Good Food Barnsley Partnership
In Barnsley we want to make sure everyone can get affordable and nutritious food. We want this to be part of a diverse, inclusive and vibrant food economy.
Food security is our ability to access food, pay for it and prepare nutritious meals. Many people are having issues due to the cost of living, and sometimes food seems like the easiest way to budget.
The goal of the Good Food Barnsley Partnership is to make sure that everyone has access to the food they need to lead healthy and happy lives. You can read about our vision and priorities in our Food Access Plan.
Free school meals
Free school meals are a good way to ensure that your child eats well at lunchtime. If your child's eligible, it could save you up to £400 a year!
Download our free school meals leaflet or read more about free school meals and apply online.
Barnsley's food ladder
Our food ladder is a way to scale food provision in an area and build local resilience in the face of food insecurity.
The food ladder is made up of:
- Premium supermarkets and farm shops
- German discount supermarkets
- Barnsley Markets
- Good Food Pantries
- Community Shop on the Go
- Community Shop
- Barnsley food banks
Barnsley Markets
Our markets are brimming with fruit, vegetables and fresh produce. Alongside traditional greengrocers, butchers and fishmongers, find delicatessens selling fresh olives and sweet pastries.
Good Food Pantries
Barnsley’s Good Food Pantries provide sustainable and affordable food to local communities. Good Food Pantries are open to all - you simply pay a small fee each week which allows you access to the pantry and its produce.
Royston
- Provided by: Royston Friends Association.
- Address: Manor Court Community Centre, West End Avenue, Royston, S71 4LN.
- Opening times: Friday 10.30am to 12pm.
Education, Learning Support Hub (ELSH)
Serving Barnsley's migrant community.
- Provided by: ELSH.
- Address: 8-10 Market Street, Barnsley, S70 1SL.
- Opening times: Wednesday 1pm to 3pm and Saturday 11am to 1pm.
Crossroads
- Provided by: Crossroads.
- Address: Crossroads Cafe, 18 Barugh Green Road, Higham, Barnsley, S75 1JT.
- Opening times: Wednesdays 10.30am to 3.30pm and Thursdays 11am to 3pm.
St George's Church
- Provided by: St Georges Church.
- Address: St Georges Church, York Street, Barnsley S70 1BD.
- Opening times: Thursdays 12pm to 2pm.
Priory Centre
- Provided by: BettaLives Priory Centre.
- Address: Priory Campus, Pontefract Road, Barnsley S71 5PN.
- Opening times: Fridays 10.30am to 12.30pm.
Darfield Community Centre
- Provided by: BettaLives.
- Address: 157 Darfield Rd, Cudworth, Barnsley S72 8RX.
- Opening times: Mondays 1pm to 3pm.
Barnsley Recovery Connections
Supporting the recovery community and those affected by alcohol or drug related issues:
- Provided by: Barnsley Recovery Steps, in partnership with Barnsley Recovery Connections.
- Address: McLintocks Recovery Hub (Crookes Street entrance), off Summer Lane, Barnsley, S70 2NZ.
- Opening times: Tuesday and Wednesday 12.30pm to 3.30pm.
Honeywell Community Centre
- Provided by: North Area Council.
- Address: Honeywell Community Centre, 59 Honeywell Street, Barnsley, S71 1PZ.
- Opening times: Wednesday 12pm to 2pm.
Community Shop on the Go
Community Shop on the Go launched on Tuesday 5 December 2023. This is our fantastic new mobile food provision, run in partnership with the Community Shop. It takes great food to locations where it’s needed and sells it at a fraction of the usual cost.
You can mix and match:
- Small bag - six items for £3
- Large bag - 12 items for £5
Visit Community Shop on the Go on Facebook for updates on the dates, times and venues.
Community Shop
The Community Shop provides access to low-cost food for those in most need. It provides its members with access to deeply discounted food, as well as life-changing learning and development programmes.
Community Shop is a hand up, not a handout. Membership is free and open to those who live locally and receive a means-tested benefit.
Barnsley food banks
Working with Trussell Trust, Barnsley food banks provide emergency access to those in crisis.
Find low cost food in your area
You can find local, low cost food places near you on our food map. These include community fridges, pantries and food banks. Select an icon on the map to find out more about each location.
Food provision in Barnsley map
Vouchers for food
Heathy Start vouchers if you're pregnant or have a child under four
If you’re pregnant or have at least one child under four you could be entitled to a Healthy Start card. It will help you buy food, fresh milk and infant formula milk at your local shops. Each week, you could receive:
- £4.25 during your pregnancy (from the 10th week of your pregnancy)
- £8.50 for children from birth to one year old
- £4.25 for children between one and four years old
Find out more about Healthy Start vouchers and apply.
Vouchers for fruit and vegetables
The Rose Vouchers scheme helps families on low incomes to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. It supports them to give their children the healthiest possible start.
A family can receive £3 of Rose Vouchers for each child, every week, or £6 if the child is under one year old. Vouchers are available from your local family hubs.
Become a Good Food Pantry host
A food pantry is a place that sells heavily discounted, quality food items to the local community. These pantries don’t make a profit. Money from sales is used to cover the cost of buying food and running costs such as electricity and water.
Why become a Good Food Pantry?
By becoming a Good Food Pantry you can access help and support from Barnsley Council to get set up. All Good Food Pantries use the same brand, membership model and policies. This means members will enjoy the same great Good Food Pantry experience at each branch.
If you’re interested in being a Good Food Pantry host, please email goodfoodpartnership@barnsley.gov.uk.
Sharing surplus - love food, hate waste?
We'd like to encourage local growers to share their surplus produce with the Good Food Pantries.
So, if you grow your own in your garden or on an allotment and want to share your surplus, please email goodfoodpartnership@barnsley.gov.uk and a member of the team will be in touch.
Donations we've received
Cannon Hall Farm
Cannon Hall Farm was very proud to make a donation to Barnsley's Good Food Pantries, made up from generous donations from our staff. The pantries are located in areas where deprivation is high, and local residents may struggle to afford food. The donations from our team were shared amongst Worsbrough Community Pantry, Good Food Pantry Royston, Good Food Pantry Employment and Learning Support Hub and Good Food Pantry Honeywell.
If you'd like to make a food donation to our pantries please contact goodfoodbarnsleypartnership@barnsley.gov.uk.
PHS
A big thank you to PHS for their donation of hygiene products. Items received were shared with Good Food Pantry Royston, Good Food Pantry Employment and Learning Support Hub and Good Food Pantry St George's Church.
