Great Hinckley baked bean swap to take place

THERE is nothing better or easier to prepare than a generous serving of beans on toast!

What’s more, beans are inexpensive and certainly one of the more nutritious convenience foods you can buy at the supermarket.

The perfect meal, you might think, for someone who is struggling to feed a family on a limited income.

That’s certainly the view of Hinckley residents who have donated tins of beans in the thousands.

So much so, the foodband is hosting a baked bean swap day where they hope to offer cans of beans in return for other items.

The thousands of cans that arrive at the warehouse every year for onward distribution mean they are simply overwhelmed with baked beans and can’t give them away fast enough.

The foodbank, as part of the Trussell Trust, provide nutritionally balanced food parcels, and, whilst baked beans are a good source of protein, they are only one part of what makes up a standard parcel.

Baked beans make up over 15% of the stock held by the foodbank at any one time, amounting to almost 2,500 cans, while stocks of such things as rice pudding, instant mash, and tinned fruit are often in short supply.

A spokesperson said: “The foodbank has come up with an ingenious way of converting excess baked beans into items that are not always available - the Great Hinckley Baked Bean Swap.

“St Mary’s Church is hosting the event on Saturday 13th July from 10am to 1pm.

“The idea is that people will drop in with an alternative food item, and walk away with a tin of beans.

“There will be foodbank volunteers around if you’d like to know a little more about the work of the foodbank and the church café will be open offering refreshments.

“So if you are in town on 13 July, why not drop in at St Mary’s Church with a swap (we always need rice pudding, instant mash, tinned fruit, coffee, tinned tomatoes, powdered milk, drinking chocolate, large tins of vegetables, shampoo and deodorant), have a cup of coffee and walk away with a tin of beans knowing you have done your bit to help those in need.”