Preston food hamper sales to help youngsters in need

Social enterprise Preston Larder has launched two festive fayre Christmas hampers to help fund its vital food outreach work with needy city youngsters.

The hampers feature produce home made by Preston Larder or sourced locally.

Preston Larder founder Kay Johnson explained proceeds will go to fund the Larder’s Kids In The Kitchen initiative.

This gets youngsters cooking healthy and nutritious meals with their family with the help of instructional videos released on the Preston Larder YouTube site. Crucially the Larder also ensures they have the ingredients to make those recipes. Previously ingredients have been delivered to the youngsters’ doors. This Christmas families are being given vouchers to buy the ingredients themselves at venues such as Preston market.

Kay said: “The hampers are basically all home made stuff with home made soup, some lovely chutney, Christmas apple sauce, local cheese, special mince pies and chocolate orange brownies! We want to be able to fund our own classes and projects instead of having to rely on grants all the time. ”

She added: “We hope that the public embrace the concept and the fact that not only are they getting a lovely gift either for themselves or friend and family, but they are also giving to a deserving family who may not be able to afford a treat at Christmas. It’s a lovely way for people to be able to share the Christmas spirit. For the Christmas Kids In The Kitchen we’re going to do hotpot, pizza, root vegetable fritters which are very delicious and different types of pies and then maybe something like a brownie.”

To order a hamper (£32 or £48) or donate to help fund the charity’s education and outreach work and future Kids In The Kitchen sessions see larder.org.uk

Hampers must be collected from the Preston Larder cafe on Lancaster Road, Preston at an advised time.

Kay said: “The hampers are very good value, for example if you bought all the stuff individually in our £48 hamper it would be well over £60.”

She added the price was possible because they were making most of the food items themselves with the help of volunteers and apples had been donated for the apple sauce.

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