The Westfield Community Centre has launched a monthly pop-up market, offering affordable groceries to local families while combating food waste in East Sheffield.

The markets are in partnership with Food Works, a not-for-profit social enterprise that sources surplus food and distributes it across Sheffield.

Caroline Bolton, 52, a community development worker at Westfield Community Centre, said: “We want to support the needs of local people because we do have pockets of poverty within Westfield.

“A lot of people don’t come into this area. They go outwards to Crystal Peaks or Moss Way, without coming to the centre.”

The market allows families to access surplus food at lower prices, helping them create healthy, affordable meals. 

Ms Bolton said: “We wanted to bring something to the area that meant to people towards purchasing low cost food, especially when it’s coming up to the holidays.” 

Food Works is an environmental social enterprise. At its warehouse in Handsworth, it offers affordable surplus food every day except Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Dan Pilles, 52, Senior Food Supply Coordinator at Food Works, said: “Our idea is to help all of Sheffield by building a hyper-local sustainable food system.

“We want there’s enough food to go around, nothing goes to waste and everyone’s fed and get a fair share.” 

However, working with food businesses remains a challenge for Food Works. 

Mr Pilles said: “Some of the challenges we faced are convincing food businesses to work with us and supply us with their surplus food. It may be cheaper to throw it in the bin, but I have to convince them to be more ethical with your operators.

“If you’re not a sustainable business, in my eyes, you don’t have a future.”

Even though the centre was not known by many, more people visited it after two markets in September and October. 

One of the customers, Helen Pigott, 70, said: “They’re smashing it. I hope they keep doing it.”

Westfield Community Centre will hold its next markets on 7th November and 19th December.