October 2026 Newsletter
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Welcome to our October Newsletter. This month the steering group came over all ‘Ready Steady Cook’ and set themselves the challenge of creating recipes from ingredients purchased at local community pantries. If having someone else cook for you is more your thing then read on for how to book a table at Enfields.
If you would like to view our previous newsletters, you can visit our
Gateshead Food Partnership website, where you can also sign our
Food Charter if you haven't already.
If you have anything you would like to share with our Food Partnership network,
get in touch.
Bang in Some Beans
Generating more demand for, and production of pulses, legumes and beans is fantastic for human and planetary health. They offer affordable, nutritious alternatives that fill bellies and fill the soil with nitrogen. There is now an amazing toolkit with lots of real life examples of using beans from all around the country.
View the Bang in Some Beans Toolkit
Support young people (and enjoy a delicious meal)
Looking for a delicious lunch with a difference? Enfields Kitchen, based at Gateshead College's Baltic Campus, offers the chance to enjoy high-quality, contemporary dining while supporting the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals.
Every dish is freshly prepared and cooked by our talented catering and hospitality students, giving them valuable real-world experience as they develop the skills needed for successful careers in the industry. Menus are carefully designed to showcase their creativity and technical ability, with a strong focus on seasonal ingredients and exceptional quality.
Set within a stylish industrial-inspired bistro, Enfields Kitchen provides a relaxed and welcoming environment, making it the perfect spot for catching up with friends, enjoying a business lunch, or treating yourself to an affordable dining experience.
The venue is also available for business lunches, training sessions, product launches and small networking events.
Enfields is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 12pm to 2pm for lunch (£14 for 3 courses including a coffee of your choice) and Thursday evenings 6pm to 9pm (£18 for 3 courses and a coffee of your choice).
For more information and to book visit Enfields Kitchen.
Upcoming events
Feeding Families Christmas Appeal Launch
On Tuesday 3 November between 8:30am and 10am, join Feeding Families at their Blaydon HQ for coffees and pastries as they launch their Christmas campaign and hear from guest speaker, North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness. Wrap up warm as it could be chilly in the warehouse. Check out their website as they would love you to bring some food donations. Their Willy Wonka Themed ball raised a whopping £18,000 on Friday 9 October but of course, so much more is needed.
Fewster Square Outdoor Community Market
This new market launched on Friday 16 October and will continue monthly. Food will play a big part as will plants. It starts at 10am and continues until 2pm. Search ‘Embells Community Support Project’ on Facebook to follow them for updates for their November market.
Gwen paid a quick visit to the October Market and two stalls had already sold out so go early if you are planning a visit. The next one is scheduled for Friday 13 November 2026.
Here’s a picture of Emma at her stall last week.
Christmas Communal Meals
In previous years we have published a guide to free/low cost communal meals which happen across Gateshead in case anyone would prefer not to eat alone. If you have any such events scheduled please drop us a line with the location, date and time and we’ll add it.
Let us know the meals you know about
The Scary Side of Halloween food waste
In the UK, around 10 million pumpkins are grown each year, yet an estimated 95% never get eaten. Instead, most are used for Halloween decorations and then thrown away.
That’s roughly 18,000 tonnes of food wasted every year, just from Halloween pumpkins alone.
Please spread the pumpkin word about how to cook with them, feed them to animals or even create a beauty product (pumpkin Face Masks – who knew!)
Our featured recipe
The Food Partnership steering group have taken on the challenge to shop at a social supermarket and publish their recipe. Gwen visited St Chads Market and made this delicious Swede Open Lasagne.
View the recipe for it on our website
News:
Gateshead Foodbank receive a huge Morrisons donation
A whopping 221kg of food and £86 in cash donations was received from donations at the Morrisons Blaydon store and in the same week 146kg was donated by the Gateshead probation service!
Find out how to donate to the Gateshead Foodbank
Cookery Café at Hexham Library
This isn’t happening in Gateshead but should we copy the idea?
Food lovers are welcome gather around the table in Hexham Library to swap recipes, share cooking tips, and enjoy tasty conversations.
Whether you’re a seasoned chef, a curious home cook, or just someone who loves to eat, we gather to swap recipes, share kitchen stories, and talk up our latest creations. Expect laughter, delicious discoveries, and a sprinkle of culinary inspiration at every meeting.
They are up for talking about everything from allotment growing, to batch cooking and picnics. If it's about growing, cooking and sharing food, we're here for it.
Find out more about the cookery café
If you do go along please email us to let us know how you found it.
Opportunities
Christmas/Winter Holiday Activities and Food
Applications are open now for organisations who would like to host activity days for children in Gateshead in the upcoming School Christmas holidays – the application form and more information can be accessed via the link below. All must include a school food standards meal for the children.
Food hub offer - save 10%
A reminder that Gateshead organisations can save 10% with the Regional Food Hub
If your organisation provides food or community support in Gateshead, Feeding Families Regional Food Hub could help your budget go further this autumn by giving you access to food at wholesale prices.
For a limited time, Gateshead organisations can get 10% off all Regional Food Hub orders. Use discount code Gatesheadsummer10 when ordering.
Find out more and order through the Regional Food Hub
For questions or help getting started, contact
foodhub@feedingfamilies.org.uk or call Feeding Families on 0191 908 7163.
You order. We source. We deliver.
