First town awarded gold sustainable food status

Middlesbrough was recognised for the prestigious sustainabilty award

A town has become the first in the country to be recognised for its food sustainability efforts.

Middlesbrough won a gold award from the organisation Sustainable Food Places, and is now one of only five centres in the UK to achieve the coveted status.

The organisation seeks to recognise and reward places that reduce waste, tackle food poverty and promote healthy eating.

Laurissa Papprill, who volunteers at a community allotment in the town, said what they grew could provide the only fresh produce in some local people's diets.

Until now, all the other top awards have been held by large cities: Cambridge, Bristol, Brighton & Hove and Cardiff.

Ms Papprill has worked at the Regeneration of Communities allotments since before the pandemic.

What she does not eat herself, she passes on to community shops or gives away.

"Any people who come here, we give them some food," Ms Papprill said.

"They get to have at least some healthy chemical-free food."

Connections Community Cafe contributes to tackling food poverty in the town

On the other side of town, Connections Community Cafe on Linthorpe Road serves hot food and drinks at a low cost.

It also has a small shop run by the charity Recovery Connections, which is part of Middlesbrough Food Partnership network.

Most of its produce is recovered from supermarkets which will not sell it for a number of reasons.

Alex Young, who works for the charity, thinks most people do not want to see perfectly edible food get sent straight to landfill.

"It might be a misprint on one of their labels, it could be a whole host of things," she said.

"I don't think anyone cares what a carrot looks like, as long as it tastes good."

Co-operation between different organisations is what Sustainable Food Places looks for when deciding who gets the top prize.

The Middlesbrough Food Partnership consists of more than 50 public and private sector groups, organisers Middlesbrough Environment City said.