Helping to reduce food waste with community meals

They founded the OsNosh community kitchen in 2018 and now they are helped by a hard-working team of around 25 volunteers and supporting staff.

The aim was to solve two problems – food waste and hunger – by transforming surplus supermarket stock and donations from producers and businesses in and around Oswestry into tasty dishes.

Ben takes on the role of head chef at OsNosh, while Tom works with other charities and helps to organise fundraising.

Before Covid-19 struck they provided free, or ‘pay as you feel’, community meals to those who were struggling to make ends meet or to anyone who was in need of some company.

“Our ethos has always been that these are meals for everyone because we believe that everyone can help to reduce food waste,” explains Ben.

Since the start of the pandemic, they have been cooking and delivering hot meals and grocery boxes to people several times a week from their base at The Centre in Oswestry.

They had previously been cooking in the magnificent kitchen at Oswestry’s Holy Trinity Church but moved to The Centre in May this year after outgrowing their old premises.

At The Centre, the team has more space to both operate a delivery service and maintain social distancing for volunteers.

OsNosh works closely with organisations including Qube, Designs in Mind and STAR Housing to reach those in need but people can also contact the team directly for help too.

“Before the Covid outbreak we were cooking for about 70 people at our community meals, now we’re cooking and delivering around 135 to 150 meals a week to people in Oswestry and Shrewsbury. More and more people are needing help and there are a lot of families who are living below the poverty line who need help,” Ben says.

He says their project is saving around two tonnes of unwanted food from ending up at landfill sites every month.

“There is an abundance of surplus food so the more we can save from being wasted and going to landfill by redistributing it to those who need it, the better,” says Ben.

The small team manages all of the logistics, sorting, preparing, cooking, packing and delivering. They do so with care and a meticulous attention to hygiene and the wellbeing of each other and the individuals they serve.

Ben is also passionate about dedicating time to helping volunteers improve their skills in the kitchen by sharing his culinary knowledge.

OsNosh is a community interest company (CIC) and to help fund its community meals and deliveries, it runs a monthly PoshNosh event.

Ben creates a three-course set menu, with vegetarian and vegan options, using whatever produce is in season.

When it comes to deciding what to cook for the OsNosh meals, he is very much inspired by the donations of produce.

“I like cooking food that is inspired by places like South America, Mexico, the Middle East and Georgia. I like taking ideas from these places and applying them to local seasonal produce. I like using lots of colour and contrasting flavours.

“I can’t plan ahead because I don’t know what’s going to be donated. Sometimes I know exactly what to make when I see the produce. If there’s a lot of basil and tomatoes then I might go for a Italian style dish with fresh pasta. If there’s a lot of coriander and limes then it might be something Mexican or South American.”

“Sometimes the donations are very disparate so I’ve got to really think how to get the best out of the ingredients. We might make a curry but we try not to make it too spicy so that’s to everyone’s tastes,” explains Ben.

Some of the meals served up in the OsNosh kitchen in recent months include baked eggs in tomato and red pepper sauce with aioli toast and roast pumpkin with posh bubble and squeak, chimichurri lentils, heritage carrots, orange and smoked paprika yoghurt and homemade za’atar.

Ben says the project is only made possible thanks to its team of committed volunteers who give up their spare time to help.

Among them is 24-year-old Twm Roberts, who says getting involved in OsNosh opened his eyes to the problem of food waste. “I was really surprised by how much food would have been thrown away if we weren’t using it. It’s nice to know that we are helping to prevent it from being wasted and we’re also helping people in the community.”

Also lending a hand is 18-year-old Katie Garratt who has been volunteering for the past couple of months.

“I wanted to give something back to the community and this is a really good cause.

“I enjoy helping to cook the meals and preparing the boxes of food to give to people,” she says.

Ben believes the project has not only had a positive impact for the people who have received meals and grocery boxes, but it’s also benefited everyone involved.

“It’s been a life-saver for myself and the other volunteers. It’s been good for our mental health because it’s given us all something positive to focus on,” he tells Weekend.

If anyone would like to become part of the OsNosh team, even if it’s only for an hour or two a week, they can email OsNosh@gmail.com or call 07902 691253.

For more information see osnosh.co.uk