New café launches in Littlehampton with rescued surplus food and pay-as-you feel menu

The free food project is growing all the time, having been the first to be set up as part of the West Sussex Community Fridge Network, which rescues surplus items to stop good food ending up in the bin.

The Littlehampton team have now developed a community café, the brainchild of volunteer Louise Dawkes, who will be the manager.

Hearty, flavoursome midweek lunches will be served at LA Second Chance Café, in Parkside Evangelical Church, St Flora’s Road, Littlehampton, on Thursday, November 9, from 11am to 2pm. Dishes include roast pepper and carrot soup, pasta bake and bread-and-butter pudding.

Alison Baker, community fridge volunteer, said: "A new development from the hugely-successful Littlehampton Community Fridge, the café is the brainchild of Louise Dawkes, a community fridge volunteer with a background in catering.

"The café will create nutritious, tasty meals from perfectly good food which would otherwise end up in landfill, but Louise would far rather her happy customers enjoy this food – hence the café name, Second Chance!

"After a successful launch last month, which impressed the community fridge volunteers, the café is now open to all comers – you just need to turn up. To make absolutely sure you have a table, you can go to ticketsource.co.uk/fare-divide to book online."Customers are invited to pay as they feel able to. All funds raised will go towards the future of the community fridge as it moves into its fifth year of sharing surplus food with members of the local community.

Fare Divide CIC, which runs Littlehampton Community Fridge, has several community fridges in West Sussex and wanted to open a second chance rescued food pay-as-you-feel café to support the local community through a tricky time and bring people together over good nutritious food.

More than £1,000 was raised through GoFundMe and further donations can be made at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/second-chance-rescued-food-cafe

Sarah Renfrey, founder, said: "Littlehampton Community Fridge intercepts 4-5 tonnes of surplus food from being wasted per week. We will create a welcoming space for all to come and share a meal together. We will have a pay-as-you feel element so no-one is excluded. We need money to make this happen. We need some equipment and supplies as well as money towards the use of the facilities."