Eco Hub • Foodfloat Talk

Another hot balmy day at the Eco Hub on 6 July where the doors were wide open to the garden and a craft activity – making cress caterpillars – was taking place under a gazebo.  We were surprised 2 hours later when we came to packing up that a thunderstorm opened the skies to a heavy rainfall, and a rapid tidy up of the craft session took place. Refreshments were as delicious as always and many people met to chat or browse the books on offer. 

The talk this week was given by Margaret Brett, one of the key players for the Food Float.  She started with a little history of the Food Float which is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays every week.  In 2009 four local women made a plan to run a reconditioned milk float as a mobile marketplace which would provide locally-sourced, fair-priced food to people in Dorking and neighbouring villages.  The float never developed because it was too impractical but in 2010 it then evolved into the ‘stall’ plan which has most often been sited outside Boots Opticians and outside the former Barclays Bank on Fridays and Saturdays. They also make deliveries on Thursdays to homes & businesses in and around Dorking. Food Float is a Community Interest group

Margaret brought along a lovely spread of Food Float fare which was to sell, as well as some samples of cake and biscuits for us to taste.  She made the selection of products sound an exciting task although no sale or return means that ordering the right amount is critical.  Some of the food mentioned includes coffee from Denbies, Community Orchard apples and various different kinds of eggs such as goose, duck and bantam.  A locally sourced pink elderflower iced tea is a new feature not to miss.

 

The Food Float sells interesting things and people come for a chat – regulars on Friday and more visitors to Dorking on Saturday.  Food Float have a plan where to move if, in the future, the site mid-High Street is no longer available.  Ultimately they might move to outside Waitrose.  

If you want to volunteer for Food Float please contact Maddie via email to discuss how you can help. 

Thank you to author
Sarah Freeman