Yvonne – Guest

Meet mum Yvonne, who regularly comes to the FoodCycle community meal at her daughter’s school in Birmingham. 

What attracted you to the FoodCycle community meals at your school? 

I love the idea of reducing food waste, and cherishing food. I love that FoodCycle is turning food that would have gone to waste into delicious meals. Is very educational for my children. 

What was your first impression of coming to a FoodCycle meal? 

I didn’t really expect that we would have a full meal. We were just expecting something very simple, but we had a main and a dessert. It was more than we expected, and it was a really relaxing atmosphere. That’s why we come back every week. Thursday is my favourite day because I don’t need to cook! 

What do you enjoy about coming to FoodCycle?  

It’s really good to try different styles of food. I really appreciate the volunteers cooking different meals every week. We like the surprise of not knowing what we are having for dinner. 

Sometimes we get to take some ingredients home and that broadens my horizons. I’ve tried some new foods like celeriac, and black radish. When I got those home, I looked up some recipes to try. It’s really brilliant. 

It’s also a nice time to chat with other parents, and for the children get to do something fun at school while they are waiting for the meal – like colouring or playing with play-doh. All of us have a nice time at school at FoodCycle. The children are having fun, and the parents can talk and also enjoy the meal.  

I really like the idea, everything is just a perfect programme.  

What do you and your family think about the food at FoodCycle? 

We love the different meal ideas every week. The volunteers are really good at cooking different things, cuisine from the West to the East, like pasta, curry, desserts and puddings – everything! It’s brilliant because we love to try different things. Our favourite dish is pasta, and the children love the pasta bolognese. 

The food is always healthy, there are always fruit and vegetables, it’s balanced meal, so it’s very healthy for the children.  

I really like the idea of reducing food waste. I have a very deep belief in like saving food, and I don’t like wasting food at home. We always finish our plates every time. I have taught my kids to do that. 

What difference has FoodCycle made to your life?  

We are very happy that we can stay at school to have dinner, is saves my time and my money. It means for one day in the week we can relax, and just have a meal at school. 

It’s very different from our usual routine, we don’t dine out very often because we have two very young kids, so usually we prefer to eat at home. But school is a place that our children are familiar with, so it’s a nice place to have a meal. In a restaurant, my baby boy might feel a bit overwhelmed, but at school he’s very familiar, he knows where everything is and what will happen, so it’s much better than a restaurant. 

It’s really nice to connect with others too. My husband is a teacher at the school, so it’s great that he’s eating with his students and their parents. There really is a feeling of close connection between everyone. FoodCycle is really helpful for building that community together.  

Most of the guests come quite regularly, so we are familiar with each other and we feel very comfortable talking every week, and having a nice time. 

Have you or your children experienced anything new because of FoodCycle? 

Yes. Because of our cultural background, we usually cook Chinese meals at home, but in FoodCycle there is always something very different, so it’s really nice that my children are always eating something new every time.  

It’s encouraging us to try different things and I’ve learned new things about food. I really like the idea that at FoodCycle we reduce food waste, so everyone can benefit. 

The children are also learning about manners when eating. We are a small family of four and they are learning how to have respect for others around them when we are dining out. They are learning to sit still and finish everything, and when they finish their main they get a dessert, and they need to say thank you. 

Our children are also learning to reduce food waste, and to appreciate everyone’s efforts – from farmers, to the retailers, to the cooks or the chefs or volunteers – everyone involved. They are learning that we need to appreciate the food, that we don’t waste food, and we love the food! 

It’s like a learning programme really for the children, but also they can play, and do some colouring, so it’s a casual and relaxed learning programme 

What keeps you coming back to FoodCycle each week? 

Everything! I like that we are reducing food waste, and it’s a nice relaxing atmosphere for the children and parents to eat, we can save money from not buying food. We also love the food, it’s delicious. 

Our children also have a nice time playing, and eating in a relaxed place that they are familiar with – I think eating at school is even better than eating at restaurants, because school is a nice place. 

I really appreciate everything that school is offering. Sometimes they play relaxing background music, and that really takes the FoodCycle experience to another level. 

Is FoodCycle making a difference to the school community? 

Yes, definitely. Sometimes we don’t have a lot of time to talk to other parents. When we get our children to school, we only have about 5 minutes to talk.  

It’s a good time for parents to talk to each other to share what they are doing every week. It’s just a nice place. 

What would you say to anyone who’s thinking about coming to a FoodCycle meal? 

I would highly recommend this programme to everyone. I always talk to other parents about FoodCycle. I would invite them to come a long, if they’re hesitating, then just come and try if for the first time, and you’ll just in love FoodCycle!