view of a street with terraced houses and new builds in the background

Understanding the cause of the problem – Gemma’s experience

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We have always asked people what stands in their way that prevents them from cooking. If we saw a recurring theme, we would figure out a way to deal with it.  Over time, we realised these “other reasons” were far more important than actual ability to cook.
A market stall with many colourful and exotic fruits and vegetables

Defining The Problem: Poor Diets

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Nutrition is an area that is mired with claims and counter claims, and things we thought we “knew” years ago – for example, that margarine is better for you than butter
Alicia, founder of Bags of Taste does a cooking demonstration

How the Bags of Taste Mentored Home Cooking Course helps volunteers and participants

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Social networks are starting to play an important role during these unprecedented times, with lockdown and social distancing having a real impact on everyone’s social and private lives.

The challenges surrounding obesity – on BBC Breakfast News

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Banning junk food advertising is a step in the right direction, but when the whole environment is geared towards encouraging bad eating choices, there is a lot more that needs to be done.
National food strategy booklets

The National Food Strategy, Part 1

Having worked with 4,500 participants in food poverty, and also lecturing medical students on health inequalities that largely arise from poor diets, we are well qualified to speak in this area.
Class Meal

How to achieve scale and impact

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Replicability is the key to scaling. Yet so many interventions are small scale and highly personalised; it takes enormously tailored, intensive interactions to effect change in people who need a high degree of support. We should know.
can opener or tin opener

“I don’t have a tin opener”

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Talking with our participants has been one of the most important things behind the success of Bags of Taste.  We’ve always been really interested in why they are not cooking – we’ve frankly surveyed the hell out of them (our pile of forms is almost 3ft high!!)