A celebration of seasonal fruit and veg
At FruitFest, on 13 September, we were thrilled to receive a total of 135.4 kilos of surplus seasonal fruit and veg donated by Cottenham and Rampton residents – a great contribution to Cambridge Sustainable Food’s drive to collect surplus produce. Instead of going to waste, the fruits and veg are being put to good use in local food hubs and social food projects – including a large crate of apples and pears delivered to Cottenham Community Café.
Thanks to the efforts of more than 25 volunteers from Sustainable Cottenham, Cambridge Sustainable Food, Cottenham Gardeners Club and Sustainable Rampton, FruitFest celebrated the seasonal fruit harvest with tastings, juices, cakes, a cookery demo by Waste Not Rowen, a foraging trail and even decorated hats! We’re also grateful for support from local businesses – Bushel Box Farm Shop Willingham, Fen End Farm and Les Ward.
After FruitFest a group of volunteers joined a batch cooking session, led by CSF, to preserve some of the donated produce – a morning spent chopping and stirring resulted in 20 litres of soup, about 50 jars of chutney and 6 jars of pickles for later use or distribution via CSF’s social food networks.
Less food waste, more enjoyment of local and seasonal produce – a win-win for sustainability!’
FruitFest was part of the Surplus Fruit and Veg Drive by Cambridge Sustainable Food, a District-wide initiative funded by SCDC’s Zero Carbon Communities.