A Slice of Bread and Butter
The voice of The Bread and Butter Thing - with stories from the frontline of the cost of living crisis from one of the UK's leading food charities.
A Slice of Bread and Butter
Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation
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Hunger in the UK is not just an empty fridge problem, and it definitely isn’t solved by telling people to “just get a job”. We’re joined by Camille and Claire from the Sodexo UK & Ireland Stop Hunger Foundation to talk about what sits underneath food insecurity, and what it takes to build support that actually sticks.
We dig into how our partnership began through volunteering, why getting “under the hood” matters, and what separates a thoughtful corporate relationship from a quick marketing exercise. Claire shares why data is non-negotiable for making good decisions and challenging bias, while we unpack why numbers alone never tell the full story. For Bread and Butter, impact is both insight and humanity: the stats, the journeys, and the moments of confidence that change what someone believes is possible.
The conversation goes deeper into “beyond food aid” and the root causes: literacy, financial literacy, debt spirals, unregulated financial influencers, caring responsibilities, time pressure and the confidence gap that can block people from work even when the skills are there. We also share what we learned from the Women Empowerment Project with Proper Job, including why hubs create natural peer support and why outcomes like education, volunteering and counselling can be the right next step.
Finally, we talk candidly about the cost-of-living crisis and why Sodexo has agreed a new grant to help us offset inflation so we can keep our price to members stable when families are already at breaking point.
Bread And Butter’s Purpose
SPEAKER_04Hello and welcome back to a slice of bread and butter podcast from the bread and butter thing with me, Vic and Mark.
SPEAKER_00We were mobile food clubs that take stuff with food from supermarkets, farms and factories and get it straight into communities where families are working hard to make ends meet.
SPEAKER_04But bread and butter has never been just about the bags. It's about the people, it's about neighbours having a natter, volunteers mucking in, families trying something new for tea, and communities looking after each other.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and that's what keeps us at it. Bags full of good food, brew and atta, and people looking out for each other. Nothing fancy, just stuff that really matters.
Meeting Sodexo’s Camille And Claire
SPEAKER_04And today we're talking to Camille and Claire from Sedexo about the work we do together and why they fund us.
SPEAKER_01So my name is Camille, and you can call me Cam if that's easier. I am French. You will soon know about this when I start opening my mouth and try to utter a few words together. And I'm heading the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation for the UK and Islands. So I have the absolute pleasure of basically acting as a bridge between Sodexo and charities in our communities which are trying to tackle food insecurity and its fruit causes.
SPEAKER_02And I'm Claire Atkins Morris. I am the sustainability and workplace culture director at Sodexo. So within that, it's health and safety, it's quality, it's business resilience, it's culture and belonging, it's sustainability, and it's our charity on the Stop Hunger Foundation. And it's about using data, the insight from that data to create stories and drive transformation through the business, having the golden threads, like you can't have culture and belonging unless your people are safe. You can't be safe unless you feel psychologically safe to be able to talk about things or be empowered to stop what you do, etc. So you can feel the values through every one of those functions.
SPEAKER_00So if you don't have the right values in place, they're never going to feel that.
SPEAKER_02That's right. And and and you'll know Sedexa being family owned and run is our 60 years celebration. Um, and we have the covenant for another 50 years for it to continue to be family owned, and you can feel that across everything that we're doing.
SPEAKER_00I like that. So how on earth did you guys get involved with bread and butter thing then?
Volunteering As The Real Test
SPEAKER_02Did we? You start coming, then we'll go from there.
SPEAKER_01Well, actually, I first came across the bread and butter thing in a previous role for a previous foundation. And then we started through Sedexo with BITC, wasn't it? Business in the community, and we started to have a few conversations around volunteering.
SPEAKER_00It's a really good way for corporates to actually get to know a charity, right? Volunteering, uh so many people think that it is just about team building or away days and all the rest of it, but actually you really get to look under the hood.
