Latest news with #AmandaRobinson
Scotsman
30-04-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
QMU food researchers use dehydration to help community café reduce food waste
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Food specialists at Queen Margaret University are working with a surplus food community interest company in the Scottish Borders to reduce food waste and create healthy, tasty meals for people in the wider Galashiels area. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Thanks to an award from the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the community-led research project is exploiting the use of food dehydration processes to reduce fruit and vegetable waste. The project, which is run by QMU's Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation in collaboration with Café Recharge CIC, a community food project in Galashiels, has secured funding to develop their food waste reduction project. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The initiative is one of 16 community-led research projects to have been successful in the RSE 'Healthy Planet, Healthy People': Community-led Research Awards. These awards support research that promotes the health of individuals by fostering healthy communities, healthy environments, and healthy food. Amanda Robinson, Amy Wight ( Co-founders of Café ReChargeCIC) and Caroline Timmins – Food Product Development Technologist - SCFDI Café Recharge operates in Galashiels as a community hub and 'pay what you can afford' Café. The food served in the cafe uses surplus and predominantly rescued from supermarkets; as well as offering a community fridge and freezer for local people. Caroline Timmins, Product Development Technologist at QMU's Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation, is leading the collaborative research. She said: 'Café Recharge is always looking at ways to reduce food waste and maximise the use of the surplus produce donated from supermarket chains. 'Through our joint project 'Rescue. Preserve. Nourish: Turning Surplus into Sustenance'we hope to make an even more significant impact on the reduction of fruit and vegetable waste in the café by experimenting with dehydration methods.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Caroline explained: 'We will be looking at the efficiency of dehydration, building a framework for the process, and creating a calendar to track rescued surplus food. The Café team will also facilitate 'Chat and Chop' events, which will involve members of the local community preparing surplus fruit and veg, which will then be dehydrated. Amanda Robinson, Amy Wight ( Co-founders of Café ReChargeCIC) and Caroline Timmins – Food Product Development Technologist - SCFDI 'The goal is to prepare recipe cards and videos that demonstrate how to use dehydrated produce so that the café's community clients can make healthy, tasty meals.' Caroline concluded: 'Support from the Royal Society of Edinburgh not only allows the team to pursue efficiencies in food management, it helps Café Recharge progress its mission to reduce food waste and promote sustainability in the community. It also aligns with QMU's Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation aims of supporting small and medium sized food organisations and exploiting innovation in food processing and product development.' Professor David E Salt FRSE, Chair of the Williamson Trust, who has provided the investment for the RSE awards, said: 'Applications to the 'Healthy Planet, Healthy People Community-led Research Awards' continue to grow, demonstrating the strong desire of communities in Scotland to develop local solutions to the ongoing global challenges to our environment, our communities and our food.'
Axios
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
A Renaissance Faire is popping up in Jackson Ward on Friday
A mini renaissance fair is taking over Jackson Ward on Friday night. Why it matters: This is your excuse to eat giant turkey legs outside of the state fair (though in our opinion, you never need an excuse). Driving the news: The Richmond Renaissance Faire is from Virago Alley, a local nonprofit founded by Amanda Robinson, the woman behind Gallery5 in Jackson Ward, according to its website. The event is described as a fundraising kick-off to a larger fair down the road, but the schedule promises most of the fun one might expect from a traditional "Ren Fair," as the kids call it. Zoom in: Three blocks around Gallery5, where much of Friday's fair takes place, will be closed to traffic. Instead of cars on Marshall Street, attendees will find more than 75 artisans and performers — including a fairy trading post, storytellers and a court jester — and a mead pop-up bar. Things seem to get a little wilder on Clay near Gwarbar, where you can find the roasted turkey legs. Its parking lot will host the combat and bladesmith demos. Details: The Richmond Renaissance Faire is Friday, 5-10pm. Admission is free. Costumes are strongly encouraged.
