06:30, 20 May 2024
Words by Abi Scaife, Staff Writer, London
Nothing quite hits the spot like a good sandwich - and if you disagree, you can take it up with the Sandwich Man himself, Max Halley.
The owner of Max’s Sandwich Shop and author of a series of sandwich-and-picnic-based recipe books, Max is a sandwich genius. In celebration of their 15th anniversary, he has teamed up with FoodCycle, an incredible charity dedicated to ending food waste, putting food on plates, and bringing people together over a delicious meal, all in one.
“The reason I opened my sandwich shop was because I wanted to put delicious things into the world,” explains Max. “That's basically what Food Cycle is doing. They are helping people and putting deliciousness out into the world and that is a wonderful thing.”
“It is really lovely to be involved with people that are doing things for the greater good.”
His collaboration with FoodCycle is a brilliant one, bringing together all the best things about a good, old-fashioned British sarnie - just in time for British Sandwich Week, taking place from 20th - 26th May.
Smiley News was able to sit down with Max, and Sophie Tebbetts, the CEO of FoodCycle to hear about the collaboration, and how sandwiches are contributing to this brilliant charity.
“You cannot run a food business and not be concerned about waste,” Max says. “The two things go hand in hand - it is in my best interests as a person in the world and as the operator of a business to do everything I can to minimise waste.”
In honour of FoodCycle’s aim to redistribute waste food, they challenged Max to come up with as many ways to use up your leftovers as possible - and they are truly delicious. He even came up with a brilliant new sandwich recipe in honour of the collaboration.
“One of our biggest waste projects is bread,” explains Sophie. “So it felt like a match made in heaven to challenge Max to come up with a sandwich that could champion creativity, joy, fun, and also utilising a food waste product.”
Food waste is something that Max is well acquainted with, even before working with FoodCycle - and something he is determined to minimise.
Something that sets FoodCycle apart from other food-related charities is that they aren’t a food bank, but a food community. They bring together people from all walks of life so that they can sit down and eat a free, delicious three-course meal that helps to save food waste along the way. One of the biggest factors in this is creating that community.
“Everybody eats; it's that great leveller if you're trying to find a point of connection,” explains Sophie. “It can be that point of connection - [even] if you like peas and that person doesn't, there's still a conversation. You're still there together.”
“Food binds us together,” adds Max. “And it's a wonderful thing. Sharing the pleasures of the table with someone is one of the great bringers of fun and joy.”
According to Sophie, FoodCycle and its services are more in demand than ever. They have seen a 57% increase in guests accessing their services between 2022 and 2023, both because they need access to food, and because they are feeling lonely, and isolated, and are looking for that community.
“At FoodCycle, you'll see the physical changes in people,” explains Sophie. “I’ve seen it happen, over the weeks of coming, [people] feel more confident and they feel more connected. That's just by coming and sitting and eating and feeling welcome and connected to others.”
“It's a total joy to have something be about just the pleasure that food can bring,” says Max. “The joy that it brings about and how good it can make people feel like that is just the most wonderful thing to be involved in.”
It is the hope of Max and Sophie that their collaboration doesn’t just raise awareness for FoodCycle as a charity, but also further awareness of how we, as a community, can reduce food waste.
“Something that needs looking at generally is how we treat leftovers in our homes,” explains Max. “It isn't just about recreating the meal that you had the night before; the sandwich provides us with an opportunity to be more creative with our leftovers.”
“It's about doing something new and delicious and fun with things that you otherwise might throw away.”
“The biggest amount of food waste happens in the home,” adds Sophie. “If we can kind of change simple behaviours on an individual level, we can actually make a huge difference.”
You can see more from Max’s Sandwich Shop here on their website. To learn more about FoodCycle and how you can support them, visit their website here.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Grow to Give. This charity connects local farmers and hobby growers to donate surplus fresh produce to food banks. Find out how to support them here.
The Felix Project. They collect fresh, nutritious food that cannot be sold and delivers this surplus food to charities and schools. Support them here.
Re-Engage. This is a charity that is making life less lonely for thousands of older people every year, through volunteer-led activities. Find out more.
