The Grow Share Cook project provides opportunities for households experiencing food insecurity and those on lower incomes to improve healthy eating and cookery skills in Plymouth. It also aims to help address the issue of accessibility of fresh food through the three steps of growing, sharing and cooking.

Through a year-long collaboration with students and lecturers, 48 seasonal recipes developed through the project – and ways they can each be adapted – have been turned into an illustrated book.

Sara Rock from Tamar Grow Local said:

“This book brings together recipes that have been developed over the past few years of the programme’s cookery sessions as well as the recipes that we include with each veg bag delivery. The recipes focus on cooking seasonal vegetables from scratch and especially the fresh Tamar Valley produce that we source for veg bags each fortnight.”

Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities at Plymouth City Council, said:

“Grow Share Cook has made a real difference to people’s lives, helping local residents to access healthy, fresh food in a sustainable way. It has long been an aspiration of the partners involved to develop and publish a cookery book which brings together those recipes most used and enjoyed by the participants over the years, so it’s brilliant to see this come to fruition. Thank you to the students at the University of Plymouth for getting involved to help make this happen."

Copies of Grow Share Cook will be distributed free of charge to participants on the Grow Share Cook project this year and will also be available for purchase locally through Tamar Valley Food Hubs. Plymouth Libraries will also have copies for lending to the public.