Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
St Ann's Food Hub
Dear Neighbours
For the last year, a group of people have been running the St Ann's Food Hub to provide a good value box of fresh fruit and vegetables to local people. You can either buy a box for yourself or buy a 'solidarity box' for someone in the area who needs it. We are all aware now that this pandemic (and other factors) have made poverty worse in our borough.
Please have a look at the website www.stannsfoodhub.org and consider buying a box for yourself or someone else. All the people involved are volunteers and more volunteers are also welcome. Thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sarah on
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Adding to this - I have a solidarity box subscription. It's a really easy way to provide regular support!
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Permalink Reply by laing on
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Hi Sara my partner and I each had a weekly solidarity box subscription for a while then decided to order a box for ourself. We were shocked that the veg was mostly very old and inedible. Yellow broccoli, soft carrots, brown spotted chard. My partner wrote to the contact at Saint Ann's expressing his concern that people in need were being given these old vegetables with no nutritional value or taste. The reply he got was casual to say the least - just that the contact had got a yellow broccoli and the grocer must have put it in by mistake. No apology or attempt to investigate. Needless to say we cancelled our subscriptions and now give 2xmore food to our local food bank instead.
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Ah, the bad broccoli week in February.
I did reply to you about that - as it turned out that our greengrocer had thrown in some free broccoli without making it clear it needed sorting. February was a pretty bad month for veg - there was a lot of impact from BrExit.
What I said at the time was:
Yes I get a box for myself most weeks, and I agree about the broccoli this week! I haven't looked at my chicory that closely.
We'll find out from the greengrocers what happened as they are usually good. I know that the BrExit supply chain problems haven't helped..
and then
An update on this. Turns out our supplier sent us some free broccoli but didn't let us know! They sometimes see stuff that is "salvageable" and send it over for free, and we sift out the bits that are usable. However, we weren't expecting this, and the team leader on this week hasn't had to deal with that before so didn't do a good enough job looking over the veg.
As you saw, this isn't the standard we want to be giving to people, and normally it isn't.I'm not sure how I was "casual" there.
Anyway, I'm sorry you were let down by us.
We're now giving away ~70 boxes a week, and 30-40 people buy one for themselves (myself included) so it can't all be bad!
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I can understand why you were upset by the bad experience and didn't go back. It was not good enough, but honestly is it not representative.
Following that bad week all the volunteers really went to town on the checking process and it went back to its usual good standard.
I have had a box fairly regularly since it started, and overall the fruit and veg has been great quality and great value. And it means you are helping those going through a bad patch too. For 2 of us 1 box is too much, so we only need it once a fortnight, which is pretty good for £10. Last week our box went from staples like potatoes and onions to pawpaw and avocado. There is usually a fresh herb too, and delicate items come in brown paper bags, so I always look forward to finding out what will be in the mystery brown paper bags!
I do hope people wont judge on this 1 bad review. Its an impressive scheme run by the community for the community. Staffed entirely by volunteers too. If you want to know more just go on their website to order a box or better still volunteer, find out how it works and get a work out while you are at it!
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I am sure no one will be put off by our bad experience of the only box we had bought for ourselves. We were just worried that all the solidarity boxes we had been previously contributing were of the same low quality.
It is very reassuring that it was only one bad week and that the situation was remedied. Congratulations to the St Ann's Food Hub on a good job
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Yes! Great people doing great work. I have donated a solidarity box and get a box for myself every few weeks. Incredible value for the stuff, a very diverse selection and they are good at saying what will go off quickly. Do give them a donation if you can afford it. Great community scheme.
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