SPEAKER_01And have a feel for your culture. Like as Claire mentioned, like culture is really important for us, for our business, we're you know, we're family-owned, all of that. Um, but also we want to do the right thing, and I don't know that you can do the right thing sometimes with the wrong people or with the wrong values. And also, it helps thinking strategically. Like, you know, it's great to give funds, but if we don't understand how we can maximize those funds and what you guys really need versus what we can really do and make it work with each other, it just becomes a bit stale.
SPEAKER_00I have a memory of Claire volunteering, shoveling potatoes in faux leather trousers.
SPEAKER_02And I'm very pleased I wore those because we would have got soaked. The jet washer was there, but the jet washer, the nozzle wasn't working, so it kept spraying everywhere. And I was feeling very grateful that I had these faux leather trousers.
SPEAKER_00You are you you're the poshest person I know that uses faux leather as waterproofs.
SPEAKER_02So I know. Um, you know, well, Camille and I, we started working together back in 2021. So I've been with the organization for 16 years, lots of different roles. We were always, when we first started looking at the foundation and building on great foundations, pa the pun, um, we really wanted to find partners that really reflected what we were trying to achieve. And I must admit, the bread and butter thing has been just one of those partners that's just continued to be really thoughtful in terms of the support provided to the communities, the data you then collect, but the data your communities want to give to you as well is you know, testament to the work that you do, the value that uh the community uses the bread and butter thing. It's been a really great
Using Data Without Losing People
SPEAKER_02partnership.
SPEAKER_00So tell me a bit more about the data then. Why is that important to you guys?
SPEAKER_02Well, I think data is fundamental for my all of my environment like environmental.
SPEAKER_00I I know you're a bit of a nerd, but organization-wide.
SPEAKER_02Yes, I am a definite nerd. Like I have lots of sayings that I can't possibly say on the podcast about how I feel when people do things without having proper data in place, because there's a lot of my gut feels like this is what we should do, right? Or um my experience and things like that, or my and but a lot of this is led by bias, right? So the whole purpose of data is really challenging that stigma. So yet data, um, in terms of how we support not just our employees but our communities is um is paramount. It sits under everything that we do.
SPEAKER_01But but I think where you what you're good at as well when you speak about data is that you don't just look at numbers, and I think that's so important. Like long-lasting impact on people is captured. Um I think that's where you're good, and that's where there's probably a lot of education that needs still to happen, especially in the corporate sector. And and I don't know, Mark, how you feel about that, but I I genuinely feel sometimes it numbers are important, and there's some context where they're the best possible way of showcasing insight, whereas in some other cases it's more about stories. And I think Claire, you're you're mindful of that. But yeah, it'd be good to have your views, Mark. Like, how is it with other partners? Like, what do you think?
SPEAKER_00Okay, so the gloves are off. You the challenge has been set. I think it's a glorious partnership that we have because we have shared values, and I struggle when I've had uh other corporates approach us for a bit of volunteering or just want to throw a bit of cash at us. And when you start to look at them, and actually it's more important that the marketing department gets some content than it is about what that means and the short-termism of it. So I I I think there's too many corporates that have a lack of thought around this at times. Yeah, I'm with you, and I and I and I love the fact that you like our data because you know I'm a nerd as well. I I mean I can't be an accountant by trade and not be a nerd, really. Sorry, accountants out there, but you are all nerds. But um, but I just think having that foundation to build on, it's not only about being able to actually share good data around the community, but it's also, as you say, it's that distance traveled, right? So you can start to look at some of the journeys. We don't always know how people were before they started bread and butter, etc. But we do try to look at that and we do try to think around that. But it I think if we're playing podcast tennis, put it back in your court
Why Sodexo Focuses On Hunger
SPEAKER_00then. What brought Sudexo to look at food insecurity? I know it's a stock hunger foundation, but you do so many things at Sedexo. So why was it food insecurity that you landed on?
SPEAKER_02Do you want to take the story?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I love that story actually. And it's so interesting because it really reflects back the the why we have a foundation model as opposed to probably just initiatives. Um, and it goes back to actually the US uh back in 1996. Funnily enough, yeah, I was born. So, you know, I don't think there's any uh what's the word? Yeah, well, I feel old. Yeah, come on, food is a big milestone.
