A new community cafe in Co Antrim is using a menu made up entirely of food that would otherwise have gone to waste.
The volunteer-led Ballycastle Community Cafe uses surplus or unwanted food donated by the community and local businesses, which was destined for landfill.
The cafe is one of the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, and is run by Ballycastle Community Hub, a charity working to support the environment and the local community. Located within the grounds of Ballycastle garden centre on Castle Street, it provides a range of hot meals and baked goods, with the menu changing depending on the food that has been donated.
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The idea for the cafe came from the community fridge programme, which lets people share fresh food to save it from being wasted, using surplus food coming from supermarkets, local food businesses, producers, households, and gardens.
Ballycastle Community Cafe has been supported by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, with Mayor Steven Callaghan has praised the "fabulous initiative" for its environmental and social impact.
He said: "I want to pay tribute to the dedicated team of volunteers for championing sustainable food and demonstrating how food waste can be put to good use.
"This is a fabulous initiative that not only helps protect our environment by reducing food and plastic waste but also offers social benefits by bringing people together to share food and connect.
“I also want to acknowledge the work of Council staff who have supported this very worthwhile project and other community fridges spread across the Borough. I would encourage residents to donate any unwanted or surplus food to their nearest community fridge."
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council have helped set up a number of community fridges in the area, including in Ballycastle, Bushmills, and Ballymoney. A number of others are operating, too, making this the council area with the most community fridges in Northern Ireland.
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Dessie Smyth, founder and manager of Ballycastle Community Hub said the community fridge programme is about empowering people to tackle food waste and eat more sustainably.
He added: “More and more food is being thrown away needlessly and we want to help educate people about food waste and get them talking about it.
“Since opening the cafe back in June, it has been really well supported by the local community. Our menu changes every few days and we are always trying new things.
“We are also delighted with the aid we have received from Council, which has included mentoring support and opportunities to apply for funding that we had not been aware of.”
If you would like more information about setting up a community fridge within the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, you can contact the Environmental Resources Team at recycle@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk or telephone 028 2766 0248.
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