Bristol Goods: Cooking up confidence, community and change

Nicola Deschamps’ latest story highlights Bristol Goods, an innovative initiative by Caring in Bristol that is supporting South Bristol communities to access and engage with food.

Bristol Goods is an innovative food-led initiative that hosts food clubs and cooking classes for individuals facing homelessness, those in temporary accommodation or experiencing food insecurity or energy debt. It is part of Caring in Bristol, a charity dedicated to preventing homelessness. 

The initiative operates on a membership basis. Each week, three pop-up food clubs, servicing different groups of people, are held in three locations in South Bristol: Hartcliffe, Hengrove and St Pauls. Members pay £3.50 per week for a variety of foods, including fresh fruit and vegetables, store cupboard staples and milk and dairy products.

Most of the food is donated by FareShare South West, a charity that rescues imperfect vegetables, misshapen fruit and foods nearing their best-before date from supermarkets and farms. For those who are sleeping rough, food packs are provided. They include cooked meals and items that require only hot water to be added. 

The food club has great variety. There are healthy options and lots of fruit and vegetables that are normally expensive, so people are put off buying them. Having those healthier options available at the food club is great; you can make a good meal from the food you get.

Club member 

Launched in October 2024, Bristol Goods’ cooking classes teach club members how to prepare healthy, cost-effective meals. All meals made during the classes use recipes based on the ingredients available at the pop-up food clubs.

A key focus of the initiative is food education, with a booklet on healthy eating and nutrition included in the starter kit provided to all participants. The classes offer food, nutrition and cooking information, helping participants gain new knowledge and skills while enjoying good company.  

The cooking classes have proven to be a great success, with statistics showing improvements across the board: 

70% of Bristol Goods’ cooking class participants reported better knowledge of nutrition and healthy eating.  

80% of Bristol Goods’ cooking class participants reported improvement in their cooking skills.  

90% of Bristol Goods’ cooking class participants reported feeling more confident to cook at home and try new recipes 

70% of Bristol Goods’ cooking class participants said that they felt the cooking classes had enhanced their health and wellbeing and that they felt more socially connected. 

Participants also reported they had gained knowledge about managing their food shopping budget and minimising food waste.

The classes provide access to group learning opportunities for unemployed adults or those not in education or training, improving their confidence and skills and reducing social isolation. 

I find cooking therapeutic; people who are going through tough times need something that gets them creative. Bristol Goods cooking classes were really helpful and fun.

Club member

To accommodate more members and increase the number of classes, funding is needed to help the initiative expand its reach. Additional resources would support new venues for both the food club and cooking classes, and fund portable cooking class kits, facilitating more pop-up cooking classes in new locations.  

To reach more people, Bristol Goods partnered with another Caring in Bristol project, Early Doors. For the upcoming classes scheduled for April 2025, Bristol Goods plans to bring in a guest chef to lead the cooking classes and to offer members the opportunity to obtain a Level 2 Food Safety certificate, which would help open employment or volunteer opportunities. 

Learn more about Bristol Goods and its homelessness prevention work at  

www.caringinbristol.org.uk/community-focus-bristol-goods

www.caringinbristol.org.uk/a-recipe-for-prevention

Volunteers play a crucial role in supporting the food club and cooking lessons initiative. Bristol Goods would welcome new volunteers and details on how individuals can contribute are available at www.caringinbristol.org.uk/volunteer-with-us 

Other projects addressing food justice and insecurity in Bristol include the Mazi Project whose community kitchen hosts Bristol Goods’ cooking classes, while Lush Greens provides the venue for the project’s volunteer days.  

To stay updated on future events, job opportunities and news, don’t forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter at bristolgoodfood.org/newsletter.  

Nicola Deschamps is a registered nutritionist, author, and editor: targeteditorial.co.uk.