A mobile greengrocer delivering fresh fruit and veg across Liverpool and Knowsley to ‘food deserts’ has been launched.
Queen of Greens bus-shop is a new initiative aiming to improve access to healthy food and tackle health inequalities. The bus will make 29 weekly stops to health and community centres, schools and Fazakerley hospital.
It’s a partnership between Feedback Global’s project, Alchemic Kitchen and the Feeding Liverpool charity who lead the city's Good Food Plan strategy. It’s funded by Feeding Britain to create a place where everyone can get good food.
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The shop runs Monday to Friday and includes stops in Anfield, Belle Vale, Toxteth, Speke, Aintree, Huyton Prescot and many more. It’s estimated 12% of children aged 11 - 18 eat their five-a-day, and 32% of adults in Liverpool are food insecure where food is a source of worry, frustration, and stress.
Dr Naomi Maynard of Liverpool’s Good Food Plan and Feeding Liverpool said: "One in three adults in Liverpool is food insecure, meaning food is a source of worry, frustration and stress; set to worsen as food and fuel prices escalate.
“One of the contributing factors to poor nutrition and unhealthy diets is that access to good food is limited in parts of the city. Some neighbourhoods classed as ‘food deserts’ are much worse affected than others.
"People end up relying on food, more readily available close to their home or work. Often not the best option for their finances, long-term health or the health of their growing children."
The food bus is not designed to be an emergency provision, but part of a long term solution to help reduce health inequalities and improve life choices. People can taste things they’ve not had before, hopefully leading to them purchasing it in future.
Everton and Kirkby are among the 10 most economically deprived food deserts in England. In Knowsley (77% of the borough) is classed as a food desert.
A 'food desert' is defined as an area where residents travel over a kilometre or walk 15 minutes to reach a supermarket selling ‘green’ produce.
Lucy, winner of BBC’s Food and Farming Awards Community Food Champion 2021 said: “For some families, poor access to fresh food creates a reliance on processed food and what’s available in their immediate area. Part of that is to do with time as well as income.
“If you don’t eat well you won’t learn well, if you don’t learn well you won’t earn well. If you don’t get the vitamins and minerals you need your brain and body won’t develop properly, you’re hungry in class, you don’t get the grades, you don’t have the jobs."
Professor Matt Ashton, director of Public Health for Liverpool City Council (LCC) said: “The project is a fantastically creative and collaborative approach to helping tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing our communities today. LCC is delighted to be supporting it working to create a city where everybody can eat good food."
Paul Flannery, driver of the bus, said: “I’ve been a greengrocer all my life. I know what different people in different communities like to eat and what they need.
“People don’t want to have to travel far to do their shopping and often they can’t because of work, childcare, or they can’t afford it. If they can’t afford a big bag of something I can sell them a small amount, not like a supermarket where you might have to buy a whole pack."
Leema, 10, from Toxteth, who won a competition designing the bus logo, said: “The bus will be taking fruit and vegetables to people who can’t get it. I feel very happy and very proud that my drawing will help something good."
If the project is successful they hope to roll out the service with more Queen of Green buses to help refocus the food economy towards a planet and people oriented approach.
For information on the route and times of the bus please visit HERE
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