ATC Winchester welcomes not-for-profit FirstBite at their school

The international students at ATC Winchester recently welcomed FirstBite to the school for a cookery workshop and heard about the local community projects the not-for-profit social enterprise runs using surplus food to tackle food poverty and food waste. 

FirstBite co-founder Debbie Lockwood explained that surplus food is good quality, in-date food which cannot be sold for reasons such as damaged packaging, mis-labelling or over-production. Debbie and FirstBite volunteer Lise Stockdale brought lots of great fresh produce to cook with the students, who enjoyed hearing about the work the organisation does while preparing pumpkin soup and flatbread. 

Co-Principal Bobbie Winter said ‘Our students are always keen to hear about local organisations and many of our longer-term students take the opportunity to volunteer locally while they are here. Some of our students are hoping to volunteer at The Community Café at St Peter’s Church in Winchester, where FirstBite serve freshly cooked lunches once a week for under five pounds’. 

Okan Ozkochak, from Cyprus, said ‘It was a great experience for me, learning how to cook and hearing about the work FirstBite does to help people. While I’m I the UK I’d like to volunteer with them.’

Shiori Ohira, from Japan, agreed. ‘I’ve heard that in other European countries it’s banned to throw away surplus food, so it is a great idea to use it like this. I’d like to help at the café because I like cooking.’