Featured Member is a new, monthly feature that brings highlight stories from our members to you.
As part of our Featured Member series, we’re shining a light on organisations across the Islington Food Partnership network who are making a difference in our local food system. This month, we’re celebrating FEAST With Us — a grassroots charity using food to build community, support wellbeing, and tackle food insecurity with dignity and compassion.
Nutrition, Community and Sustainability at the Core
At the heart of FEAST With Us is a simple but powerful mission: to improve the nutrition, wellbeing, and health of people at risk of food insecurity in London. Whether it’s through their weekly community meals or the empowering Healthy Eating on a Budget (HEB) programme, FEAST is committed to providing both immediate and long-term support to those who need it most.
By collaborating with organisations like The Felix Project and City Harvest, FEAST rescues surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, transforming it into nourishing, shared meals. “Community, nutrition and sustainability are really at the heart of what we do,” says Ellie Butterworth, FEAST’s Volunteer & Community Partnerships Coordinator.
A Welcoming Table for All
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to who FEAST serves. Working with a wide network of community centres, mental health day organisations, hostels, temporary accommodations, and places of faith, FEAST reaches a broad range of people across the city.
“Anyone can experience food insecurity at any point in their lives,” Ellie explains. “Our meals are free and open to anyone who needs support.”
FEAST’s roots trace back to a single hostel in Kilburn, where it all began. While they still cook meals there today — now twice a week — they’ve since grown to operate across 15 sites in Camden, Islington, and Barnet, with their education programme reaching people in Westminster and Hackney.
Celebrating 10 Years of FEAST
This year marks a decade since NHS dietician Hannah Style founded FEAST With Us. What began as a monthly meal service in one hostel has blossomed into a wide-reaching organisation that now cooks over 28,000 meals annually, saves more than 12,000kg of surplus food, and runs a growing education programme to support long-term food resilience.
The numbers tell one part of the story — but it’s the personal journeys that truly show FEAST’s impact.
Tauhida’s Journey: From Participant to Volunteer
One recent highlight comes from Tauhida, who took part in the HEB programme at Fitzrovia Community Centre in April 2024. Inspired by the sense of community and purpose, she soon began volunteering to support new groups.
“Sandra, who runs the programme, makes you feel like part of a family,” Tauhida shares. “I love cooking, so it felt natural to get involved. It’s been such a positive environment, and I enjoy helping out and giving back.”
Now, she’s looking to deepen her understanding of nutrition and continue supporting others — a powerful reminder of how shared food experiences can inspire lasting change.
Empowerment Through Food Education
The Healthy Eating on a Budget programme is a key part of FEAST’s work. Co-designed by nutritionists and service users, it equips participants with practical cooking skills, nutrition knowledge, and budgeting tools — all aimed at building long-term food independence.
By pairing hands-on learning with real-life strategies, the programme makes healthy, balanced eating more accessible to people facing financial hardship.
A Safe Space in Islington and Beyond
FEAST’s impact is felt deeply by those who attend their meals and workshops. In their latest impact report:
- 72% of service users said they had improved access to food
- 68% were eating more fruit and vegetables
- 90% felt well-nourished after a FEAST meal
- 83% felt a sense of community
- 100% of HEB participants gained nutritional knowledge and now cook regularly
For Ellie and the team, these figures reflect more than just service delivery — they speak to connection, dignity, and the power of a hot meal in a welcoming space.
The Power of Partnership
Being part of the Islington Food Partnership has been invaluable for FEAST.
“We’ve always valued the collaboration, innovation and resilience that comes from local food partnerships,” Ellie says. “Being part of IFP means we’re better connected to the whole borough, even if we only operate from a couple of sites ourselves.”
Having hosted the Camden Food Partnership from 2022 to 2025 and established the Redbridge Food Partnership in 2024, FEAST brings rich experience in collaborative food systems work — and continues to contribute meaningfully to the Islington network.
Want to get involved? FEAST always welcomes new volunteers — find out how to support their work and be part of a movement creating more just, nourishing communities – feastwithus.org.uk