West Somerset Food Cupboard:
An established provider of emergency food in West Somerset
And there’s more…
The West Somerset Food Cupboard has been providing emergency food from the Parish Church of St. Michael the Archangel, Alcombe since 2007.
The current area that we serve includes Alcombe, Minehead, Dunster, Carhampton, Timberscombe, Porlock and everywhere in between.
The food is donated by local people, checked and packed by volunteers, and distributed either by a local agency supporting someone through a particular challenge, or directly by a member of our team.
Three different types of food parcels are prepared each week:
- Family food boxes which are designed to feed a family of four for three days
- Food bag for individual with cooking facilities
- Food bag for individual with no cooking facilities (apart from access to hot water)
The food parcels contain a carefully thought out range of non-perishable food items including UHT milk, cereal, pasta, rice, tinned meat and fish, tinned fruit and vegetables, sauces, desserts, hot and cold drinks and snacks. In addition, for those living in or near Alcombe, we are able to provide access to fresh fruit and vegetables. On request we can usually accommodate special diets.
As well as the emergency provision of food described above, we run a Local Pantry membership scheme. This was established through a partnership agreement with supermarket surplus charity Fareshare South West and Somerset West and Taunton Council’s Local Pantries initiative. It enables local members, who live within 15 minutes travel time of Alcombe to access fresh, chilled and non-perishable supermarket surplus food that would otherwise have gone to waste at a very minimal cost. Members collect their food at an agreed time each week and can benefit from this arrangement for up to six months.
We support a range of other local food related projects and activities in the area and take an active role in the Minehead and Area Food Resilience Forum as well as other local support forums.
We provide information about and links to and between agencies to ensure that people in difficulty receive the most appropriate support for their needs whilst also having enough food on their shelves.
Meet Our Partners
Discover the organisations we work with and how, together, we support our community.
Miles Tea & Coffee
Miles Tea & Coffee supports us with a year’s supply of tea for our emergency food bags and Local Pantry. Their generosity makes a meaningful difference to people across West Somerset.
Amanda-Louise Funeral Services
Amanda-Louise plays an active role in the communities she serves through charitable giving and hands-on support. She has partnered with us for over two years, helping collect food donations and hosting coffee mornings and book sales.
Tesco Minehead
We have partnered with Tesco for several years as a major source of donated food in our community. Through in-store collection points, donation drives, and local initiatives, Tesco and its customers help us tackle food poverty in West Somerset.
Lidl Minehead
Lidl Minehead is a key partner, providing surplus food to our weekly Pantry service and supporting holiday food campaigns. Their contributions help divert around one tonne of food waste each month while supporting local families.
Morrisons Minehead
We work closely with Morrisons Minehead to meet local food needs, including through their “Pick Up Packs” — pre-packed essentials that customers can purchase and donate in-store. This partnership provides vital items to people across West Somerset.
Butlin’s Minehead
Butlin’s supports us by collecting food donations and providing surplus items from seasonal events, including Christmas and Easter treats. These contributions help ease pressure on families and bring moments of joy to the community.
Webbers Estate Agents (Minehead & Exmoor)
Webbers Estate Agents supports our community appeals, including our Easter Egg Appeal, and serves as a collection point for food donations.
Minehead Rotary Club
The Minehead Rotary Club is a valued ongoing supporter, collecting non-perishable food items at monthly meetings and arranging delivery to help meet local demand.
One Stop Convenience Stores Porlock
One Stop Convenience Stores Porlock provides pre-packed donation bags filled with essential items most requested by food banks, to make a balanced meal for shoppers to purchase to support local families in need.
And many other businesses…
