**Government-Backed Restaurants and Mobile Markets Target Food Inequality in UK Cities**
A major new government initiative aimed at tackling food insecurity will see state-subsidised restaurants opening in Dundee and Nottingham, providing greater access to nutritious meals for households in need. The project, unveiled this week, forms part of a wider £8.5 million scheme to combat growing food inequality across the UK by harnessing community spaces and mobile food services.
Launching in the summer of next year, the two new restaurants are designed to promote “universal access” to healthy, sustainably-sourced food in a welcoming social environment. Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle highlighted that the scheme is particularly intended to benefit low-income families, especially those with children facing difficulties in accessing high-quality meals.
This effort is just one component of a package of measures receiving government funding. Among the list of newly announced projects is an innovative mapping tool that will support a mobile greengrocer service in Liverpool. Dubbed the “Queen of Greens” bus, this initiative will expand its reach to social housing estates, specifically targeting residents struggling to find fresh fruit and vegetables in their local area.
The Queen of Greens bus has already been serving communities in Liverpool and Knowsley since 2022, but the new government backing will help direct resources more precisely. Residents in selected areas are set to receive vouchers which can be exchanged for fresh produce from the bus, and researchers will be closely monitoring the impact of this intervention on recipients’ diets and overall well-being. The data collected will inform potential nationwide roll-outs if the results prove significant.
These initiatives arrive hot on the heels of the government’s recent ten-year health strategy, which controversially includes proposed fines for supermarkets failing to sell healthier food options. There is mounting pressure on both public and private sectors to address the root causes of poor nutrition in areas described as “food deserts,” where affordable, healthy groceries are difficult to obtain.
Other projects in the newly funded portfolio will examine how community food markets in Glasgow might help residents living far from mainstream shops, while additional research will be conducted into how users of food pantries could benefit from improvements like free cooking classes or recipe kits. Efforts are also being made to enhance the quality and uptake of free school meal programmes, which remain a cornerstone of child nutrition support in the UK.
Peter Kyle commented on the importance of such schemes, stating, “No one in this country should be left unable to access the healthy food they need – which is why interventions like the Queen of Greens are so important – and measuring their impact is so vital.” He emphasised that a research-driven approach is essential for identifying the most effective ways to supply healthy food to those most in need, potentially changing lives and advancing the government’s broader mission for positive change.
Lucy Antal, who heads Alchemic Kitchen CIC and operates the Queen of Greens mobile market, welcomed the opportunity to work with researchers. “We are very much looking forward to working on this new research project with all the team assembled by the University of Liverpool,” she said. “It will be a great opportunity to trial an expansion into supporting social housing tenants to access fresh produce, and to have the health and social impact of this intervention measured and assessed.”
Professor Alison Park, of the Economic and Social Research Council, echoed the sense of urgency around food insecurity. “Everyone should have access to healthy, nutritious food but we know the number of food insecure households across the UK is increasing,” she said, adding that the innovative, locally-driven projects being launched from Wales to the Isle of Wight can provide essential insights into solving these complex challenges.
With food insecurity on the rise in many communities, the coming year will prove significant as these state-supported initiatives are put to the test. Policymakers, health professionals, and local charities alike will be watching closely to see which interventions might become lasting solutions in the UK’s continued fight for fairer access to healthy food.