GLASGOW is getting closer to opening its first food pantry – offering fresh produce to disadvantaged communities.

Builders are set to begin work on a property in Ruchazie this week while councillors are expected to hand over more than £700,000 to four pantries when they meet tomorrow.

Ruchazie’s pantry is in line to receive £96,000 from the Scottish Government Town Centre Fund. It will “address food insecurity” through a membership scheme, which allows people to pick up around 10 items of food a week for about £2.50.

The city is following in the footsteps of Aberdeen, where Scotland’s first pantry was launched in February.

Glasgow councillor Ruairi Kelly and his ward colleague Mandy Morgan have been working on the Ruchazie scheme.

“The pantry model is one which will give the community access to fresh, quality food at a fraction of the cost of a regular supermarket,” he said.

READ MORE:

More than 9,500 meals given to hungry Glasgow children over holidays

“The value added to the local area through partnerships with housing associations and community organisations will bring a wide range of benefits to areas of the city that have maybe not had their fair share of investment or attention in the past.”

“We are delighted that we have been able to secure the funding for Ruchazie and the other initial projects and hope that they will be a success and rolled out across the city.”

The pantry will be based in a shop unit on Gartloch Road. Ruchazie Parish Church will lead the project with support from the area’s housing association.

Parkhead Housing Association is expected to receive £336,000 for a pantry at Parkhead Public School, £108,000 has been allocated for a unit at Braes Shopping Centre to be ran by Ardenglen HA and £234,000 for space in Govanhill Baths, led by Govanhill Baths Trust.

Aberdeen’s pantry – Woodside Community Food Pantry in “one of the most disadvantaged areas” in the city – is ran by Community Food Initiatives North East, a charity and social enterprise. Dave Kilgour, the charity’s development work manager, said the scheme is about giving “dignity and respect” back to people who have been using foodbanks.

It uses surplus supermarket food – from charity Fareshare, as Glasgow would – and, after paying a £3 membership fee, people pay £2.50 for 10 items with an overall value of around £20. They can take three “high quality” items, such as meats, and seven “ambient” items, like tinned food, pasta and washing powder.

READ MORE:

Peanut butter burger on the menu at Glasgow's revamped The Raven

He said foodbank usage has been “astronomical”. “The pantry concept is to get folk away from foodbanks.”

Mr Kilgour added pantries are “not the long term solution” to issues caused by “welfare reform and general austerity”. “It’s just another way of starting to address those issues.”

His charity found 70 percent of people using foodbanks in their area are male, whereas the pantry’s visitors are 75 percent female. The development manager said people are more likely to go to a pantry as they’re paying some money towards the food.