Posted 6th Mar 2025

 

                              March Newsletter 

     Supporting action towards food for healthy and

                                       sustainable lives

Food Durham, the Food Partnership for County Durham, is a cross-sector, multi-stakeholder collective of individuals and organisations interested in co-creating a better food system.  We're working together for healthier, greener, fairer food for all. 

                                    Coordinator update

 Since I started as Coordinator in October, the pace of change in the context of food, nationally and globally, has been staggering. It almost seems, a day doesn’t pass when food hasn’t appeared in the news, and rightly so, as it’s so vital to life, society, our health and the health of our planet. 

 

From the imminent roll-out of primary school breakfast clubs and business food waste collections, the announcement that there will be a new national food strategy for the UK, the cost of living crisis and escalating rates of emergency food provision, food shortages and rising costs of food, Bovaer milk scares, avian flu, the wettest growing year on record, and on-going farmer protests, to name a few, food and farming has certainly been in the public focus. 

 

During that time, the Food Durham Advisory Group has met twice and work has begun to revive and relaunch a Food Charter for County Durham - a tool for county-wide action on food. Organisations in County Durham which sell or serve food and drink are being called upon to commit to help to make food better for everyone. 

 

Our vision is for everyone living in County Durham to have access to tasty food and drink that is healthy for people and planet and contributes to a strong local food economy and vibrant food culture. 

In December, local people gathered to talk about the changes they’d like to see happen to the food system in County Durham. Our event in Chester-le-Street was one of 73 UK Food Conversations, funded by the Food, Farming and Forestry Commission. It aimed to give citizens a stronger voice to inform clear policy recommendations, whilst generating momentum for change.

The main priorities for change were:

  • Educate on cooking, food shopping, eating well and cutting food waste.

  • Promote sustainable and healthy options, through internet, influencers and in shops

  • Share information on where to access locally grown, fresh and surplus food.

  • Improve food in schools.

  • Curb fast food by banning new outlets from opening.

    Spotlight on Community Food Growing: TCR Hub

With Food Durham support from sustainability education Charity OASES, last year, volunteers at the TCR Hub, Barnard Castle experimented to maximise the food they can grow in their polytunnel. In addition to tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and courgettes, retired brewer and lead garden volunteer, Brian, trialled Little Gem lettuce in the tunnel’s high, shallow table beds. The sweet, crisp heads of lettuce were a big hit in the community café and on the Hub’s free food distribution table. 

Are you part of a community garden or allotment or

                               looking to set one up?

The Community Growing and Food Network is facilitated by Durham Community Action to bring together like-minded organisations with projects or an interest related to growing and food. It enables community groups and organisations from all sectors with similar visions to connect, communicate and collaborate, support each other and share good practice.
 
 

               County Durham Food Business updates

In recent months, Creative Kitchen opened a new cookery workshop HQ in Consett, giving more children the chance to learn cooking skills.      

After 10 years of cheese production, Simon Raine, director of Weardale Cheese, has decided to end production. Unfortunately, cheesemaking can't continue in its current location at Harperley POW Camp but if anyone in the NE has a desire to start a new career in cheesemaking, do contact Simon on simon.raine@weardalecheese.net  

He’d be more than happy to help.

                                                Events

Climate Action Durham is inviting everyone locally who has an interest in food, and the environment, to come along to either or both of these free events.

 

A Sustainable Food System on Thursday 6th March 7.00-9.00pm, in Old Elvet Methodist Church Hall DH1 3HL. To help us organise chairs, tables and refreshments please book your seat using Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/4czeyc85

 

Conversation about Food Systems and Climate Change on Friday 14th March 1.15-2.30pm an informal discussion led by Aisha Basurto, who has a Masters in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance, in the Northern Stores and Deli, Prince Bishops Shopping Centre DH1 3UJ, 1.15 to 2.30.

 

For further details, Email Alyson Learmonth: alysonlearmonth@outlook.com

Rethink Food - Agents of Change have free lessons plans and resources for teachers on food and environment. Free Resources – Rethink Food – Food Education. Check out the pizza re-design video. 

Register now: Snack-tember 2025 | British Nutrition Foundation  

Healthy Eating Week is being transformed into a month-long event. In September 2025, schools and clubs can take part in… Snack-tember! The British Nutrition Foundation will be providing information, activity ideas, recipes and posters to help children and young people (5-16) explore their current snacking choices, and learn about, make and try new healthier snack options! 

 

Waste and Recycling assemblies: Book your free Durham County Council Waste Management school assembly on waste and recycling.

Email: wasteaware@durham.gov.uk

 

Through REfUSE’s Eat Smart project, primary pupils lead the challenge to reduce food waste in their school and design solutions to tackle the problem. REfUSE has worked with 14 schools in County Durham and Sunderland so far, achieving an average food waste reduction of 24%. That’s equivalent to saving an average of 2,400 meals – worth over £6,000 – per school, per year from going into the bin! This is only possible thanks to the positive engagement of the pupils and all staff within the schools, including teaching and kitchen staff. More info here: Education - REfUSE Durham

REfUSE is seeking an Experienced Evaluator - EAT SMART

We are seeking an experienced evaluator to explore the effect of the Eat Smart project on reducing food waste and Eat Smart’s wider impact beyond food waste reduction in primary schools across County Durham and Tyneside.

Our Eat Smart project delivered in partnership with BIND in Newcastle aims to support schools, their pupils, families, staff, and catering providers to reduce food waste at school in a programme led by pupils. At its core is a six week programme working with pupils to measure food waste in the school and developing an action plan to reduce it. Schools then have the opportunity to extend their activities and to deliver on their Final Action Plan to continue to food waste. Since summer 2022, we have worked with 43 schools ranging from 90 to 600 pupils covering 29 across Tyneside, 13 in County Durham and one in Sunderland.

The evaluation will need to draw out the learning from Eat Smart and the findings will be used to disseminate the impact and value of Eat Smart to a wider audience of policy and decision makers in the region and to support further policy development work we undertake.

Deadline for submission of applications is midday on Wednesday 19th March 2025.

For more information and details of the application process please follow this link to the REfUSE website: https://refusedurham.org.uk/seeking-an-experienced-evaluator-eat-smart/
 

Poll

                 Vote on what you think Food Durham priorities should be this year
 
 

                                 We want to hear from you!

If you have news or events you’d like to share about local action around sustainable and healthy food, please Email Amy: fooddurham@oases.org.uk