Catherine Whyte meets two Woking ladies who say plastic is definitely not fantastic...
It’s genuinely a pleasure to watch how the Woking Food and Drink Festival (Aug 30-Sept 1) is flourishing. There’s so much going on. From sessions by stellar names – both in the Surrey culinary scene and beyond – as well as a smorgasbord of stalls and pop-ups; it’s a feast of a weekend.
This year, I am particularly pleased to see on the programme a talk by two Woking women at the vanguard of the local war against waste. Victoria Curtis and Melanie Hemmings run small independent businesses that encourage plastic-free lifestyles in the kitchen – and beyond. Their talk – entitled A Life Less Plastic – will be brimming with top tips.
“I think a lot of people genuinely don’t know how to start reducing the amount of plastic waste they produce; it can be overwhelming,” says Melanie, founder of Bare + Fair. “For those taking their first steps on a plastic-free journey, I would recommend they start by carrying a reusable water bottle and cup (and keep a set in the car). In the UK alone, we use about seven million disposable cups every single day.”
Melanie’s eureka moment came after she attended a talk at the WWF’s Living Planet Centre in Woking on how to live more sustainably. “The statistics shocked me – 50% of our carbon emissions come from how we choose to live and travel. I realised that my lifestyle choices do have a direct impact. It was very empowering,” she says.
Bare + Fair sells alternatives to common household products (including a refill service for washing up liquid, rinse aid, shampoo and more), while Victoria’s Refill & Refuel is mainly food-focused. Both are regulars at Woking’s Farmers Market but are looking for a more permanent base to share in the town.
Victoria was inspired to start Refill & Refuel after trying to reduce the amount of rubbish she herself produced at home. “I had made the switch from buying my plastic-wrapped vegetables at the supermarket to going to the greengrocers,” says Victoria, “but staples were nearly impossible to buy without plastic wrapping.”
Her customers stock up by visiting her stall or by ordering items on a rotation basis where containers are swapped and filled on alternate weeks. She even offers a delivery service for cupboard essentials rice, pasta, nuts and tea.
“People said Woking was not ready for a zero-waste business,” says Victoria “but we’ve found that’s absolutely not the case.”
Catch Victoria and Melanie on Aug 31, 1:45 pm in Gloucester Square. No ticket required. Visit: wokingfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk
Festival Highlights
There’ll be more than 80 stalls over the three days in Gloucester Square, as well as book signings and bite-sized talks – events are free to attend.
- Live cookery events at the Woking Shopping Demo Theatre include: ‘Golden girl of Persian cookery’ Sabrina Ghayour, chef, TV presenter and bestselling cookbooks author (Aug 31, 3 pm)
- Chris Bavin, co-presenter of BBC’s Eat Well for Less (Aug 30, 1 pm)
- Martha Collison, Great British Bake Off quarter-finalist, Waitrose food columnist and cookbook author (Aug 30, 2 pm)
- Laurence Henry, reigning BBC MasterChef: The Professionals 2018 winner (Sept 1, 11 am)
The full programme can be found at wokingfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk. Don’t forget to download the free app!
