A Sheffield bakery has extended it’s food donation scheme, supplying products to more people through a supermarket set up in a church..
Forge Bakehouse has launched a new partnership with The Social Supermarket in an attempt to help tackle food poverty in Sheffield.
Members of The Social Supermarket can now choose the bakery’s bread alongside a range of fresh fruit and vegetables, canned goods and other cupboard essentials from the “convenient, central location” of St Mary’s church on Bramall Lane.
The new partnership has come as a result of the success of the ‘Pay Kindness Forward’ scheme at Forge Bakehouse. The scheme allows customers of the bakery to add an extra donation to their order, covering the cost for those who cannot afford to purchase food.
Launched in 2018, the scheme has seen an increase in usage and donations over the last year after an exacerbation of food poverty across the city due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo Credit India Hobson
Matt Risby, the general manager of Forge Bakehouse said: “We’d like to extend our eternal gratitude to our customers and our community.
”It’s part of our ethos to invest in our local community and we have received such overwhelming support, that not only have we been able to stay operational during the pandemic, but have been able to help others out who aren’t so fortunate.”
Free kids lunches
As well as partnering with the Social Supermarket and offering free items from their Abbeydale Road shop to those in need, the independent bakery also offers free lunches to children in the community.
Mr Risby said: “When the free school meals debate was ongoing in the houses of parliament, we decided to add that option for our customers as many small businesses did up and down the country. Donations have been claimed from a wide variety of Sheffield postcodes.”
People can join the Social Supermarket for a membership of £3 a week and choose at least 20 items from the shop.
Those wanting to use Pay Kindness Forward can visit Forge Bakehouse between 9-3pm, Tuesday to Sunday and request to use the scheme to receive a product, or kids lunch, for free.
