Food Friends is a food sharing initiative in Kent where volunteers who are willing to deliver extra portions of their home-cooked food are paired with local neighbours looking for a nutritious meal and a doorstep chat. It was founded by Anna Mantell, who is one of our 2022 Multipliers.
Anna embarked on her Food Friends journey at the end of 2018 when she found herself living in Whitstable and feeling consumed by the chaos of life until she met June - a local lady in her 80s. June lived alone in the centre of Whitstable and despite living in a busy town, often felt lonely. June, who was feeling disconnected in the town she had always known, and Anna, who was juggling a young family and grappling with her new identity as a mother, created a strong connection and friendship flourished. Anna has always valued community and the relationship that formed between the two of them became mutually beneficial.
“Meeting June, her friendship, stories, and honesty made me see the value of connecting with someone that wasn’t on that same conveyor belt of life, someone who had been there, done that and got the t-shirt. So, in 2019, fuelled by my experience, I embarked on the mission to set up Food Friends”.
Anna
In the three years since that first spark, Food Friends has recruited over 100 volunteers - local people who are often have demanding lives that find themselves feeling disconnected and lonely. Food Friends gives them the opportunity to cook for a local neighbour, connect with people that live in their area and feel part of something bigger.
Food Friends truly embodies this ethos, tackling social isolation in communities through intergenerational friendships and food. Anna is a strong believer in the power of social connection, and to this day her friendship with June continues to blossom. She applied for The Multiplier because she wanted to connect with other community leaders and learn how to use Food Friends to make even more of an difference in her community, building local resilience and celebrating differences between people in Whitstable.
“My grandmother once said to me, 'It's not where you live, but those that are around you that are important”.
Anna
It’s clear that Anna is not just creating a service but a mutually beneficial relationship that has a positive impact across her community. This is why Anna was selected for the Multiplier 2022. We were inspired by her unique approach to bridging divides, combating social isolation and challenging food waste. Food Friends creates an opportunity for neighbours across Whitstable to connect, learn from each other and share their stories all through the age-old tradition of sharing food, and we’re delighted to be a small ingredient in Anna’s recipe.