SPEAKER_00Kimmy, I was working 10 years by that point.
SPEAKER_01So fine. So yeah, so basically the story goes that we had Sodexo employees um working in a school in the US, and they saw that children were continuing to go to school with an angry stomach, and that they were basically uh going out of food, especially during the summer holidays. So these Sodexo employees decided to do something about it and they started to create Breakfast Club. Uh eventually, Pierre Belance, who's the founder of Sodexo, heard of the story and he was like, we need to be much more holistic about this. It needs to be replicated across the world. And funnily enough, he went, you know what? We're spending some funding on marketing, spending it on F1 and football matches and stuff. Let's use that money or part of that money instead and invest it into our communities. We actually started 20 years ago in the UK. And because we just really wanted to do the right thing and our employees wanted to do the right thing, we thought let's set it as a separately registered charity so that whatever happens, we protect the integrity of what we're doing because we really believe that this is what adding social impact, what being a responsible business looks like.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And I think, you know, lots of people probably didn't realise that how prevalent food insecurity was within the UK. So under Camille's leadership, using those stats, like being really clear what food insecurity means, like we took our trustees and our charity champions on that journey. So then they started to really um articulate it. It continues to be a journey because there's this flip-flop between food aid and beyond food aid. So we very much um always want to support from food aid, but fundamentally the root cause is beyond food aid. We saw the changes when uh COVID impacted on us, and then again it we flip-flop back to actually let's get back to beyond food aid.
SPEAKER_00So, what do you mean when you say beyond food aid?
Beyond Food Aid Root Causes
SPEAKER_00Give us some examples of what you're thinking about, Claire.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, see, we've got like lots of different charity partners. So, whether it's working with chapter one around uh reading literacy. So, again, if you have good reading attainment, that then helps you then secure a better employment and therefore that then reduces your risk of food insecurity. Again, that's what the data indicates, right? There's so much research in this place. Same with financial literacy. There is so little known about um credit cards and debits and budgets and things like that, that people then get caught up in actually, I thought I was doing the right thing, I was listening to friends, they've got all of these different cards, and all of a sudden I'm in a spiraling debt piece and I can't get out of it. And therefore, I then move into food insecurity. And that's through no fault of anyone's, it's purely through education. Like privileged individuals tend to have that exposure through their parents and communities they're talking to. So then they'll have people going, oh, don't go for that credit card or always pay it off the month after, etc. etc.
SPEAKER_00And the digital world that we're in now has made it so easy, right?
SPEAKER_02Yes, and you've got thin influences that are on social media that are financial influences, again, you know, big, big named individuals, but not so much regulations. That's it. They're not regulated, and therefore people are going, you know, I've made my money by doing this and this. Click on this in the comments, you can be rich like me. And I am pleased to hear and see, because I've been following this, that they are looking to put more regulation in.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I and I suppose it's it's the same with most of this stuff. We see it time and again, and going back to the kind of bread and butter data, we see financial literacy and confidence. And the more that we can actually share and help people with our skills, the better, the better it gets. So it's it's it's almost like the digital word of mouth. Everybody just kind of follows and leans in very quickly. And before you know it, everybody's on Klana, paying everything on the never never.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that and you know, parents are under pressure, right? So there's always that pressure, and you know, my child doesn't have what this other child is. I feel very guilty that I can't provide that. You know, as a parent myself, I f I feel it all the time. And you know, being a parent is just the hardest thing. We see so many individuals that are making the best decisions on behalf of the children, but it then can lead into food insecurity really, really quickly.
SPEAKER_01I think the other thing, like kind of in the same spectrum that really baffled me, it was the confidence bit, like how people think it's such an easy flip. Like, oh, like food insecurity is a money issue. Let's just get them into employment, like let's just give them a for a job, and then it's all gonna be fixed. And how much actually, you know, back to your points, guys. Like family, I have caring responsibilities, I have a family, I may have been out of employment for reasons that are no fault of my own. And either I don't have the skills at all, or sometimes I have the skills, but I just don't feel capable of doing it at all. It's that confidence building that needs to happen before you can even just hire someone.
