Cracking Good Food
A Not for Profit Social Enterprise
est 2010
Cracking Good Food launched in 2010, with the aim of encouraging and supporting more people to cook affordable, seasonal and nutritious homemade food from scratch.
Driven by our belief that EVERYONE deserves good food, our mission is simple: to work collaboratively with others to alleviate food and fuel poverty and increase food sustainability across Greater Manchester.
We enthuse, encourage, and teach individuals and groups how to source and cook affordable, healthy, and tasty food from scratch, whilst minimising both food waste and our environmental impact.
We do this by delivering accessible and empowering cooking courses and training, as part of a wider campaign for affordable, sustainable & healthier food for all. During Covid we have harnessed over 8980 of volunteer hours to cook & distribute over 65,000 meals for people in need of support across Greater Manchester.
Throughout all of our work, we strive to show by example that eating sustainably and seasonally is both possible and affordable.
‘The Public Health Team has worked closely with Cracking Good Food. Most recently, they have been an active member of the food security group helping to shift the mindset away from crisis food provision.
In my experience Cracking Good Food are more than ‘just another food project’; they go beyond crisis food provision to teach and share cooking skills and nutritional knowledge which are vital to the development of resilient communities with reduced health inequalities. The skills taught and shared at their cooking sessions have empowered some of Oldham’s most deprived communities to make healthy, affordable food and diet choices within the limitations of their budget, facilities and personal circumstances. Cracking Good Food have supported the implementation of the Oldham Food Strategy, helping to ensure a joined-up approach to supporting our community’s food and cooking needs.’
‘Cracking Good Food are a key strategic and delivery partner of the Our Manchester Food Partnership (OMPF). Their skill, experience and expertise have been vital to the creation, development and delivery of vital projects around the food and poverty agenda. They understand
the ‘more than food’ concept, and have led on a range of innovative anti-poverty projects in some of Manchester’s most deprived neighbourhoods. These have included projects to upskill local people to prepare and deliver good quality foods to the most vulnerable members of the community. The OMFP wholeheartedly recommend Cracking Good Food as partners who can be depended on to
create and deliver the highest quality, best value service to our residents.’
‘Cracking Good Food have delivered and are still delivering a series of monthly community cookery sessions in Bury for Friends of Clarence Park. As a friends group backing onto one of the more deprived areas of Bury, we identified the need to support residents in making cheap, nutritious, plant based meals as part of a gardening/cooking/cycling project we are running with funding from our Community Climate Change Fund. Cracking Good Food’s course has been extremely popular.
They really understood how to pitch the promotional material, so it attracted a wide base of people; doesn’t sound too worthy or ‘for poor people’;. It’s meant we’ve been successful in attracting a very diverse section of the community. Their staff and volunteers bring everything needed – we just supply the space and the people!
They are incredibly efficient and leave our venue cleaner than when they come. We have found the organisation to be friendly, extremely good value for money, and able to deliver a superb course that has also increase our profile. We are looking to try to fund future courses using their services, and would highly recommend them to other community groups or projects.’
OUR VALUES
As a company and as individuals we value:
Co-operative and collaborative working
Flexibility and enthusiasm
Integrity and honesty
Care for customers as well as food
Respect for our environment
Supporting the local economy
Fair pay
Constructive self-criticism and organisational improvement
Sustainability, as individuals, as an organisation and in a wider context
OUR SUSTAINABILITY PROMISE
We endeavour to work with people who share our concerns about global sustainability. In our day-to-day work, we raise the issues in the hope that we can encourage positive change. We feel strongly about shopping sustainability and seasonally to support the local economy as well as the global environment. Ingredients for our cooking sessions are sourced from independent shops: we buy fresh, seasonal, organic and Fair-trade produce where possible.
OUR UNITED FRONT
Within CGF we ensure that disabled people and those with long term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.
In 2018 we won the Spirit of Manchester awards. Watch our video which was voted upon by the public.