In store for a sustainable feast

Once a bustling ironmonger’s shop, Siop Griffiths stood silent for a decade until the people of Penygroes, North Wales, gave it new life. It’s now home to Yr Orsaf (The Station), a popular community hub.  

There’s a well-used café, a guesthouse, and a digital centre where young people can develop skills in coding, podcasting and video. It runs arts workshops and special events, organises activities for seniors, and provides community transport with its fleet of electric vehicles.

Feeding people, fighting waste 

Food sustainability and wellbeing are high on Yr Orsaf’s agenda. Community hub manager Ben Gregory says: “The more we can encourage people to grow their own food, think about where their food comes from and buy food locally, the better it’ll be for their health, and for the local economy and environment.” 

Every person in Wales generates around 100kg of household food waste each year. As well as generating greenhouse gases while it rots down, wasted food and drink means wasted money – as much as £250 per person over the course of a year.    

Gwenllian Spink is Yr Orsaf’s food and wellbeing facilitator. She runs its food hub, helping to distribute locally grown fruit and vegetables, and co-ordinates the nearby community allotment. She also oversees the community pantry, a project that fights food waste and provides vital help for people struggling with the cost of living.  

Once a week, anyone can bring a bag to the community pantry and help themselves to free surplus food donated by local stores. The project is supported by FareShare Cymru, working with supermarkets including the Co-op, Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose.   

Another weekly event is Llond Bol (“Fed Up”). Yr Orsaf invites local residents of all ages to sit down for a free supper at the village hall, conjured up from wholesome seasonal food. It’s another way of ensuring nothing goes to waste: leftover ingredients are frozen to be used later. 

A growing opportunity 

Yr Orsaf is keen to help the community grow its own food and become more self-sufficient. People can sign up for weekly gardening sessions at the community allotment. Getting young people involved is a priority: the village primary school, Ysgol Bro Lleu, rent one of the plots.  

Gwenllian says: “The greatest thing about seeing the school use the allotment, even more than the wonderful pumpkins they grow, is seeing the children enjoying the fresh air and connecting with the land.” 

As to the future, Gwenllian and her colleagues are exploring ways to preserve food through pickling, smoking and curing. Y Cwt Piclo – a “pickling hut” – is in the pipeline, and Yr Orsaf is planning to run workshops and even publish a magazine on the subject.  

Gwenllian says: “We’re also in the process of planting an orchard and edible hedges, thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.” 

Want to get involved? 

Visit Wales Recycles for tips on reducing food waste at home, or pop into Yr Orsaf to join a gardening session, share a community meal or volunteer your time.