‘Together we have a lot of impact’

Most of us will begin our first morning of 2026 with the same thing: a hearty breakfast. But for many households across Bristol and the UK, nutritious meals of choice are a pipe dream.

A Joint Strategic Needs Assessment by Bristol City Council for 2024-2025 shows that 15,800 households in our city experience moderate to severe levels of food insecurity. For these households, accepted standards of food – both in quantities and qualities – are a luxury.

While council-led initiatives under the One City Food Equality strategy are working to bridge these gaps, the impact of independent efforts from local charities and projects is undeniable.

Company bosses take to the kitchen for Anti Banquet – photo by Anti Banquet/ Shotaway

The Mazi Project’s achievements are evident in the stories of young people they’ve equipped with cooking skills and knowledge since 2020. Cooking classes, workshops and community-led fundraisers are improving the lives of young people immeasurably and the team at Mazi is fondly remembered by those they have helped as ‘aMAZIng’ people.

For founder Melanie Vaxevanakis, the kitchen in Bedminster is a habitat for development and growth. “Our community kitchen is a space to really support marginalised young people in building their confidence and skills,” said Melanie. “Both in terms of personal development, but also in terms of their cooking abilities, and ensuring they nourish themselves well.”

The blanket of support from hospitality stalwarts at restaurants like Bianchis, Gigi’s, Sonny Stores and The Pony Group, combined with Bristol’s commitment towards celebrating independent business, Melanie believes, has enabled their relationship with restaurants to flourish.

In May, The Mazi Project hosted a charity dinner that raised £7.8k through a silent auction for their works towards tackling food insecurity – photo: The Mazi Project

She said: “I don’t think there are many other cities that can exemplify partnership to such an extent as Bristol. The Mazi Project wouldn’t be operating if it weren’t for people like Josh Eggleton, Pegs Bin (Sonny Stores), the Bianchis team, Shona Graham and Team Canteen.”

For Jenny Smith at Square Food Foundation, the sentiment of partnership and support that Melanie speaks about is amplified through the harmonious working models they share with other food charities, including Mazi. “Just the power of working with other organisations to share ideas can deepen our impact, and I think it is really important,” said Jenny. “We all have different specialities, I suppose, which means that we can all offer a lot in our individual area, but then together we have a lot of impact.”

The links between Square Food, The Mazi Project and other Bristol charities, Jenny says, help young people move from one sanctuary of support to another seamlessly.

She said: “We’ve seen a couple of students do The Mazi Project’s ‘nourishing confidence’ course, then came on to the Square Food Foundation’s ‘how to be a chef’ course. Across the different charities, there can be a really nice sense of continuity for the young people to feel safe.”

Sarah Walsh, a graduate from a Square Food Foundation course created the starter dish for Anti Banquet in 2025 – photo: Square Food Foundation

Both Mazi and Square Food work closely with Team Canteen, an umbrella organisation of five Bristol-based businesses – the Bianchis Group, the Pony Family, the Pipe and Slippers, Team Love and the Love Inn – that regularly unite for various food-focused community initiatives. What started as a collaboration among some of these businesses during the pandemic to feed the homeless became the UK’s first-ever free food delivery service, Cheers Drive, which eventually culminated in the creation of Team Canteen.

In 2025, Team Canteen is a family of restaurants, charities and projects that all collaboratively work towards their belief that “everyone deserves access to nutritious food”.

“The problem is that the system is broken,” said Cags Diep, the communications, events and partnerships coordinator for Team Canteen. “And because the government has severely underfunded food education, it means food organisations are having to pick up the flak. But at the same time, there isn’t enough funding for these organisations to continue their work, which means there is competition for funding.”

Team Canteen is an umbrella organisations made of five hospitality buisnesses from Bristol – photo: Team Canteen

One mammoth fundraising project from Team Canteen, which raised a whopping £120,000 in 2025, is the Anti Banquet. The brainchild of Josh Eggleton and Shona Graham and others at Team Canteen, the event is a charity dinner and feast aimed at rewriting the definition of a banquet.

Companies are encouraged to buy a table at the banquet not for CEOs but for employees – “those who would never ordinarily be able to come to these tables”. The bosses are expected to join chefs in the kitchen to prepare, plate and serve a meal for the banquet’s attendees.

Cags said: “In its first year in 2024, £117,000 was raised and that went to about 21 different grassroots food organisations. And in March, £120,000 was raised that went towards different causes.”

The first ever Bristol Legends event will be held at Ashton Gate on March 6 2026 – photo: Martrin Booth

This year, the plans to tackle food insecurity are getting bigger and bolder: Anti Banquet and Bristol24/7 are collaborating for a new night of celebrating Bristol’s best at Bristol Legends.

Beyond championing the many legendary institutions and people who have contributed to the city across various fields, Bristol Legends is about fundraising for community projects and initiatives.

Speaking to Bristol24/7, Jemma Slattery from the Anti Banquet team said: “We will be supporting the production of Bristol Legends, and 20 per cent of funds raised will go directly to Anti Banquet. If we help Bristol24/7 achieve its goals, we will send some of the funds directly to The Pony Farm Bus, Team Canteen and towards producing our next Anti Banquet.”

Bristol Legends is about celebrating and giving back to Bristol. It is about taking small steps towards building a city where every household can access flavourful, nourishing meals that keep them happy, healthy and hopeful.

The Mazi Project, The Pipe and Slippers and Bristol Food Network (who have contributed to the One City Food Equality strategy) have all been shortlisted for different categories at Bristol Legends. Read the full shortlist here: www.bristol247.com/bristol-legends/news-bristol-legends/bristol-legends-the-shortlist/

Main photo: Anti Banquet/Shotaway

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