Top Bristol restaurant joins forces with food insecurity charity to launch recipe boxes

Top Bristol restaurant Sonny Stores has joined forces with food insecurity CIC The MAZI Project to launch new recipe boxes curated by some of the city’s best chefs.

Called ‘Give-A-Box’, the project enables people in Bristol to get their hands on three delicious monthly recipe boxes from well known local Bristol chefs.

Chefs Claire Thomson, Elly Pear, Pasetti & Boote and Anna Shepherd are each hosting a Give-A-Box, which will each come with everything you need to make three veggie recipes at home, whilst another will be donated by The MAZI Project to disadvantaged youth in Bristol.

The MAZI Project was founded by Melanie Vaxevanakis two years ago in response to the 2021 free school meal scandal. Following the uproar against the food hampers provided by the government to families in need around the country, founder Melanie channelled her anger and decided to act herself.

Since launching, The MAZI Project has supported hundreds of care leavers, young asylum seekers, young people recovering from homelessness or fleeing domestic violence by providing them with weekly boxes of recipe kits and fresh produce.

Melanie said: “The MAZI Project empowers young people through food and is on a mission to create a city where fresh, nutritious and sustainable food is available to everyone, which is why we have decided to take our recipe kits for young people and offer them to the people of Bristol!

“We’ve seen a steady increase in referrals to The MAZI Project in the last few months, indicating that food insecurity amongst Bristol’s youth continues to grow.

“Bristol is home to one of the most thriving food scenes in the world, but there is also a huge amount of food inequality in the city. We believe that we can challenge this together by connecting Bristol’s disadvantaged young people to their rich local food culture, collaborating with some of our city’s best chefs and putting the power to help in Bristolians’ hands.

“Give-A-Box is a truly unique and modern way to be able to help these young people and gift them skills they can use for life.

“Together we can work towards living in a city where access to fresh, sustainable food and education around food is not a privilege or predetermined by your social class or background, but instead by choice.”

In the UK, 81% of vulnerable young people say they must borrow money from family or friends to pay for food and/or rely on family or friends for donations of food. Forty per cent say they do this often. By buying a Give-A-Box, Bristolians can feed themselves three delicious meals, as well as the donated box being covered in the same cost.

Owner of Sonny Stores, Pegs Quinn, says: “The MAZI Project has gone from strength to strength during the last two years. It’s been amazing to see how Mel has galvanised the restaurant community of Bristol, drumming up widespread support for such a good cause.

“I have the honour of now sitting on the board of The MAZI Project and it is my mission to help engage the restaurant and wider community in the subject of food insecurity and poverty in the 15 -24 age group.

“Our exciting initiative will enable food lovers to have a slice of amazing restaurant produce in their own homes, whilst also supporting a young person at the same time.

“As someone who left school at 15, falling into kitchens and learning about food became a large part of my foundations in being an adult. School wasn’t a natural habitat for me but when I realised I could cook I felt empowered.

“A meal is often something many of us take for granted and having a varied diet and understanding what to do with produce unfortunately is a luxury not all of us have at our disposal. Let’s change that.”

The MAZI Project and Sonny Stores Give-A-Box costs £45 per box, each including three veggie recipes for four people, with bike delivery to BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, some parts of BS8 and BS9 for £5, or collection from The MAZI Project in Bedminster.

All details, including drop dates for each box and money-saving subscriptions, can be found on https://themaziproject.com/give-a-box/.