Spread the Love

Plum chutney warms gently on the stove at Danielle Coombes’ home in Ashley Down. Having worked in the food industry for more 20 years, she looks completely at home with her apron on. She shows Sara Venn and I that the fridge is full of peeled shallots, ready to be picked, and pomegranate juice, to be turned into cordial: evidence of a busy afternoon of prep. The strong, vinegary smell of chutney permeates the air.

Sara – of Incredible Edible Bristol, aiming to fill Bristol with edible plants – is put to work peeling a box of apples that were delivered earlier today. As Danielle skilfully dices an onion, she explains how Bristol Jam Plan formed.

“I had been aware for a while that lots of surplus produce goes to waste, while at the same time food poverty and food banks are on the rise. Seeing food wasted while others have nothing to eat is heart-breaking. I heard about FoodCycle and contacted them about helping out.”

FoodCycle volunteers collect food that would otherwise be thrown away, and distribute it to vulnerable people via charities, including homeless shelters.

“As I’m a chef, they asked if I could help by finding other ways of using the excess perishable food,” Danielle continues. “By preserving fresh fruit and vegetables in chutneys, jams and pickles, we prolong their shelf life so less is wasted.”

Bristol Jam Plan’s creations depends on the produce donated, but favourites so far include beetroot chutney, banana ketchup and lime marmalade. Once the preserves are finished, they are either donated directly to local charities, or sold in shops or at markets. The money is donated back to FoodCycle to continue the process.

Both Sara and Danielle are keen to stress that this food is not waste: none of it is mouldy or unpleasant. “I only use food that I’d eat myself,” Danielle says. “This is all food that’s going to go off before it’s sold. It’s not food waste, it’s food rescue!”

The donations often come from supermarkets, who tend to over-order produce and import fresh food from abroad, giving it a short shelf-life. But Danielle is keen for us all to consider donating. “When people have a glut at home – for example, an apple tree in their garden – and more than they can use, this is somewhere the extra could go,” Danielle says. “I’ve contacted my allotment to tell people about it.”

“It’s food – don’t let it go to waste!” Sara says passionately. “This is all part of the city becoming a proper community, and realising that other people can use things that you can’t. It’s closing the circle: it’s another way to support people.”

Bristol Jam Plan, alongside the work that FoodCycle are already doing to reduce the amount of perfectly good food that ends up binned, has the potential to grow into something truly effective. “I’d like Bristol Jam Plan to grow into a community project,” Danielle says. “To carry on tackling food waste, making preserves and raising money, but also to be a platform for people to share ideas about what to do with surplus food and to encourage a change in attitude.”

Sara tips the apples into an enormous stainless steel pot and they begin to simmer away on the stove, more scent rising into the warm air of the kitchen while the rain beats down outside.

“It’s frustrating to see the inequality and waste and not do anything,” Danielle says. “This is just one tiny way to tackle some of those issues waste using the resources and skills we have. We don’t want to just sit and consume: we want to put our energy into something proactive to help others and I think food is a great way to show you care.”

Want to get involved? Volunteers are needed to make preserves, distribute produce and attend markets and events: sign up by visiting www.bristoljamplan.co.uk. Local businesses and supermarkets can also join the fight against waste by donating surplus fruit and veg and by stocking the preserves – get in touch by emailing [email protected]