SPEAKER_00You you need to be ready to consider employment before even getting employed, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
Confidence Barriers To Employment
SPEAKER_02And and the the women empowerment project that we did, I think that really helped. Uh lots of people.
SPEAKER_00Just tell us a bit about that, Claire.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we primarily focus on women empowerment as part of the foundation because again, it's often that population that tends to be impacted most by food insecurity. Um, Sedexo's made the list on Times 450, which I'm always um pleased to yeah, pleased to be celebrated. But it does show the challenges that women face. You know, Camille's already talked around um the caring responsibilities, obviously, whether that's older parents or children themselves or disabilities, there's lots of stuff that stops people being able to access work. So when we took place with the Women Empowerment Project, which I will pass over to Camille to provide that, it really helped our HR colleagues to see what was meant to bridge that gap.
SPEAKER_01Yes. I guess if I take back to the beginning of those conversations with trying to say to Vic, like, look, we're really wanting to support women for exactly the reasons that Claire outlined. We support everyone, but it felt like, again, based on the data, we could make the biggest impact, the biggest dent in food insecurity. And we said to Vic, like, is there anything that you think we could do? It feels like, yes, we could do cooking skills and things, but how is that going to move the needle in the longer term? And Vic was like, well, first, let's not forget that food is the hook. Food gets people there and together in the first place, which is why it's then a great thing that we can add added provisions around it because it's within a trusted environment. You know, people just feel like
Women’s Empowerment Project Results
SPEAKER_01the headspace has been created a little bit more to be able to buy into these programs. And then what she said to me was one, you have to think about what is the outcome that you want everyone into employment, you saw what type of employment also step one, step two. What type of people are you targeting? Are there people that are furthest away from employment, or are those people that are just waiting for an opportunity? What are you looking to do? And we're like, well, a bit of everything. Like, how can we just make an actual impact? Um and that's where we started collaborating on an application for funding with the brand better thing and proper jobs. The point of the program was to get women who wanted to into theatrical like training with a mixture of face-to-face sessions, but also sort of creative workshops and a bit of like what is your future looking like? Come one-to-one conversations. And the results have been amazing. I do have them in front of me. Uh, and we had like 126 women ending up in education, nine in training, eighty-two did volunteering, 26 went into employment, seven said that's had a massive impact on my family, a positive one, by the way, just to make really sure. Um, it's clear. 41 said it had a great impact on my community, and eight actually decided to go into counseling. So you can really see like the breadth of what positive destination and moving into the right direction looks like. Like some literally said, I need I need help. I feel like I'm ready now to get that help. And I think that's what sometimes like is is lacking in terms of the understanding on what one, what confidence buildings looks like, how long does it take, and what is a positive outcome.
SPEAKER_02And for that individual, you know, everybody wants to make sure that on an individual level you're in a place where you can move forwards in a positive way.
SPEAKER_00So
New Grant To Hold Prices Down
SPEAKER_00what's next? What's next with bread and butter?
SPEAKER_01Uh lots of amazing initiatives and innovations. Are you allowed to say?
SPEAKER_00I know I I don't know, so are you allowed to say?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we we are allowed to say. So we've actually agreed on a new grant, tripling the amount that we initially invested. Again, we had those tough conversations with with the bread and butter thing, and we just went, what do you guys need? And unsurprisingly, but very sadly, Vik explained to us that with inflation and everything that goes with it, um, the price of the bag that's given to members has a different cost than what it is costed to beneficiaries, to clients, to the community members. And so that either the Bremen thing was like, right, we're gonna raise that price, or we're gonna keep it, but we need to find a way to offset it. So that's what we're we're funding. We're funding part of that offset of the cost.
SPEAKER_00I think it's a big deal. While she's been CEO Vic, she's definitely been vehement that that price needs to stay where it is because the community have had such a kick in and continue to be kicked. It's been super important to her to keep that price. So yeah, I I'm sure she's thrilled that you're helping with that.
SPEAKER_01Um yeah. And we hope it's not gonna stay there because we don't, you know, Mark. Um Claire or I are always in your DMs going, how can we help? What else can we do? What does it look like? Um, with this annoying bunch.
