FAQs
What’s in a food parcel?
Our foodbank provides three days of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable food.
The Trussell Trust has worked with nutritionists to ensure food parcels contains sufficient nutrition for at least three days worth of healthy, balanced meals for individuals and families. Below you can find a list of what a typical food parcel includes.
A typical food parcel includes:
- Breakfast cereals
- Tinned soup
- Pasta or rice
- Pasta sauce
- Tinned chopped tomatoes
- Tinned baked beans
- Tinned meat
- Tinned fish
- Tinned vegetables
- Tinned rice pudding
- Tinned fruit
- Tea or coffee
- Long life milk
- Juice or squash
- Biscuits
- Snacks
- Jam or spread
Special Dietary requirements
Our foodbank can offer some flexibility to adapt your food parcel to meet any dietary needs you may have, such as including vegetarian, caffeine-free, dairy-free and gluten-free food alternatives.
When you arrive at the foodbank, a volunteer will usually chat with you about any special dietary requirements you may have, feel free to ask during busy periods.
Fresh Foods
A key aim for Bicester Food Bank is to work closely with local businesses to improve the quality of nutrition in the parcels. We regularly provide fresh fruit and vegetables as well as fresh bread baked locally by Bakels.
We are lucky enough to be able to provide butchers vouchers throughout the year, and whenever possible, we supply eggs, butter and cheese.
Additional Items:
Pet Foods
We typically hold a small stock of nutritionally-balanced wet and dry pet foods for cats and dogs, and can occasionally provide food for other animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.
Our pet food is typically sourced either from personal donations or in partnership with the Blue Cross animal rescue charity, which collects pet food donations locally on our behalf. Please ask a volunteer if you don’t see any of these items during your visit.
Household Items
In addition to food items, Bicester Foodbank can provide some basic toiletries and, where available, mobile phone SIM cards provided though a partnership between the Trussell Trust and a mobile communications provider.
Non-Staple Foods
We often receive donations that include non-standard food items, these can include virtually anything from cooking oil to olives, mustard to condensed milk. These items will typically be offered, where available, on a help-yourself basis and are additional to our emergency food parcels.
Alchoholic Foods
We don’t provide any food items or drinks that include alcohol in their ingredients, and items such as seasonal puddings that have been soaked with brandy or other spirits will be disposed of by our volunteers.
Razors
We are unable to provide razor blades to any visitors as part of our emergency welfare packages.
Toys
Toys are occasionally available to food bank users via a locally-run community group, please ask a volunteer for details when you visit.