over 100 SFP's across UK, supporting their communities by bringing together multiple stakeholders to work as inclusive cross sector partnerships that collaborate to create lasting change in local areas. Have a look at their website to find your nearest SFP.