We know it’s a challenging time for everyone at the moment and that sometimes the essentials in life, like food, can take a back seat when you’re struggling financially.
This page has information about food banks and food pantries across the country that help to serve those who may need extra help in some of the communities where we have properties.
Below you’ll be able to find out the difference between food banks and food pantries, what each can offer and where you can find them, should you need them.
Food pantries that Guinness supports
We support food pantries in the following areas:
- Sheffield Park Centre, Sheffield
- St Giles Food Pantry, Kensington, London
- Lucie’s Food Pantry, Salford
- The Community Pantry, Cheltenham
- Chance Changing Lives, Crewe
- Munch Pantry, Havant
- Hackney, London
- Stamford Hill, London
Sheffield
The pantry at the Sheffield Park Centre is situated off Duke Street. This pantry model works really well as it allows people to have a real life shopping experience, where they get to choose what they want instead of being given a box of ingredients, which can sometimes be the case in most food banks. We’re proud that our Aspire Awards were able to help them buy the equipment needed to get the project off the ground. Recently, we’ve provided further funds to the Park Centre to invest in more food and cover the refrigeration costs that ensure more fresh food is available.
Tel: 0114 2739611 | 07957465524
Email: parkcommunity@gmail.com
Location:
London
South Kensington, London
We partnered with Southern Housing Group and Clarion Futures to launch a new food pantry in London’s South Kensington, helping vulnerable customers to access groceries.
This St Giles Food Pantry project has been made possible through a close partnership between the housing associations, as well as a contribution from construction firm, Wates Group. Wates were able to help transform the unused building into a fully equipped pantry with an outside garden area, which will now provide residents with a community space in which they can meet for a cup of tea or coffee, helping to combat social isolation and strengthen community ties within the area.
Tel: 07770 014272
Email: david.adams@stgilestrust.org.uk
Location:
Stamford Hill, London
We worked in partnership with Southern Housing Group to set up a new food pantry at Stamford Hill, Hackney. The pantry is run by the St. Giles Trust who already manages Guinness’s and Southern’s food pantry in Kensington.
Location:
Hackney, London
We support this food pantry which is operated by Boiler House Community Space. The pantry opens on Wednesdays and members have access to fresh, frozen and chilled goods.
Tel: 020 8806 8013
Email: info@n16boilerhouse.com
Location:
Salford
Lucie’s Food Pantry is a food club in Salford that has been active for a few years now. For £2.50 per week, local residents who may need a little help can join up as members to access foods worth up to £20.
The pantry was set up to provide a sustainable and affordable source of food and household essentials to people of the Pendleton community who are struggling to make ends meet – either through debt, illness or low income. Additionally, it provides debit advice, substance and money management to help avoid future financial difficulties.
You can apply to become a member of Lucie’s Food Pantry by filling out our online form here
Tel: 07398 423 084
Email: luciespantry.salford@emmaus.org.uk
Location:
Cheltenham
In July 2019, The Community Pantry in Cheltenham was launched in partnership with Caring for Communities and People (CCP) and FareShare South West. The pantry allows families who may need a little help, to shop for fresh groceries on a weekly basis. To be able to use the pantry, residents must sign up to be a member, which will allow them to choose approximately £15 worth of food for only £3.50 per week!
By visiting the pantry each week, CCP support workers can develop a relationship with residents and are able to signpost them to other services that can provide debt, housing, mental health and family support. To sign up to the Community Pantry in Cheltenham, click here.
Email: foodshare@ccp.org.uk
Location:
Crewe
In October 2018, Chance Changing Lives opened the doors to their Community Pantry; a members only supermarket. Here they provide sustainable and affordable food and household items to those struggling to make ends meet.For just £3 per week, members are able to choose from a range of items up to the value of £15.
Recently, due to a loss of income through COVID-19, we donated funds to the Community Pantry, ensuring that they can keep on delivering much needed food and support to vulnerable residents in the local area.
If you’d like to become a member or sponsor a member, please call 01270 211000
Location:
Havant
In November 2020 , Park Community School and Havant Borough Council opened the doors to their Community Pantry. Munch Food Pantry in Leigh Park provides a selection of groceries, fresh and frozen food all for just £5 per week, enabling customers to get more for less and access £15 worth of food for their £5.
Tel: 02392 489811
Email: bookings@pcs.hants.sch.uk or Munch@pcs.hants.sch.uk
Address: Dickinson Centre, Park Community Centre, Middle Park Way, Havant PO9 4BU
Location:
Other food pantries
Food pantries are a weekly support network through a membership scheme that provides a longer term option to food banks, which are only able to provide short term, occasional support to families suffering from food poverty.
Food pantries supply frozen, refrigerated and fresh food – items that short-term food banks are unable to provide – like fruit and fresh vegetables. As a result, users of a pantry may sometimes need to live within a certain distance of the centre or be able to travel home within a certain amount of time to ensure the food can be refrigerated quickly enough for it to remain safely edible. If this is the case, it will be made clear to you when applying to become a member of a food pantry.
If you think you may need help from a food pantry, you can find your closest one here.
Food banks
A food bank is a place where donated food is given out to those who need it in a crisis. Food banks are often set up in places like community centres and churches, run by volunteers.
Our six-month partnership with The Trussell Trust, the fastest-growing UK food bank network, was a big part of our Food Sense campaign in 2016. As well as sharing information about healthy eating and food banks, we supported the charity with funding and food collections.
They have an ambitious goal to “end hunger and poverty in the UK”.
Milton Keynes mobile food bank
We also partnered with Milton Keynes food bank (and others) to provide an affordable food project for customers and the wider community experiencing food poverty via a mobile platform. This launched in October 2022.
If you think you might need help from a food bank, please read our guide to using food banks.