Food Access for All – Gaps, Challenges and Joining the Dots

Insights from Boston

Food support in Boston is good.

In fact I’m told that in some ways, there is too much food!
Let’s explore that one another time.

But after speaking with three local voices, each connected with a different organisation in Boston, I heard a pattern that surprised me. When it comes to accessing food in times of need, there is an under served population here, and it isn’t who I’d expect.

Professionals. Home owners. Predominantly women, often with children.

Sudden change can leave any of us vulnerable, and Bob Wagstaff, manager of Boston Food Bank explained that relationship breakdowns are one of the core reasons that people find themselves in need of their parcels.
If the main earner within a partnership leaves, especially if there are complexities or violence involved, then even a wealthy household can find themselves in urgent need and without the basics to feed their families.

This can be difficult when food banks require a referral before parcels can be collected.

There’s an added barrier too, as described to me in separate conversations by Elizabeth Hopkins, CEO at Centrepoint Outreach, and Tammy Vickers at Restore Kitchen.
Each of these organisations support communities across Boston with access to hot meals, but these services are aimed primarily at rough sleepers. Although there is no requirement to be homeless, for many families experiencing sudden change, there is a question of pride.

Collecting food can bring all kinds of anxieties, and it’s not uncommon for the experience to be unpleasant for other reasons too, for example in some cases having to wait outside in the pouring rain.

Considering dignity around food access is a complicated but vital area.
It’s an ongoing issue across the whole of Lincolnshire, and across the country for that matter. In our Food Summits of 2023 and 2024 we heard an aspiration for a county where food banks are no longer needed. Across Lincolnshire we have some wonderful projects demonstrating what that can look like, including several community groceries – I’ll be making visits across the county to keep updated on these and listen further.

But for now, there’s a few extra insights from Boston that I’d like to share.

The other theme which repeated itself throughout my visit was a concern that didn’t surprise me at all.

The Challenge of Fresh, Real Food

“I wouldn’t eat anything that we put out. Maybe teabags… maybe tinned fish. But generally it’s not the kind of food that’s good for you.”

“There is so much sugary food, we are slowly giving the homeless diabetes!”

Concerns around the quality of food provided through provisions is something that crops up in most locations. It’s certainly not unique to Boston.
And it’s an uncomfortable topic to get on to because it’s like listening to people undermine the incredible value of their own work. 

There are two main reasons that unhealthy, ultra processed foods dominate the offerings that go out.

Practicality is the first. A need for shelf stable foods that are easy to store.

The second is an issue that’s bigger than all of us. An unhealthy food system that puts these foods at the centre of the majority of people’s diets, not only parcels from food banks.

And interestingly, it’s within these organisations who support people with their very basic needs around food, where solutions to this start to present themselves.

Restore Kitchen chips away at the problem of overwhelming levels of food waste from local supermarkets, by putting it through the hands of an ex Michelin Star chef and serving up delicious meals without cost, out of a catering van.

Joining the dots like this goes a long way.

A large freezer and facilities for cooking allows more fresh food to become part of the surplus story. Boston Food Bank hopes to explore and add to this soon as well – their kitchen installation is well underway!

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Learning Together

When it comes to learning about our food system across Greater Lincolnshire I’m discovering that there is no better way to grasp an understanding, than to have the chance to speak with the wonderful people doing this work for our communities.

It is complex. And most conversations leave me with fresh questions along with the added insights.
What is clear is that across the county we depend heavily on the charitable sector, community organisations and volunteers to support some of our most basic needs.

I will be continuing my visits, eager to hear more of the stories from our diverse towns, villages and landscapes.
I’m particularly keen to explore how communities are being connected to real food, with dignified access, and how food can play a role in addressing wider issues including tackling health and isolation. If there’s someone you feel I should be chatting with, give me a shout!

And I’ll leave you with an added insight, for anyone looking to support Boston Food Bank.
Don’t donate pasta! Thanks to a very generous offering from a local factory they may be inundated for years to come.
But the rice pudding shelf often welcomes a top up!

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