Award-winning affordable food scheme set to open its first hub in the Boston area

A UK community food organisation offering cut-price food essentials is set to open a hub in a Boston village next week.

The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) has agreed to open hubs across South and East Lincolnshire, with the first of these opening in Old Leake Community Centre on Wednesday, February 1.

TBBT offers weekly groceries at a fraction of high street prices.

The hubs will provide access to low cost, nutritious food, as well as access to wraparound services offering advice and support on finances, employment and health.

TBBT works in partnership with supermarkets, importers, packers, manufacturers and farms to redistribute surplus food that often ends up going to waste.

For £8.50 they offer roughly £35 worth of food each week including fresh fruit and veg, chilled food for the fridge and cupboard items such as pasta and cereal.

The intention is for further hubs to open across Boston Borough, East Lindsey and South Holland in the near future.

Spalding-based Freshlinc have offered logistics support with its fleet of refrigerated trucks and state-of-the-art food storage facilities. The team will help with the transport and delivery of TBBT's vital food supplies until the charity establishes its own warehouse locally.

Councillors Martin Griggs, Portfolio Holder for Communities at Boston Borough Council, Coun William Gray, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing and Coun Elizabeth Sneath, Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing, Conservation and Heritage, said: "We are very excited about TBBT coming into the South & East Lincolnshire area with the launch of these award-winning hubs.

"There are many families across our communities who are at present struggling to put food on the table with the cost of living crisis adding even more pressure to household finances.

"The introduction of these hubs will make a huge difference to those families, not only by providing nutritious and affordable food but also by offering other kinds of support and advice."

Mark Game, CEO The Bread and Butter Thing: "This is an exciting new chapter for TBBT. Funding from Comic Relief and Sainsburys is enabling us expand our service further across the UK and I'm delighted that we can start 2023 opening our first hub in Boston as part Phase One of our plans for the year.

"We are looking forward to getting to know our new community and are grateful for the amazing support that we are already seeing locally. The logistics support from the Freshlinc team is an invaluable bonus and we are thrilled to be launching with such strong and vital support in the region."

Coun Tom Ashton, Ward member for Old Leake, said: "Working with the parish council, we are pleased to be able to support Old Leake Community Hub with this new initiative coming to Old Leake.

"This project will make a big difference to families, and South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership will be working closely with TBBT team to help make this project a success."

Ashley Holland, Commercial Director of FreshLinc said: "Getting good quality, nutritious and healthy food to our communities is a key part of FreshLinc's operation and we know that the cost of living is hitting families local to our head office in Lincolnshire. We want to play our part in supporting them and the wider region by offering our specialist support to TBBT."

There are no joining criteria. People interested in using TBBT's affordable food service need to register as members and should text 07860 063304 or use the contact form at Contact Us — The Bread and Butter Thing with their name, address, postcode and hub they would like to join. Once registered, members receive a weekly text offering the food service which they can then collect from their hub.

Joining is simple. There are no joining criteria. People interested in using TBBT's affordable food service need to register as members and should text 07860 063304 or use the contact form at Contact Us — The Bread and Butter Thing. Once registered, members receive a weekly text offering the food service which they can then collect from their hub.