Mayor of London launches Food Bus

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan visited Wandsworth and Lambeth on Friday to unveil a new, first of a kind Food Bus.

Mayor of London launches Food Bus. Credit: Be Enriched

The Mayor of London joined the charity behind the bus, Be Enriched, and key delivery partners Feeding Britain, supporting MP’s, and students from South Thames College to celebrate the innovative bus.

For many years, Be Enriched has run Community Canteens and specific projects designed to bring people together to connect over food. Now it’s taking affordable produce to those who are geographically disadvantaged using the specially converted double-decker.

The bus includes a greengrocers on the ground floor, plus a café, and seating area on the top deck. Be Enriched CEO and Founder, Kemi Akinola, explained:

"From our work across Wandsworth and Lambeth we recognised that it can often be difficult to get to, or afford, healthy food. Equally, retail space is expensive for groups to take on. When I looked at the problem, I thought back to my life experiences buying food from a man in a van and I was inspired to see how I could use that to address the challenges facing many families."

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

“Every Londoner should have the right to healthy, affordable food, no matter what their circumstances or where they live. The Food Bus is a brilliant initiative, providing vital support to families in need, including access to nutritious, affordable food. I’m proud that my Good Growth Fund is supporting this scheme, which is helping to tackle food inequality in the capital.”

The Food Bus is open to anyone who can make use of its services and it will operate as follows:

Tuesdays: Danebury Avenue Green, 10:30am - 4pm

Wednesdays: Henry Fawcett school, 9:00am - 12 noon and Allen Edwards school, 12:30 - 4pm

Thursdays: All Saints Church 10:30am - 4pm

London Food Roots goes to Wandsworth - learn more about the Food Bus and other local food projects.

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Published 1 Dec 2021

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