Foodinate

Restaurants sign up to
tackle food poverty

Foodinate, a one-for-one service that teams up with restaurants to tackle food poverty in our local communities, has launched in the UK.

For every Foodinate-selected meal ordered, the restaurant gives a sum of money to provide another meal for a local person in need. The premise is that everyone can have a direct and significant impact on food poverty.

Caroline Stevenson, a 23-year-old from Manchester, started developing the social enterprise shortly after graduating from university. The venture is still in development but was awarded a Do It award from UnLtd at the end of 2014.

Stevenson said: "It's all about giving the consumer the choice. In the UK, we are already choosing to go out to eat 1.4 billion times per year, so why not make the choice to eat at a Foodinate-partnered restaurant, knowing that every delicious meal we enjoy will provide another meal for a local person in need? If everyone made that choice – just think of the impact we could have! The potential here is absolutely enormous."

Foodinate is currently undergoing a one-month pilot scheme with Odd Group bars in Manchester and The Rub Smokehouse and Bars group in the Midlands.

Cleo Farman, managing director of The Odd Group and Blue Pig Manchester, said: "We are very excited to have been asked to take part in the Foodinate project. It supports a worthy cause that we feel will resonate with our customers and it's great to be taking part in something that could benefit people so close to home."

Jason Rowe, managing director of The Rub Smokehouse and Bars, said: "Rub Smokehouse and Bar are excited to get involved with Foodinate as we believe it is a very worthwhile cause which will be a win win situation for visitors to the restaurant and the community as a whole."

The above article by Nathan Pearce first published on eatoutmagazine.co.uk in Sep, 2015.