Luxury event catering and hospitality company Blue Strawberry Group and wholesale foodservice supplier Brakes partnered with Brixton-based charity Healthy Living Platform (HLP) to serve hot lunches to the local Lambeth community on 14th February.
Based in Stockwell, part of Lambeth council, Blue Strawberry Group announced in December 2022 that it would donate to a local food-based charity as part of its Christmas giving initiative. Following a localised search, the team selected Healthy Living Platform to partner with, providing over 200 people - parents, children and the elderly - with hot meals in a warm, welcoming space on a day marked by love - Valentine’s Day.
Healthy Living Platform brings people together to support healthy and sustainable lifestyles. The charity operates a Brixton hub which distributes food to over 30 different charities and community food projects, in addition to food pantries which are accessible at pay-as-you-go prices. The pantry, which includes fresh fruit and vegetables, dry foods, toiletries, and nappies for babies, aims to reduce food shopping bills, offer more choices than a food bank and create a sense of community and solidarity.
Healthy Living Platform also partners with LEAP - Lambeth Early Action Partnership to give thousands of children ages 0-3 a better start and positively influence early years services across the borough.
As part of the initiative, Brakes, one of the Group’s suppliers, provided a generous donation of fresh ingredients that were used to make three delicious vegan meals. Chefs at Blue Strawberry Group prepared barbequed vegan ‘chicken’ served with smoked hummus, pickled watermelon, roasted wedges and chimichurri; smoked tofu tagine, pomegranate and apricot couscous and coconut mint yoghurt; and vegan Cumberland sausages served with mashed potatoes, baked beans and steamed tenderstem broccoli for the children.
On the day, the Blue Strawberry Group team worked alongside HLP, LEAP and volunteers from Brakes, as well as Blackstone, a leading global investment company. Together, they served hot meals, led children’s activities, and handed out energy saving packs and clothing donations.
Anna Sjovorr-Packham, Community Programmes Manager at HLP shared, “Our community event on Tuesday was a huge success, and the support of the Blue Strawberry Team was a huge contributing factor to this. The atmosphere was fantastic and we’ve received great feedback from so many individuals that attended. We particularly appreciated Blue Strawberry being so accommodating to our food policy when catering which enabled all attendees to eat a delicious and nutritious meal, regardless of dietary requirements. Many thanks from all of us at HLP - We’re really excited to see this partnership continue to grow!”
Community members offered kind words and appreciation for the support provided. Many stated that the food they enjoyed on-site and the containers filled with food they were able to take away would feed their families at home and those struggling in their local communities.
Clementine Lowery, Sales Director of Blue Strawberry Group, said, “Giving back locally is important to us as members of the Lambeth community. We are a business that prides itself on creating delicious food, while minimising food waste where we can. Working with Healthy Living Platform and Brakes allowed us to utilise surplus food and donate nutrient-packed meals made with care. It was an incredibly inspiring experience, and the entire Blue Strawberry Group team loved working with community members.”
This initiative is part of Blue Strawberry Group’s broader strategy of giving back to the community. A sponsor for over 15 years of the annual Christmas concert for Nordoff Robbins, the Group also partners with Terra Neutra supporting four of its carbon offsetting and sustainability projects; plants a tree for every confirmed event to combat climate change; and utilises ingredients from local and UK-based suppliers to decrease food miles whenever possible.
If you are interested in partnering with Blue Strawberry Group in any of its future initiatives, head to bluestrawberry.co.uk to stay up-to-date with upcoming events.