SPEAKER_00You're like a critical friend at the same time as a really helpful friend who gives us some cash every now and then as well. Because actually you're making us think. And that for me is what a really good corporate partner looks like. Somebody that can actually come along and be that analyst that'll go, okay, I see what you're doing, but what else can you do? Because I'm sure we could do more.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Use of like collective brains, right? And like Vic testament to her and her leadership. Like we always get so much from where Vic is. And she's so unassuming. And the work that she's done has been absolutely uh fantastic. And like she'll go to some of our corporate events and she'll she'll be like, I don't feel like I belong here. And I was like, You absolutely do.
SPEAKER_00I genuinely thought you were gonna swear then.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we've invited you and we want to celebrate alongside you. It's amazing work the foundation's done, but none of that would be possible without charity partners.
SPEAKER_00She's gonna so have a quick fest listening to this.
SPEAKER_02She's gonna hate. We'll be like, We love you. I'm gonna get t-shirts, we love you, Vic, Vic for Prime Minister. You know, all of these things are gonna come out. Um, we feel very much part of the furniture when we arrive with the bread and butter thing. And I have to raid through all the shoes, though. That's one thing that I can't cope with.
SPEAKER_00I I feel the volunteers have that as well. Genuinely feel the volunteers have adopted a floored robe for the safety boots. Yeah, I'm with you.
SPEAKER_02I ended up wearing two odd safety shoes. Couldn't find my match. I was like, I think they'll be fine. With the leather pants looking.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you've got to own it, you know.
SPEAKER_00And you do so well, Claire.
SPEAKER_02Oh, thank you.
SPEAKER_00Or was it just we all love Vic Harbour?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it turned into that at the end, didn't it?
SPEAKER_00It did, it did, it did, it did.
SPEAKER_03Slightly embarrassing.
SPEAKER_00Yes,
Trust Based Funding That Works
SPEAKER_00I um I'll I'll not stay on it because I know it's a quick best point. But always fantastic to hear that sort of feedback. But I think you're another data nerd as well. So correct.
SPEAKER_04We bond over this stuff.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. So many times people miss that point about bread and butter.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think we've got a really unique balance actually. So we've got a load of insights from our members, and we stay abreast of what's going on, and we follow the news and public affairs and current affairs and all of that stuff. But then we've also got some really amazing hearts and minds stuff with like, you know, this is why we do the podcast. Right, to showcase how brilliant our members are. So when you put the two together, it kind of makes something more powerful.
SPEAKER_00It does. So two things that really came across, and the two things I know about it, other than the fact that they love you, obviously. The way we put together the empowering women piece with proper job and stuff.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because Kimmy was on it and she was bang with the stats, bang, bang, bang. I loved that. Yeah, it was amazing, wasn't it? Yeah. Um, but I know who fed her.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. So I think the women's empowerment piece was a really interesting project for us to do, actually. And it took us a bit out of our comfort zone at the beginning because they were challenging us to do different work. And we, you know, like Camille said, we got some great outcomes from it. And that made a massive difference to people's lives, which is the important bit. But I think that it helped me understand the power of the bread and butter community. So there was a small intervention that happened around the hub that the women were invited to that was, you know, essentially give them an hour out of their absolutely fast and furious lives, just to stop and think about themselves. But because there were familiar faces in the room, it meant that they were automatically a little bit more kind of at ease. So there was no like great big icebreaker nonsense that needed to happen because they just saw their own people and like-minded people. So they have a think about their own lives and think about what they might want to go on and do. But then the week after, they're bumping into some of these same people. And then three weeks later, they might be going, Oh, I did this, this, that I'd agreed to. And so you created a really natural kind of peer support group, if you like, that they just keep on encouraging each other. And I don't think we'd seen that as demonstrably just through people doing their shopping, even though we knew in our hearts of hearts that's what did happen, and people checked in on each other. And I think that that led to some of the better outcomes.
SPEAKER_00It takes me back to some of the stuff that we talked about before, where you were talking about the pathways, and it feels like a good demonstration to me.
