April Summers, Bankueteer

As more and more people across the UK turn to food banks for help during this difficult period, find out how this pop up food bank in London’s East End is caring for the community.

It’s raining — pouring, if I’m honest — and despite the sun’s best efforts to break through, menacing clouds continue to assemble overhead. Even with this grey and grizzly start, the weather is not my primary concern this morning.

Instead, I am consumed by an overriding sense of duty as I make my way down Mare Street towards a new pop up food bank in Bohemia Place. Walking through the street market’s vacant car park I can’t help but note how yet another London hotspot has been drained of its colour.

In a bid to inject some light into the heart of Hackney, Bankuet selected Bohemia Place Market as the hub for their latest act of community support. As trains clatter across the railway tracks above, a group of hopeful volunteers set up “shop” in the unit below.

This Bankuet venture is the UK’s first frozen vegetable food bank, conceived in response to the 6.5 million people of working age from lower income households that consider themselves to be in “vegetable poverty.” Partnering up with plant-based purveyors Strong Roots on their mission to “Make Veg Poverty History,” Bankuet is providing food parcels containing nourishing food supplies to those in need.

Based in Hackney — one of the London borough’s worst COVID-19 effected areas — this food bank offers organic frozen veggies, alongside all the traditional food bank staples such as tinned goods, toilet roll and childcare provisions.

According to Strong Roots, 55% of UK families are not currently able to access their 5-a-day.

In January 2020 there were over 2,000 food banks in the UK. One year and one pandemic later, and NGO The Trussell Trust reported an 89% increase in food bank demand. People in all sorts of situations look to food banks for support, but the primary reasons relate to unexpected costs, benefit delays and ill health.

COVID-19 has exacerbated the already stark contrast in London household incomes, due to widespread redundancies and job shortages, which has in turn had a knock on effect to food insecurity across the whole of the UK. As a result, many households — who previously never required help from food banks — are having to choose between falling behind on rent, or skipping meals. This means missing out on crucial fruit and veg.

Many households who previously never required help from food banks are having to choose between falling behind on rent, or skipping meals.

Bankuet’s business model was born from a desire to bypass the time-consuming bureaucracy which presented numerous obstacles between food banks and those who want to help. CEO Robin Ferris wanted to establish a platform where people could “give to a food bank at the touch of a button: making sure donations go as far as possible for maximum impact through the power of bulk buying.”

Anna is a bright eyed young professional whose role within the hospitality sector was put on pause when she was furloughed in March 2020. Armed with plenty of residual energy and a keen interest to help the growing number of people going without, Anna began delivering nutritious food packages to members of local communities with Haggerston Mutual Aid, Shoreditch Trust and Tottenham Food Bank.

It was through these organisations that she discovered Bankuet. “Through Bankuet I began learning about what challenges food banks face and how to help increase donations, reduce waste and simplify operations. When I was asked to help at the pop up food bank, I was so grateful to be part of such a brilliant project.”

“We pack the deliveries on Thursday and by Sunday all the food is gone! This weekend there wasn’t anything left. It shows how important this project is, people clearly need the help and support.”

Volunteering alongside the likes of Anna is Nichola, a secondary school teacher who discovered the pop up food bank via social media. “I follow the big local food banks on Instagram, so when I heard about Bankuet needing helpers I signed up for this right away.” Nichola works in the learning support department of a local East London school and wanted to get involved, having witnessed students going hungry.

Following the free school meals scandal of last month, Nichola was eager to help struggling households. “For some of the children I work with, the food they get at school might be the only meal they get that day,” she told me, “So I’m not surprised by the amount of families and parents who are here today.

Organisers were anxious about the reach of this food bank, being a pop up, but with the help of professional boxer and two time Olympian, Nicola Adams, the venture received plenty of press and word has spread.

With the help of her fellow volunteers, Anna sets up the pop up food bank each week, packing 300+ meat, fish and vegetarian food parcels for the weekend. “We pack the deliveries on Thursday and by Sunday all the food is gone! This weekend there wasn’t anything left. It shows how important this project is, people clearly need the help and support.”

“For some of the children I work with, the food they get at school might be the only meal they get that day,” she told me, “So I’m not surprised by the amount of families and parents who are here today.”

Ordinarily recipients of food bank vouchers are means-tested or acquire referrals from their GP or the council, but due to the current climate, this pop up food bank is employing a ‘no questions asked’ policy. “As well as providing food, we are offering the human contact people are missing,” says Anna. “Coronavirus has made everyone scared of each other so this allows us to really care for our local community.”

Cleared out of food parcels for this weekend, the pop up draws to a close after a rainy Saturday of serving the public. As things wind down for the day, Anna tells me a story which has stayed with her: “I met a gentleman who had to escape his country on a boat with his one month old little girl. It was her six month birthday when we were talking. He has come to the UK for a better life and our pop up food bank is helping support him and his family.”

Bankuet x Strong Roots pop up food bank is located at Unit 11, Bohemia Place, Mare Street, London, E8 1DU and is open to the public every Friday & Saturday from 22nd Jan to 13th Feb.

Visit the Hackney Pop Up page for more info and to help your local food bank, make a donation below.