With figures more than doubling from last year, Inverness Foodstuff is now serving a wider range of people forced to seek help due to the cost of living crisis.
The charity operates a “one-stop shop” at Ness Bank Church, with facilities including a cafe, foodbank and clothing bank on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Around 70 volunteers assist operations manager Pam Urquhart and kitchen supervisor Alan Edwards in serving breakfast and a three-course lunch to hungry patrons.
Many volunteers have noticed a recent rise in new people using the service, raising concerns the cost of living crisis is affecting many more people.
The team is so familiar with many of the regulars that there is a chart with over 50 tea or coffee orders, with more added daily.
Dorothy Stott, a volunteer, said: “It used to be very familiar faces that would come in all the time, but recently the numbers have risen and now there’s a complete mix of people from all parts of society.
“Our ethos here is not to judge anybody, we don’t know what their background is.
“Some of them may look as if they may be rough sleepers, some of them look better off but you just don’t know, they may want to present a more positive image.”
Cafe and foodbank together
On the menu is soup followed by a main course using a wide range of ingredients suitable for vegetarians.
Then it’s a dessert which is a sweet treat to end what Mr Edwards says could be someone’s only meal for two days.
The kitchen staff use a variety of nutritional ingredients donated from various supermarkets that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
The cafe is also part-foodbank with fruit, bread, and tinned goods all available for people to take away with them.
People are encouraged to take things away with them, including prepared meals that have been frozen from past days.
In late November, the team was serving over 80 three-course lunches daily, the highest total for the year, and the expectation is for numbers to keep rising into the new year.
Ms Urquhart said: “We aim to rise to the challenge. Every person that walks through the door is greeted with a warm welcome and a warm bowl of soup.
“We are just about at capacity but we would never let anyone leave here hungry, we would always find a plate of food for them.”
Ms Urquhart expects the coming months to be very hard for people, especially those already seeking help.
Her concern is that people living in rented accommodations may struggle to pay their energy bills and could end up homeless.
“There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. It’s people who are vulnerable that are struggling the most.”
Inverness Foodstuff has also been hit by rising costs and while the church has not raised the rent, other bills have gone up.
Ms Urquhart says because the service is busier, it means costs for base food supplies such as oil, butter, and cheese as well as the kitchen’s deep clean have risen.
The charity not only provides food and warmth to people in need but also company, helping people who feel lonely and isolated.
‘A lot of love, compassion and understanding’
The team also work in collaboration with various organisations on issues such as benefits and housing.
Marcus Capp, 29, had been sleeping rough on and off for four years and thanks to the team, he is now moved into his new accommodation.
He had only been in his new flat for an hour before heading down to the church to say thanks to them he could look forward to a warm shower.
Mr Capp said: “It’s life-changing, I went from living on the streets to having my own flat in about a week, so it’s completely different for me.
“When I go back today, I can just relax and have a shower and coming from sleeping in a sleeping bag on the ground in the middle of the woods, it’s my new way of life.”
Laura Anderson, another volunteer, said: “The service is essential, the great thing about Foodstuff is it tends to be a one-stop shop, including expert knowledge of all the help that can be accessed locally.
“I think people like coming here for the community aspect, cause there is a lot of love, compassion and understanding as well as non-judgement, even among participants.
“There’s a lot of optimism that comes through the doors and I think that inspires people to take similar steps in their journey.”
Ms Urquhart added: “Its hugely important that the service is here in the Inverness community.
“We provide a warm, safe space where everyone is offered food, warmth, help and advice.
“It just seems wrong that people are struggling to this extent. To heat their home, to feed themselves, these are the basics.”
The Big Food Appeal is working to highlight the work going on in our communities to help others, like Inverness Foodstuff.
The Press and Journal campaign also aims to debunk some of the myths around food poverty, and make sure readers know where they can go for help.
We’ve teamed up with Cfine, which supports foodbanks across Grampian and the Highlands, to collect donations of food and money. However, we want to showcase the efforts of the other tireless groups, charities and volunteers helping to keep their communities fed this winter. If you know a group we should highlight, get in touch.
Conversation