Resurrected Bites on desperate choice between food and heating now happening in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Resurrected Bites, a community organisation established in 2018 by its founder Michelle Hayes to reduce food poverty and food waste through a series of grocery stores and cafes, says the situation is deteriorating as winter bites harder.

Some people in Harrogate and Knaresborough now simply have no disposable income left.

Others are already being forced to make the unthinkable choice between going hungry or going cold.

Carolyn Aitken, Resurrected Bites’ Gracious Street Grocery Store Manager in Knaresborough, said Resurrected Bites was seeing more need in our communities than ever before with difficult decisions and family heartaches.

"As winter starts to bite harder and the cost of living crisis goes on for longer, at Resurrected Bites we're certainly seeing more need in our communities.

"In just the past couple of weeks we've had many customers telling us they're either not putting their heating on, or more often limiting it to just an hour or two a day.

"We've also had new enquiries from people telling us they've absolutely no food.

"People are genuinely having to make choices they never thought they'd have to make – about whether to eat something or have the heating on, about what or how to feed their children when there's absolutely no money left.

"Customers are clearly struggling to make ends meet.

"One had no idea how they were going to feed their teenage son, others are choosing not to use their cookers.

"Customers in both our stores, living with a chronic illness, are having to choose heating over eating to enable them just to survive.

"Families who had debts to repay before the cost of living crisis hit, will be struggling with difficult decisions – their debts will be increasing rather than decreasing as payments get missed, because food or just an hour's heating is more important in that moment, than the consequences, somewhere down the road, of not paying. But they don't want to not pay!

"Although it's perhaps been a gradual progression over the past few months, things really have now got to a point where many people, our friends, neighbours, family members, have no disposable income left.

"Food is costing noticeably more, buying options are decreasing as money has to be stretched tissue thin.

"Several customers have had their working hours or jobs cut, or contracts changed meaning their worse off.

"Benefits payments can't come through fast enough.

"There's no room for any kind of treat or fun and Christmas looms large on the horizon.

"One customer has told me she just can't afford a Christmas gift for her son, that's why we currently have Christmas gifts for our customers to choose from, to ensure that everyone can give a gift at Christmas.

"Many are saying it won't be Christmas this year – that they can't afford it and would rather not think about it.

"We're there to help when people find themselves making these unthinkable decisions.

"If you're struggling to make ends meet, if your children are going hungry or you're skipping meals, if there's nothing in the cupboards or fridge and you don't know what you'll eat today, or tomorrow, please come and talk to us.

"Please don't struggle on alone, don't suffer in silence. You will not be judged – this crisis is not your fault – none of us expected to be in this terrible situation, this perfect storm.

"We have plenty of food – we have very generous donors, and we'd love to help.

"We have resources within the community that may be able to offer additional support.

"Come in and see one of our Grocery Managers either at New Park School, Harrogate on a Tuesday or Thursday between 10am and 2pm or Gracious Street Methodist, Knaresborough between 9.30am and 1.30pm on a Tuesday or Friday, or contact us through one of our Facebook pages.

"These are our usual opening times, but from next week our times change for the holidays, so please check our website for Christmas and New Year opening times before making a journey. www.resurrectedbites.co.uk

"There is always hope, there are people who care. We're all in this together, and together, we'll make it through."

During Covid lockdown, Resurrected Bites was forced to close its three weekly cafes during lockdown.

Instead, it switched to providing free home deliveries of food and essentials for vulnerable families and individuals across Harrogate, Knaresborough, Nidderdale, Boroughbridge, Ripon and Ouseburn.

Demand on its services, which involves using ingredients that were destined for landfill and use them to create delicious dishes in its weekly cafés, sold on a ‘give as you can’ basis, has been rising as the cost of living spirals.