‘Meal Mates’ scheme provides fresh angle on tackling food poverty

Wednesday 19 April 2023

Looking after friends and neighbours by preparing a home-cooked meal is the aim of a new initiative launched by a Jersey charity and a local chef and food writer.

The ‘Meal Mates’ scheme seeks to encourage Islanders to help alleviate food poverty by making extra portions of their latest culinary creation.

Caring Cooks, which was founded in 2014 by a mother looking to help others through the provision of home-cooked meals, will be working with chef Christian Gott.

Yvonne Corbin, the charity's chief executive, said: “Food poverty in Jersey is a complex problem, and one of the primary factors comes from our increasingly high food costs.

“The cost of living is among the most expensive in Europe, which means that many families and individuals struggle to afford nutritious food, especially fresh fruit and vegetables.

“One way of addressing these problems is for communities to pull together where possible, and I believe this initiative provides a framework for us all to do that.”

Mr Gott said he had been excited to get involved in the project, and would be publishing recipes weekly via his website, starting with a Middle Eastern-style oven-baked biryani feeding eight people at a total cost of £12.52.

Pictured: Mark Cox, Chief Executive of Channel islands Co-op.

The initiative is being supported by the Channel Islands Co-op, with chief executive Mark Cox adding his support.

He said: "Meal Mates aligns perfectly with our core values of community engagement and sustainability – by providing ingredients for these wholesome recipes, we're not only promoting healthy eating but also fostering a sense of connection and unity within our island."

More information is available online here or via Mr Gott's website website.