Food - What are we doing?
View this page in Welsh / Gweld y tudalen hwn yn Gymraeg
We regularly work with partners to ensure that good quality, sustainably-sourced food reaches those who need it, and to offer solutions for recycling food and packaging waste.
This page is designed to show you some examples of the food sustainability work the Council is doing as part of Project Zero.
Llantwit Food Project
As a Food Vale partner we support the Llantwit Food Project.
Through conversations with local residents and experts, the partnership built an understanding of what could be done to reduce barriers to accessing good food in Llantwit Major.
Supported by funding from the National Lottery, in 2022 we were able to put ideas into action and launched the More Than Food Hub in the CF61 Community Centre, an opportunity for residents to acess a range of support and advice under one roof on the third Thursday of each month.
Included in the offering is access to book a slot at the foodshare pantry. The pantry distributes good quality food to those who need it.
With sustainability a key aim, the food on offer is sourced through local growing projects such as Plant Llantwit and Fareshare Cymru, a service that diverts leftover and excess supermarket foods from waste to consumers.
Following a successful first year in Llantwit Major, the project secured space at the Gathering Place, Flemingston Road, St Athan CF62 4JH to hold a fortnightly food pantry.
Big Fresh change to a local milk producer
Following a feasibility study our Big Fresh Catering Company switched milk provider to local dairy farm, Ty Tanglwyst Dairy.
The farm use sustainable farming methods to produce milk that then supplies schools and nurseries in the Vale through the Big Fresh Catering Company.
The milk is bottled on site to avoid mileage between production and packaging, which is then delivered on refrigerated vans within a limited radius.
The new supply chain, reduces food miles, supports the local economy, and also offers educational opportunities for the consumer - school pupils. The farm welcomes school visits where pupils can have a tour of the farm and learn about milk production and dairy farming.
Vale Food Trail
As a Food Vale partner, we support the Vale Food Trail.
The Food Vale partnership is overseen by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Public Health team. Delivered in collaboration with local partners, the partnership aims to build a thriving, healthy and sustainable food system in the Vale.
Following a successful launch in 2023, Food Vale secured funding Shared Prosperity funding to organise another trail for 2024.
The Vale Food Trail is a two-week calendar of multi-location events, designed to bring people closer to food producers and businesses in the local area. It also acts as a celebration of the region's rich gastronomic heritage and commitment to sustainable farming practices.
Visitors and locals are able to visit a variety of producers, farms and other businesses around the area who have all signed up to offer a range of free and paid-for events which showcase food that is good for people, planet and place.
The 2024 festival featured more than 25 local businesses offering farm tours, tasting events, special exhibitions, live demos and more.
Food waste recycling
In the Vale, residents can use their food waste caddies to recycle food waste at the kerbside.
The collected food waste gets processed and taken to Welsh Water Organic Energy food waste site in Cardiff.
Welsh Water take organic waste from both the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Cardiff Council.
The food waste is processed through anaerobic digestion, a process where microorganisms break down organic matter, producing biogas which is used to generate green energy:
- 715 caddies of food waste would create enough green energy to light up the Principality Stadium floodlights for an entire game
- You could keep your phone fully charged all weekend with just 2 banana peels
- A caddy full of food waste would produce enough green energy to watch two hours of your favourite TV series