Food bank set up in Bedford to cater for ethnic diets
Helen Mulroy/BBCA food bank has been opened to cater for ethnically diverse and cultural diets.
The Ethnic Food Bank in Bedford will supply foods eaten by people of Asian, African and Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Eastern European backgrounds.
It was created by a doctor after she saw a patient who "was reluctant to access the local food bank, because he could not get food he normally ate".
"So I thought, we should do something about it," said Dr Minaz Mazi-Kotwal.
Helen Mulroy/BBCAfter speaking with her husband, a consultant psychiatrist, and a work colleague, they set up the bank at Westbourne Community Centre and opened it on Wednesday.
Items offered included foods such as semolina flour, various lentils, ground plantain and soya chunks.
Helen Mulroy/BBCOne of 20 volunteers, Esther McNeal said the lack of culturally diverse food at other food banks was essentially due to them mostly receiving donations from mainstream supermarkets.
"What we have done is reach out to the local communities and local shops," she said.
"This does help the culturally diverse communities so that they can get the foods they actually enjoy eating."
The Ethnic Food Bank is also being supported by the local council, churches, mosques and gurdwaras.
Helen Mulroy/BBC
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