Buckley café ‘doing great work’ to cut food waste and promote social inclusion

Assembly member Carl Sargeant visited a Buckley café which aims to cut food waste and to promote social inclusion.

The Alyn and Deeside AM popped into the Pay as You Feel Café in Buckley Town Council Offices.

The café stops food from local supermarkets that would otherwise go to waste from being binned and serves it at the café/shop.

Fresh, frozen and baked goods are donated from businesses including Tesco, Marks and Spencer, Costco and Sainsburys. Then the public pay what they feel the food is worth and can pay cash or do something to help out, from cleaning to collecting food.

The ethos of the project, which is run by The Real Junk Food Project Charity and Chester PAYF Café, is to feed bellies not bins and to create a safe, friendly environment for those who feel alone or don’t have the means to travel for food.

The project has attracted a lot of volunteers, Jean Wilcock said she is one of a large group of volunteers, some help store and prepare the food while others collect the food from the network of local supermarkets supporting the café.

“It’s great to see a project that tackles the issue of food waste while offering a sociable space for people of all ages and backgrounds to get together,” said Carl Sargeant.

“It’s good to see people coming together to enjoy each other’s company by visiting the café either as a customer or as a volunteer.”

The café at Buckley Town Hall Offices on Mold Road is open Monday-Saturday 10am-1pm.