Drizzly weather set the scene at the South Ealing Food Cupboard today, but the team were grateful that most of the delivery arrived on a single large pallet. This meant far less trekking back and forth in the rain with trolleys!

This week's haul was very punctual and consisted of crates of beautiful pre-squashed squashes, heaps of red and green cabbages, and turnips so enormous they were perfect for either weightlifting or clobbering someone like a cartoon cave-person. The fridge section brought an abundance of orange juice, mince and sausage rolls.

It was Stef’s first GoodGym session, and she jumped straight in, hauling heavy crates and flattening cardboard likea pro. She joined Martin and Iram, who helped sort through today’s produce and prep the cupboard for distribution. Everything was done and dusted well before 11:30am!

Kash and Steph Ducat made their way to the church to find the crate of groceries already waiting for them to bring into the food cupboard. What an a peeling task to start the day and week. once all the crates were in, we went all bananas 🍌 as had to separate green and ripe ones in smaller crates. Loads of grapes today too. Once all the crates emptied, we packed them on a pallet ready for collection. last task was to sort out tinned food : soup, custard, loads of beans etc. Then it was time for the 2 minions to leave.

Each Monday morning, GoodGym lend a hand to the South Ealing Food Cupboard, helping the wonderful volunteers sort surplus food for the local community. This week, Andy, Martin, and Iram were on hand to help.

While waiting for the delivery van, discussions took a surprisingly educational turn, covering everything from the diversity of banana species to the original colour of carrots (who knew food could be so philosophical before 11am?).

When the van arrived, Iram and Andy got straight to work unloading its eclectic cargo: leftover pumpkins from Halloween, Jerk Chickpea crisps, liquorice allsorts, and the food cupboard staples - crates of bread, carrots and cabbages. Some of carrots were black so needed a good sort. Overall, it was a smaller haul than usual, with no fridge items this week, but this turned out to be a blessing as everything on hand needed to go!

Martin hulked out, moving heavy crates of veg and even lifting a pumpkin above his head - wow! Not to be beaten, Andy showed us all up by expertly balancing a pumpkin on his head... he truly is the MVP!

P.S. no pumpkins were harmed in the making of this food cupboard.

This week’s session was a real topsy-turvy one full of surprises, snacks and a serious amount of cheese!

Things started with the "second" delivery turning up before the "first" - an uncharacteristically early arrival just before 10:30am! Then came a huge drop-off from a local school’s Autumn Harvest collection, packed with donated tins and dry goods, as well as the regular bread delivery. By the time the "first" delivery finally rolled in around noon, there was barely any shelf space left! Crates of tinned food had to be stacked and stored for next week. A lovely problem to have.

Among the fresh goods were an abundance of M&S cheese, wafer-thin ham and (of course) more satsumas than anyone knew what to do with. There was plenty of tropical fruit, including two mystery items which were eventually identified as guavas with the help of Google Lens. Between deliveries, the team refuelled with ginger shots and tea to keep spirits high.

Thaiza joined regulars, Martin and Iram, and threw herself straight into the action, becoming a cardboard-crushing, crate-unloading, tin-sorting superstar. It was an unpredictable morning, but was full of cheddar-based cheer!

Each Monday morning, GoodGym lend a hand to the South Ealing Food Cupboard, helping the wonderful team of volunteers prepare surplus food for the local community. This week, Nicola, Andy, and Iram braved the rain to get stuck in, and it was a lively morning!

The volunteers were out in force today, peaking at ten people at one point, a record turnout for a rainy day! Andy returned victorious to find the shelf he fixed in a previous session still standing strong (and now proudly displaying popcorn!). It was Nicola’s first GoodGym mission, but you’d never have guessed it, she got straight to work flattening cardboard, unloading the van and offering to lend a hand wherever it was needed.

Despite the soggy weather, Andy and Nicky fearlessly tackled the unloading outside. Inside, the haul was a swede-heavy selection, with plenty of oranges, cabbages and bread. Sadly, not all the fruit was fit for fame, so the team sorted out the squashed and mouldy ones. The real surprise of the day, though, was a giant white sheet cake which looked suspiciously like a wedding cake! The Polygonian Friends Lunch team were quick to claim it for dessert on Wednesday.

Need some motivation to get up from bed on a gray Monday morning? Picture the early bird Harvey, running to South Ealing and meeting Kash at St Mary's Church, where a pallet stacked with fruit and veg awaited to be unpacked. The goods - rescued surplus food from supermarkets - were to be distributed to those in need in the early afternoon. But the delivery had to be first unloaded to the Food Cupboard. And who can handle this better than a pair of swift GoodGymers?

The stretch wrap on the pallet gathered plenty of water, so had to be removed carefully to avoid causing a deluge at the churchyard. The operation revealed exotic treasures, including fifteen boxes of tangerines! No one was really sure whether those small oranges were tangerines, satsumas, mandarins or easy peelers. But we marketed them as tangerines. Wait, did GoodGymers became salespeople?

After quickly unpacking the pallet, moving out crates, and breaking down boxes, Harvey and Kash asked Wayne for another job. Rather than suggesting sorting the fruit or hoovering, Wayne looked at Kash and said:

Can I ask you a big, big favour? Can you give out those tangerines to the children going to school? There will be a big surge of them soon.

That's how Kash and Harvey, not fearing any job and determined to avoid food waste, ended up as vendors.

Instead of the promised surge of children, came a surge of rain. The undeterred easy peeler dealers put themselves out there, and welcomed with a smile both downpour and rejection from cautious parents and children.

Would you like a tangerine? Or two? It's free - and has vitamin C! - Kash.

Have an orange,
Fight the scurvy,
Join the navy,
Become a pirate!
Tried this last week. Didn't work. No one wants to be a pirate these days. - volunteer Gary.

To stick to the marine theme, the promised wave of parents with schoolchildren eventually arrived closer to 9 am. There were even some takers, so Harvey scrambled to pass Kash more and more citruses. A couple of ladies took even a small bag of tangerines each for their families or to distribute at the school. The GoodGymers gave out almost half of a box, which was a pretty good result. Five minutes to nine, it became apparent that whoever was rushing past the church was already late to school. Not wanting to be late for work or whatever was next in their day, Harvey and Kash wrapped up and left enriched with sales experience.