Story: Rashida Hassanali & Smaira Sadique
Photos: Smaira Sadique
The first food event of its kind in the Fir Vale community was held at the School to celebrate Harvest Festival and Eid-ul-Fitr together.
Fir Vale’s Community & School Partnership (CASP) developed the food festival idea with St Cuthbert’s Church, the Eden project, Tradebase, LEAF and Green City Action. For a nominal 50p, 170 people had a feast of vegetable curry, gulaš (goulash), iced buns, ‘left-over’ wraps and fruit & vegetable kebabs. It was a gastronomic success, helped by the generosity of families in the local community, together with donations of vegetables and fruit grown by local foodgrowing projects.
Volunteers cheerfully gave up their Saturday, 22nd September, to cook and serve. Colleagues from health projects, Veolia and Green City Action provided delicious fruit smoothies, explained about composting, reminded people about the changes in bin services and talked of the pleasure and benefits of ‘growing your own.’
Young Slovakian students made goulash, while the CASP group made a mouthwatering vegetable curry. Liz Flewers, Kath Hobson and the Eden project made delicious cupcakes for everyone to decorate. Louise Collins from St Cuthbert’s made vegetable wraps.
David Blunkett MP attended to support and congratulate everyone on a successful event.
The atmosphere was warm and friendly and feedback was positive:
“the food was lovely,”
I learned how to make chapattis,”
“I enjoyed decorating my own cake,”
“I know more about composting now.”
All the raw food waste and much of our refuse from the day was recycled. All the surplus dry produce was given to St Cuthbert’s to support their food bank. The perishable items were donated to the Cathedral’s Homelessness Project.
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