SPEAKER_04Totally. They can see the pathways, but then also they make a small step and they've got some cheerleaders around them, and then that kind of buoys everyone up into doing a bit more. So I think that was the bit that we got to see more clearly.
SPEAKER_00We tracked it all. We know the courses that people went on, who went on them, when they went on them, and what they went on to, but the kind of psychology piece that proper job did, which is worth talking about a bit, really, is it's just purely around confidence, really, isn't it?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and they do some things like comfort zone and stretch zone and stuff like that. So they get people to feel safe in their stretch zone so that you can kind of you it's not so scary to step out and take that next step. There's something called challenge through choice that they do. So you're kind of choosing to challenge yourself, and you know, and I think it's creating people the like the safety to be able to do what feels a little bit scary and do something out of the ordinary. And we actually got a couple of people that we didn't know had been on the course together, a couple of members that didn't know each other, and just the pride that people have that they kind of have achieved something.
SPEAKER_00I can see how enthusiastic and how it matters to you to do.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, well, it matters to our members, doesn't it? Of course it does. It made a massive difference. And I think with Sedexo, what was um really interesting was some of the conversations we were having at the beginning when we were working it up were quite challenging. Can you touch on it? Like, you know, I was kind of saying, do you want people that are ready, or do you people want people that are miles away? And if they're miles away, we can't guarantee that we're gonna get people into work. How do we know that that's gonna happen? So actually building the trust with the Sedexo team and being able to kind of work with people at whatever stage they were at, and some people were really far away, but then still achieve the outcomes that we did, I think is like is amazing.
SPEAKER_00And this is for potential funders, etc., um policy people. This is worth remembering that going on the journey together, because how many times have we found funders come up with a shaped model that they want somebody to deliver that actually doesn't quite work in the real world?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, and doing it all kind of around the hubs and not taking extra time out of people's day and yeah, the shared values of the uh Stop Hunger Foundation for them to go back and think and go, yeah, you're right, let's do this together and let's yeah. I loved it because we've got two values, which is show you care and do the right thing. Yeah. And they said those things so many times.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_04So it was almost like they'd been given the uh the memo. No, but they hadn't not at all. And I think the interesting thing is just to give a little shout out to uh business in the community, because the introduction with Sudexo came through business in the community years ago, and then just look at how that partnership that we've got with Sodexo now has gone from strength to strength.
How To Join And Stay Connected
SPEAKER_00Because I obviously I'm quite detached from bread and butter nowadays, so it was fantastic news to hear the new funding. Hats off to you, Vic, for getting that another demonstration of that partnership.
SPEAKER_04Just it feels like I know that you were saying like how strongly I felt about it in the when you were chatting to them.
SPEAKER_00I always have done.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, because it feels like as a charity, we've got one ambition, and that's make life affordable. That's kind of been the thing, that's why we do what we do. And the world is just getting harder, and food gets more expensive, and politics isn't anyone's friend, and all of this stuff. And for people that are living with less money, all of the things that cost less incur more inflation, right? So when you look at inflation overall, food's taken the biggest hit of that, really. So it's really important the work that we're doing. And for me to then go out to our members and say, I'm not giving you anything different or better or shinier, but you've got to pay us more when I know that you're absolutely at breaking point, just feels like we wouldn't be doing what we're set out for. So we've got to ask other people to help us.
SPEAKER_00Amen, Vicarper.
SPEAKER_04So if you'd like to know more about the bread and butter thing and what we get up to, you can find us at Team TBBT on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, or online at breadandbutterthing.org.
SPEAKER_00And if you have any feedback or thoughts on the podcast or you'd like to come in and have an attack, just drop us an email at podcast at breadandbutterthing.org.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and we're always open to new members at all of our hubs. So if you or someone you know would benefit from our affordable food scheme, you can find your nearest hub on the Become a Member pages of the website.
SPEAKER_00And please do all those things that podcast asks you to do. Like us, subscribe to us, leave us a review, or share us with your mates and chat about us on social.
SPEAKER_04See you next time.
