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Adopted Brummie Fabrice Millet loves to cook – and little gives him more pleasure than seeing people tuck into meals he creates using food that was destined for the bin.
Fabrice is one of the chefs involved in the Big Feed Project, three community cafes in the city which feed hundreds of people a week on a ‘pay as you feel’ basis. Most diners pay nothing for their three course meal, created out of surplus food from supermarkets, donors and the national charity Food Share that is at or close to its sell-by date.
“I could be spending every day working in a kitchen at a high end restaurant – but for me food is political, it should not be elitist and working here is so rewarding,” said Fabrice as he prepared lunch for around 30 people waiting patiently in the dining hall at All Saints Church in Herbert Road, Small Heath.
READ MORE:‘People are starving in our rich city’ – Birmingham declares a FoodSOS
He’s eschewed a career in posh eateries to follow a different path, one which better serves his desire to help everyone live a healthy, fulfilling life, no matter what their income or background. “This suits my approach to life. Food availability and production is massively political.
“People should not be going hungry in this country and there is no reason why they should be. Every part of our food system – from how it is produced, delivered and bought – generates so much waste.”
(Image: Darren Quinton/Birmingham Live)
Added Fabrice: “It seems to be part of a whole system failure. We destroy perfectly healthy food because of the use-by rules, food is binned by the tonne because it does not meet a system standard that is unnecessary, and yet people are going hungry. Everything about it is wrong. It is all a bit absurd.”
Added Fabrice: “This is a great charity to work for, it is a good atmosphere, people care about each other. It is not highly pressured, like it is in a restaurant. But most of all it is about showing people that everyone deserves to eat well, and healthy food doesn’t need to be dull.”
Fabrice and the charity volunteers had arrived the morning of our visit to find they had surplus apples, courgettes, tomatoes and chicken to use up – and in the style of ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ he quickly turned it into a Provencal feast, with chicken in a tomato marinade, served with rice baked with courgettes, tomatoes, onion, garlic, cheese and herbs and spices, and fried courgette chips for a lovely crunch. Apple crumble and custard followed.
(Image: Darren Quinton/Birmingham Live)
He said: “Everything here would have gone to the bin, and that is the whole ethos behind what we do – feeding people who need it, rather than throwing away a crazy amount of food.”
Fabrice, a married dad, says his wife has a good steady job and he also has other sources of income, including being a filmmaker and photographer, restoring furniture and being part of a ‘pop up’ restaurant venture, but this is his passion. “It is great. We arrive in the morning not always knowing what we are going to get. It is exciting.”
Thousands of people across Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull are struggling as the cost of living crisis hits hard. Food banks and others facing our hungry are seeing more demand and less food coming in – and are facing a bleak summer.
But together we can make a difference. We have joined forces with the Active Wellbeing Society who help coordinate the brilliant network of foodbanks, food pantries, community projects, pay-as-you-feel cafes, faith and civic organisations offering free or cheap food in Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull.
Together, we have declared a #FoodSOS.
You can GIVE HELP in four ways.
Donate your MONEY through the community JustGiving collection. Every penny will go to the food frontline to fund food and essential items
Donate FOOD to your nearest community food operation
Donate your TIME by volunteering to help out at foodbanks, gather food, cook or serve customers at cafes, or distribute parcels. If you’re a community group or corporate organisation wanting to sign up together, please get in touch.
Donate for free as you SHOP by signing up to our EasyFundraising page.
If you NEED HELP please click on the #FoodSOS map to find your nearest location.
#FoodSOS map
Thank you. Together we can make a difference. #FoodSOS
His activism does not stop in the kitchen. He is part of the city’s food justice network, a collaborative group of charities, food operators and foodbanks who want to improve the entire food system in the city.
“We still have a lot of work to do so people can buy and use fresh ingredients better, rather than relying on cheap fast food,” he said. “The markets in France are the heart of every town or city. Here in Birmingham the Central Market was so good at providing cheap, very good produce. But it is struggling. If it was anywhere in France, it would be very busy all the time, a big attraction, and attended by all sorts of people, of all incomes. It should be a key asset of the city.”
He remarks on the plethora of fresh fruit and vegetable outlets in poorer parts of the city, particularly in areas serving immigrant communities who have retained an ethos focused on home cooking and sharing food skills and ideas between generations.
A lack of time, allied to schools and families not teaching kids to cook, has however created a generation of Brummies scared to cook, unwilling or unable to set time aside to do so, he said. “When people are working two or three jobs just to survive it is hard to make time for preparing food,” he added.
(Image: Darren Quinton/Birmingham Live)
Three Big Feed Project cafes are open every week in these locations:
All Saints, Herbert Road, Small Heath, B10 0PR – sit in meals, company, advice – open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 12–1:30pm.
Highgate Baptist Church, Magnolia House IT Centre, Conybere St, B12 0YL – sit in meals, company, advice – open Monday, 12–1:30pm and Wednesday, 5–6:30pm.
The Spearhead Trust, Druids Heath, B14 5QP – sit in meals and takeaways – Tuesdays, 12-1.30pm, takeaway only; Thursday and Friday, 12-1.30pm, sit in meals only.
A staggering 4.5 million tonnes of edible food is thrown away each year by UK households- the equivalent of eight meals a week – and 70% of this is food we could have eaten. Every year the average UK family throws away £730 worth of edible food.
70% of all food wasted in the UK is wasted by citizens in their own homes. We can all help to reduce food waste, helping the environment and saving us money in the process.
Fabrice’s top tips
1. Plan ahead – make a meal plan before going shopping, and stick to your list! Don’t be tempted by readymade options or special offers you don’t actually need – though be prepared to substitute one item for another.
2. Store food correctly and carefully label it with its use by date so nothing goes to waste.
3. Visit the Active Wellbeing Society’s website for information, tips and resources. The society also hosts Facebook Live cookalongs to show you how to create a delicious, nutritious meal from scratch. The videos are archived – here is the playlist of the recorded videos.
To get you started, here’s a great recipe with pictures and clear instructions for a Veggie Chilli and here’s one for a Chickpea and Potato Curry with Rice, and Dhal with Chapattis
We are hearing from more and more people who are going without meals to feed their kids. Through FoodSOS, you can donate to help feed the hungry in the West Midlands.
Donate here – every penny will go to the food frontline to fund food and essential items
Find your nearest food bank on the #FoodSOS map.
READ NEXT:
‘People are starving in our rich city’ – Birmingham declares a FoodSOS
Help FoodSOS and ‘it won’t cost you anything’ – how to feed the hungry as you shop
FoodSOS: ‘I eat my daughter’s scraps and keep heating off’ – desperate mum facing rising bills
