8 out of 10

members say they have tried new foods

We support thousands of families each week in over 124 community locations. Volunteers are at the heart of our operation.

  • “In April, my husband ended up out of work so obviously we’ve been short of cash. The Bread and Butter Thing has been absolutely fantastic. At the supermarket, it would cost us £130 for the week for all five of us and that’s doing it on a budget. I come here and we get five or six bags for £15 of shopping and we only have to go and get a couple of extra bits then. It’s cut our shopping bill to less than half.”

    Sholver Hub Member, Oldham

  • “I love trying new foods and can now meal plan again.”

    Latchford Hub member

  • “Every week I come and its made a massive difference. Usually I could spend over £100 on shopping just for three people and now I might spend around £30 in a week, and the meals wouldn't be half as healthy as they are. It's not only that, you get to try different things like avocados, which I’ve never had before, and mangoes – different things that you wouldn't generally buy because they are expensive.”

    Sholver Hub Member, Oldham

  • “The money I save here means I can afford to switch my heating on, and that’s the difference it makes.”

    Margaret, Tameside

  • “Part of my job is to give patients the options available around the wider determinants to their health and we should all have access to food that provides a healthy and diverse diet for our physical and mental wellbeing. I first found out about TBBT through a friend and went along to experience it for myself. It’s absolutely phenomenal and a much needed service throughout the area. I especially love that nobody is excluded from gaining access to this service – it’s not means tested and it’s really simple to join.”

    Emma Spencer, Social Prescribing Link Worker, NHS

  • “The bags were amazing. I ended up with so many meals and treats – we even tried new things that we loved as a family.”

    Latchford Hub member

  • "The Bread and Butter Thing has been a brilliant thing for our community. When our first hub location closed, we were determined to keep TBBT here as we were getting so many requests for help. So we formed a special group to manage it out of Westy Community Centre and we’re so pleased we did. The demand for food support locally just keeps growing and TBBT is making a big difference. We’ve hosted a Warm Hub too and it’s been lovely having members come early for a chat and the chance to meet and make friends. There’s a great sense of the community coming together each week."

    Naomi Wright, Hub Leader, Westy Community Centre

Latest from the podcast

‘A Slice of Bread and Butter’ tells the stories of the people that make TBBT what it is and about life in our communities.

Featured
Julcine's journey: Tackling life with toddler twins and a smile
Julcine's journey: Tackling life with toddler twins and a smile

Meet Julcine, a young mum excited for their first Christmas somewhere she and her two year old twins feel well-fed, safe and warm.  She's working hard to turn hardship into hope with a big smile on her face and even bigger dreams for her little family's future. 

Nzara's journey to joy via Manchester, music and food
Nzara's journey to joy via Manchester, music and food

From Florida to Manchester, join Alex and Mark as they chat to Nzara about how music and food have become her therapy. She arrived in the UK with only enough money to see her through two weeks and has since built up a community from scratch through cooking.

Holly's story of resilience, food and family
Holly's story of resilience, food and family

Meet Holly, an inspiring mother of four who volunteers at her local hub every Friday, while managing her household on a tight budget. From bulk buying to finding the best deals, Holly is a whizz at keeping her family well-fed on very little. You may want to take notes!

Surplus food is good food

Our award-winning project is created using high quality surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. Surplus happens for all kinds of reasons.

News

The latest updates from The Bread and Butter Thing.

Featured
Julcine's journey: Tackling life with toddler twins and a smile
Julcine's journey: Tackling life with toddler twins and a smile

Meet member, Julcine, a young mum excited for their first Christmas where they feel well-fed, safe and warm.  She's working hard to turn hardship into hope with a big smile on her face and even bigger dreams for her little family's future. 

Sodexo Health & Care hits the 330,000 meals donation this year
Sodexo Health & Care hits the 330,000 meals donation this year

Long-term partner and all round top team, Sodexo Health & Care have generously donated over 330,000 meals to help support our low income households in 2024.

Nzara's journey to joy via Manchester, music and food
Nzara's journey to joy via Manchester, music and food

From Florida to Manchester, join Alex and Mark as they chat to Nzara about how music and food have become her therapy. She arrived in the UK with only enough money to see her through two weeks and has since built up a community from scratch through cooking.

Volunteers

We have over 1000 volunteers working with us each week at our warehouse depots and in our community hubs. Their dedication was recognised with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Impact

77%

of our members worry less about about running out of food

72%

of our members have better access to affordable fruit and veg

82%

of our members feel more connected to their communities

96%

of our members say TBBT is good for their community

Partnerships

We regularly redistribute over 100 tonnes of food a week. That’s almost 250,000 meals. But’s not just about the food. We work in collaboration with local and national partners to bring in other expertise offering advice and practical solutions for dealing with debt, managing utilities, accessing mental health support, help with housing, employment opportunities and more.