Food Banks and feeding your family for less

How to access local Food Banks, information on free meals for kids, and how to feed your family for less.

Brighton and Hove

Information on how to get referred to a food bank and the available foodbanks near you in the area is available on the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership website. Specialised banks are also located in Brighton & Hove for the BAME community, refugees, asylum seekers and vegans. Residents in Newhaven, Peacehaven, Fishersgate & Shoreham can also access the Brighton and Hove foodbanks.

Haywards Heath

If you’re in the Haywards Heath area and can’t afford food, you can call 0808 2082138 for free anytime Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. You’ll confidentially talk to a trained Citizens Advice agent and, if needed, they’ll issue you with a food bank voucher.

For more information on how this works and what to do, please see the Haywards Heath Food Bank website.

Chichester

If you’re in the Chichester area, please contact one of the agencies on the website, who will discuss your situation and supply you with a foodbank voucher where appropriate. If you need help, please do call, or email for advice. Centres are on the end of the phone Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm.

Chichester Food Bank website has more information on how to access your food vouchers in Chichester.

Adur and Worthing

If you’re in the Worthing area, please see the Worthing Food Bank website to access a list of local foodbanks, their contact details, and links to their websites. Worthing also have a vegan foodbank for those who need it – this is located on the website.

Useful resources

• The benefits calculator can help you see if you qualify for food bank vouchers.
• Citizens Advice (West Sussex)
• Citizens Advice (East Sussex)

Feeding your family

Free kids’ meals / cooking resources

• Morrisons Cafe – Morrisons have FREE kids’ meals from 3pm on weekdays when an adult spends £4.50 in their restaurant.
• Sainsburys – Enjoy one children’s hot main meal or lunch bag for £1 with the purchase of an adult hot main meal from £5.20 in the Sainsburys cafe. Sainsbury’s have a range of meal plans to feed your family for £5 or under.
• Asda – ‘Winter warmer’ cafe deal for over 60s, with soup and unlimited hot drinks for £1. The offer is now running all day and every day until February 2024.
• Beefeater – Until 10.30am every day, if you buy yourself an adult Premier Inn Breakfast from a Beefeater, up to two under-16s eat for FREE.
• Brewers Fayre – Two kids (under 16, per paying adult) eat breakfast for FREE any day of the week until 10.30am if you purchase an adult breakfast at one of their restaurants.
• Bella Italia – Kids (2 -11) 3 course meal for £1 with an adult meal purchase. Monday – Thursday, 4 – 6pm.
• Too Good to Go – The app helps to reduce food waste and save you money at the same time by buying discounted ‘end of the day’ food from local cafes, bakeries and restaurants. You can also buy a ‘magic bag’ of food, which costs between £2 and £4 (worth at least three times as much as if you’d bought it at full price). Simply download the free app, create an account and get saving.
• Cooking on a Bootstrap – Jack Monroe’s Cooking on a Bootstrap website is filled with ideas and recipes for making the most out of the cheapest ingredients and discounted items in the shops.
• The Batch Lady – Following the Batch Lady’s method will show you how to make fast, simple, homemade, portion-controlled meals, that can be prepared in advance then frozen for whenever you need them.
• Feed your family for about £20 a week – The Feed Your Family for About £20 a Week website shows you how to shop smart, cook clever and make more for less.
• Approved Food – Approved food are specialists in surplus and short dated stock, or food that is either near or just past it’s best before date which allows them to pass on huge savings. Customers typically save around £60 on their monthly shop compared to high street prices. They do not sell anything past it’s use by date. Online ordering is quick and easy.
• Batch Cookery lessons – Take a look at the Community Kitchen cookery classes coming up. These are on Low Energy Cooking, Basic Cookery Skills, Make your own Takeaway and more.
• Look out for lots of half term deals where kids can eat from free in popular chain restaurants.