Maidstone's Four Community Food Hubs Mark 10 Years of The Bread and Butter Thing

The Bread and Butter Thing, the affordable-food charity that runs weekly collection hubs in four Maidstone neighbourhoods, is marking its 10th anniversary - and Maidstone has been part of the story almost from the start.

The charity began a decade ago as a single van serving one community. It now operates in more than 160 communities across England and says it has redistributed the equivalent of 70 million meals' worth of food that would otherwise have gone to waste, reaching more than 100,000 households. Maidstone was its first operational base in the South East.

Locally, the hubs run at the Blackthorn Trust, in Park Wood, in Shepway and at Trinity. Membership is free and open to anyone, with no means test: members can collect three bags of food - a mix of fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled items and cupboard staples - for £8.50, with smaller and larger options available. This week the four hubs are marking the anniversary with volunteers, members and community partners.

"Every hub has its own story, but together they've created something extraordinary," said Vic Harper, the charity's chief executive. "We've never moved out of a community and we've never missed a delivery. Those milestones matter because they represent something bigger - people knowing they can rely on us, week after week."

Maidstone Borough Council, which supports the scheme, said the hubs had become more than a place to pick up shopping - "welcoming community spaces where people can meet neighbours, share recipes, volunteer and access wider support". The council has also produced a Community Cookbook of recipes built around the ingredients that typically come through the hubs, and says demand was high enough that a fresh print run is on the way. Source: Maidstone Borough Council