ShefFood reclaims ‘fast food’ label to unite Sheffield’s grassroots food projects
ShefFood aims to highlight the city’s grassroots food projects, bringing together community groups to share their stories and foster collaboration through a new series of showcase events.
If you hear the phrase "fast food", you are probably picturing a processed chain meal eaten in a rush. At ShefFood, Sheffield’s food partnership, we are taking that phrase back. For us, Fast Food is about quick, powerful stories that showcase how fast, nourishing, accessible, and community-centred local food can truly be.
One of the greatest things about Sheffield is the sheer volume of grassroots activity happening across our neighbourhoods every single day. From community gardens and food halls to emergency food providers and mutual aid kitchens, our city is packed with people feeding their neighbours, sharing skills, and creating welcoming spaces around food. However, because everyone is working hard in their own corner, all this brilliant work can sometimes feel a bit fractured. Practical action is our main focus this year, and our goal is to connect the dots so everyone can access good food and local groups can easily support one another.
To get the ball rolling, we invited representatives from local food organisations to step onto the stage at our recent Good Food Movement re-launch event at The Circle. Each speaker had just five minutes to share their mission, explain how they work with food in Sheffield, and get their message out to the wider community. Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing these five-minute showcases on our website and social channels.
Our first showcase features an inspiring lineup of local heroes. Luke Martin from Community Roots Collective (CRC CIC) uses agriculture, education, and vocational training to build valuable youth life skills and community pride.
Ananya from RadMash (Sheffield Radical Mutual Aid) operates on the core principle of "solidarity, not charity," hosting a free public meal on the last Saturday of every month alongside supporting local justice movements.
Drawing on years of experience in food sustainability, Gabriela Socol founded Hope 4 Sheffield to bring people together through heritage, education, and a brand-new Social Community Café.
Based in Burngreave, Jenny Tibbles represented Green City Action, bringing residents together through community growing and practical outdoor learning.
Finally, Angela Hiley, Gardening Lead at Arbourthorne School, will soon be showing us how school gardens help nourish young minds.
If you run a local food project and would like your organisation featured in our next cohort, get in touch at [email protected]. To watch the showcase videos and learn more about these fantastic projects, follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @sheffoodsocial or sign up for our newsletter at sheffood.org.uk.