Our Services
At Second Helpings our aim is to take perfectly good to use food that would otherwise be headed to landfill and redistribute it to the community, ensuring that no food is ever wasted. To do this our volunteers run a number of services that mean you can access this food in whichever way suits you best. Take a look and see how you can benefit from the surplus food rescued by the Second Helpings team.
Cafe
Pantry
Community Fridge
Outreach Projects
Community
Cafe
Every Saturday in the Barn Hill Methodist Church Hall we serve a three-course healthy home-cooked lunch, created from the surplus food that has been collected over the week. It is prepared by our team of volunteer cooks. They assess the food we have stored in our fridges and freezers and create menus that are not only delicious and nutritious but that will ensure that they leave as little food waste as possible.
We always serve a seasonal soup, meaty and veggie mains, and a homemade dessert, as well as fruit, cakes and pastries. Everyone is welcome, and you simply pay as you feel, by using the envelopes for cash on the tables, or scanning a QR code with your phone. It’s a great way for you and your family to have a filling meal, dine with friends and even make some new ones – our front of house volunteers are always on hand for a friendly chat!
Opening Hours
Every Saturday from 12 noon to 1:30pm
“Lush food, cooked with love. Thank you. I was really surprised that so many people visit for food and lovely company.”
Community Cafe diner
Opening Hours
Monday: closed
Tuesday: 10.30am – 1.00pm
Wednesday: 10.30pm – 1.00pm
Thursday: 10.30am – 1.00pm
Friday: 10.30am – 1.00pm
Saturday: 10.30am – 1.00pm
Sunday: closed
Pantry
-The Pantry is essentially the Second Helpings ‘shop’. It stocks any collected food that isn’t needed for the cafe. The supplies you’ll find there may change from day to day, depending on what’s been donated by suppliers. However, you’ll usually find fresh bread, such as baguettes, rolls and sourdough loaves, fresh fruit and veg, refrigerated and frozen food, delicious pastries, eggs and store cupboard items like pasta and tinned soup. Again, it’s available on a pay-as-you-feel basis – you can either scan the QR code or pop some cash through the letterbox on the door. You’ll find the Pantry in the passageway running beside Barn hill Methodist Church.
Community
Fridge
Since 2018, the Community Fridge has been a staple fixture in the passageway. The one you’ll see there today was kindly funded by South Kesteven District Council in recognition of the important place it has in the community, allowing residents to access fresh good to use food outside the opening hours of the Pantry. This ensures that every single bit of food we receive is made available to the community rather than it ending up in landfill.
The Community Fridge is stocked with any produce left over after the Pantry is closed that is on its expiry date. Our dedicated volunteers clean the fridge daily and carry out functional checks, such as testing the temperature to ensure everything is hygienic and the food is kept safe. Day to day there can be anything in the fridge from pastries to salad items, to veg or bread. We only ask that people take just what they can use so there is plenty to go round.
You can pay as you feel for food from the Fridge using cash posted through the letterbox in the Pantry door or by scanning the QR code.
Opening Hours
Every day from 7am-10pm
Evergreen client
“It’s lovely getting my lunch delivered to my door. The Second Helpings soup is always delicious. The delivery really brightens my day”
Outreach
Projects
Feeding the community
As a true community project we are always keen to explore how the food we collect can support residents beyond the church premises. From supplying the house-bound elderly with a warming lunch to fuelling energetic children on school holidays click below to find out about some of the outreach projects we’ve supported. And if you think there’s a way we could support your community organisation please get in touch at hello@secondhelpings.org.uk