Generosity That Tastes Good: An Interview with The Feel Good Bakery

Grabbing a quick lunch to take back to work? Chances are the humble sandwich will form at least part of your repast. As a nation, we munch our way through around 3 billion shop-bought sarnies a year (cheese, ham and chicken are the top three favourites). But how about if with every bite you were helping a child? What if your choice of a bread-based snack put you in the business of changing lives?

That’s the vision at the Feel Good Bakery in Wandsworth, South West London, started by Andy Smith 18 months ago: “I’ve been working for a charity called Regenerate on the housing estates in South West London for the last 16 years. One of the projects we run is mentoring young people to do volunteer work in Romania and Kenya. It’s had a massive impact on many lives, as the guys who were in trouble with the police and involved in the gangs turned themselves around. With that support, they say ‘we want to help people and change our lives, stop selling crack. What can we do?’”

That’s the question that Andy is answering through the bakery: “I set it up to create jobs for the kids who are serious about wanting to change. It isn’t just about making sandwiches and selling them so they’ve got a job - it’s about changing the world.” Every time a sandwich is sold, the bakery matches it by giving a child a meal in one of the Regenerate feeding projects in Romania and Kenya. It’s a brilliantly simple idea which is helping the local community and making a difference abroad.

In Wandsworth, self-reliance and a new hope is being created: “At the moment, we employ 5 young adults in the bakery. We’re selling 100 sandwiches a day. That’s 100 meals. We want that to grow to 1000 a day!”

Making a difference isn’t always easy and when things get tough, Andy holds on to this thought: “Knowing that what we’re doing is making a difference to people’s lives keeps me going. I see people in London who have left drug dealing and their gang lifestyle. They are the ones making a difference in our world. They call themselves the World Changers. I travelled to Kenya in February with some of them to help at a project. It’s great to see it making a real difference.”

How can you help? It’s simple. Fancy a sandwich for your lunch? You know where to go. Office needs a lunch catered? Organising an event? Get in touch with the Feel Good Bakery at [email protected] to order a sandwich platter. That’s 9 children getting a free meal with each platter. Recommend them to your London-based friends if you’re outside the Big Smoke. Click on the Facebook page or website to find out more and share their story generously to help spread the news.

Check out the website at www.thefeelgoodbakery.com and watch the video below. Lunch never tasted so good!