Daventry Community Larder Serves Record 117 People in One Day

Daventry Community Larder in Northamptonshire served a record 117 people in one day, offering subsidised groceries without referrals and supporting diverse community needs.

Community Larder Sees Record Demand

A woman managing a community larder in Northamptonshire reported a "record number" of customers, recently serving 117 people in a single day.

Jo Haywood initially visited the Daventry Community Larder as a shopper and has volunteered to run the service for the past two years.

The larder offers a subsidised shopping experience where members pay an annual fee of £10 and then either £5 or £10 for their weekly groceries.

Haywood noted an increase in working individuals using the facility to purchase essential items such as fruit, vegetables, bread, and meat.

Daventry Community Larder A table full of food items, all in rows, sitting on a red tablecloth. — A mixture of items are on offer at Daventry Community Larder

Operations and Volunteer Support

The service operates every Wednesday from the Southbrook Community Centre in Daventry, supported by 25 volunteers, according to Haywood.

Typically, between 80 and 90 people visit the larder during each session.

"Most of us started out as shoppers so we can empathise," Haywood said.

"We run three sessions, one for vulnerable people, one for the general public, and one for post-work customers who are in employment and in poverty.

Anyone is also welcome to pop in for a chat.

We're about combating social isolation, not just providing food during this financial crisis," she added.

Inclusive Access and Diverse Clientele

Haywood emphasized that, unlike food banks, no referral is required to shop at the larder.

"We're here for everybody, we don't discriminate.

We're seeing a lot of working poverty, people who have their own business, we see people on benefits, we have newborns to people in their 90s.

We're seeing record numbers at the moment, we had 117 people through our door the other day, which is a massive jump," Haywood said.

Food Sources and Waste Reduction

The food supplied to the larder is donated by the charity FareShare, which redistributes surplus food to prevent landfill waste.

"We do a good service, we get tins, packets, jars, chilled goods, frozen items," Haywood said.

Daventry Community Larder A large number of items on a table including toiletries, drink, all in bottles, all on a stage floor with points written in front. A red cloth is behind the goods. — Toiletries and drinks are also on offer, Haywood said

The group is committed to ensuring leftover food is not wasted. Any perishable items that cannot be kept for another week are sent to a farm in Long Buckby, Northamptonshire, to feed animals.