Slow cooker appeal will help struggling Worthing families make ‘healthy, hearty meals’

We Are FoodPioneers, a Worthing-based food initiative, is hoping to raise £1,000 to provide vulnerable families and individuals with a basic slow cooker, enabling them to make nutritious winter meals at low cost.

With the pandemic leaving many people out of work or struggling to get by on reduced incomes, referrals to food banks have increased and many households have been plunged into fuel poverty.

As a result, some have no choice but to eat cold food, or meals that require only a kettle or microwave.

We Are FoodPioneers say that slow cookers are ‘a great solution to create healthy, hearty meals’ and, as they typically use much less electricity than a hob, kettle, microwave or cooker, will help those experiencing fuel poverty.

A wide variety of inexpensive foods can be cooked in a slow cooker – including one-pot meals, soups, stews and casseroles – and cheaper cuts of meat can be used to make ‘delicious nutritious meals’, the group says.

Edward Kilroy, working alongside Food Pioneers on the project, said: “There is a real need to make sure those who could do with additional support and help at this critical time are given just that.

“I’m thrilled to be part of this initiative and to not only enable these people in need to receive a slow cooker, but to get them excited and enthusiastic by the incredible meals that can be created using them.

“The modern slow cooker has been around for over 80 years, but in reality, us Brits have been slow cooking since the Bronze Age!

“Long slow cooking techniques are something that we seem to have lost in this modern, fast paced age, however, there is something to be said for the flavour and nutritious food that can be achieved through slow-paced cooking.”

The slow cookers, which can be purchased for £15 to £30 depending on size, will be distributed to people across Worthing and Adur in partnership with Worthing Homes and local foodbanks.

With each slow cooker handed out, We Are FoodPioneers will also include recipes, a simple how to guide and invite people to share recipes, creations and inspiration with each other.

People can become part of the slow cooking community by joining the Facebook page The One Pot Project, which will feature updates and posts about recipes.

To donate, visit the crowdfunding page here