Over a month has passed since the first Happy Drinks event at Oakes Barn, the Happy Food Movement is up and running with so many great ideas coming together in Bury St Edmunds. The next Happy Drinks is Tuesday 4th April at Edmundo Lounge, we will be upstairs from 7 pm.
Again, all are welcome. The idea is to have a space for everyone interested in local food to come together to meet new people and share ideas. Please share the event and bring along all your friends.
So much has happened in the past month; We will break it all down into four areas to help us keep on top of it all; Grow it, Sell it, Cook it and Eat it.
Grow it
There are a number of places locally offering access to fresh organic produce – like COFCO, Wild Co, Waterlands Organic – see green pins on the Sustainable Food Map.
We feel that there is a really need, and desire, for a community-owned farm near to Bury St Edmunds. A farm that has a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme, one that people can visit to be close to nature and see, first hand, where their food is coming from. A few of us are seriously looking into this as a possibility for the next growing season in 2018. Keep a look out for information coming soon, or email to find out more.
Sell it
The market stall on Bury St Edmunds market has survived the harsh winter weather and is beginning to bloom into spring. We have added homemade hummus to our stock range on Saturdays and will continue to add new flavours and products each month. Look out for us outside Holland and Barrett in April as we will soon be moving pitches on Saturdays.
At its heart, the Happy Food Coop is aiming to bring sustainable and affordable food to everyone. The Bury St Edmunds Food Coop has its founding members and will soon be signing the Rules and becoming a formal Unincorporated Consumer Cooperative. See the website for prices and information on how you can join.
Cook it
We had the first community cafe meeting this month, which had a great turnout with loads of useful ideas. The premise was set for a community-minded space that is welcoming to all with food at its heart. It will be a community-owned cooperative that will become a focal point for art, entertainment, learning and building community.
Eat it
At the heart of every great ‘food culture’ is a communal sharing of food. As part of the initiation of the Bury St Edmunds Food Coop, we hosted a bring-and-share meal (thanks to Amanda for hosting). We also came together before the meal to cook together and share recipes and ideas. This work brilliantly and will be something we will be looking to build on in the future with more events.
If you want to be part of what we are doing and you would like to help us grow, please come visit us at the Bury St Edmunds market or contact us about becoming a Bury St Edmunds Food Coop Member.