Second Cookery School and Wellnest opening in Leeds

FoodSavers Announces Expansion to Leeds Kirkgate Market with New Cookery School and Wellnest Opening January 1st, 2026

Historic market to become home to proven community health model that tackles food insecurity with dignity and choice

FoodSavers today announces the opening of its second Cookery School and Wellnest location at Leeds Kirkgate Market, launching January 1st, 2026. Following the successful establishment of the Bradford Wellnest at Darley Street Market in July 2025, this expansion brings a proven, community-led approach to food security and wellbeing to the heart of Leeds.

The FoodSavers Network is a network of independent low-cost food pantries, supported by a central cookery school and wellbeing programme. Built on pillars of behaviour change, choice, dignity, empowerment and financial inclusion, the pantries offer a subsidised weekly shop, often through intercepted or surplus food, alongside building up savings in a Credit Union account.

The FoodSavers model goes far beyond traditional food support. Guided by the principle of #FoodForHealthNotWealth, it combines low cost food, savings, fresh food vouchers redeemable at market traders, hands-on cooking classes, and wraparound wellbeing services – all designed to promote dignity, choice, and long-term resilience.

Food insecurity isn’t simply about hunger – it’s about systemic barriers, stigma, and the erosion of human dignity,

said Juli Thompson, CEO of FoodSavers.

Our work in Bradford has shown that real solutions require community-led approaches that empower people rather than diminish them. We’re thrilled to bring this model to Leeds Kirkgate Market, one of Europe’s oldest covered markets and a natural home for this work.

Proven Impact in Bradford

Since it launched five years ago, the FoodSavers Network has grown from a single pantry to 30 outlets across West Yorkshire. Members have benefited from low-cost weekly shops, with nearly 1,000 members saving over £75,000 into Credit Union accounts.

The Nourishing Communities voucher scheme addresses the challenges of food insecurity head-on while supporting local traders and strengthening the food economy. Early feedback from the Bradford community has been overwhelmingly positive, with traders reporting new customers and families trying fresh ingredients for the first time.

The Wellnest operates as both sanctuary and catalyst – a place where learning to cook healthy meals is inseparable from building community bonds. Services include:

• Cooking classes at the FoodSavers Cookery School
• Fresh food vouchers redeemable at participating market traders
• Mental health support and wellbeing programmes
• Financial resilience initiatives
• Community connections and peer support

The vouchers have helped many young people and their families buy fresh ingredients to replicate the dishes they learned with us,

shared one community partner from the Bradford programme. Traders have noted that the scheme,

encourages people to buy more healthy food

and brings new footfall to the market, investing funds back into the local community.

The FoodSavers Cookery School aims to empower, educate and inspire as many people as possible to cook great tasting healthy food for themselves and their families. The school has partnered with Jamie’s Ministry of Food to teach basic cooking techniques, delivering fun and friendly classes with delicious Ministry of Food recipes as well as hundreds of its own recipes.

Why Leeds Kirkgate Market

Leeds Kirkgate Market, situated in central Leeds, provides the ideal setting for this expansion. As one of the largest covered markets in Europe with over 800 years of history, it offers direct access to fresh, affordable produce and a vibrant community of local traders.

This is about creating a food system that works for everyone,

added Thompson.

At Kirkgate Market, we’ll be right at the heart of Leeds’s food culture, connecting people with skills, nutrition, and community in a space that’s already loved and trusted.

The Leeds Wellnest and Cookery School will serve individuals and families across the city experiencing food insecurity, with particular focus on removing barriers to healthy eating while building food literacy and community resilience.

Supporting a City-Wide Effort

FoodSavers’ expansion to Leeds aligns with broader efforts to tackle inequality and build healthier, more resilient communities. The Bradford model has been supported by Bradford Public Health and Living Well, demonstrating the potential for public health partnerships.

The scheme creates benefits across the community: dignity and better nutrition for participants, increased custom for local traders, and stronger food networks for the city as a whole.

Rosanna Bluett, Food Education Manager for Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food, said,

Zest Leeds has been an incredible partner and advocate of our Jamie’s Ministry of Food programme, providing cooking skills and support for thousands of Leeds residents for more than a decade. We are incredibly proud of the work we have achieved with them over the years. Whilst it is extremely sad that Leeds is losing a charity which contributed so much to the local community infrastructure, we are thrilled that our partner Inn Churches and the Food Savers Network will continue their legacy at Leeds Kirkgate market. We have worked with Inn Churches for many years in Bradford and can’t wait to see them develop a new cookery school and hub in Leeds. Keeping cooking skills alive for the local community’.

Opening January 1st, 2026

The FoodSavers Cookery School and Wellnest at Leeds Kirkgate Market will open its doors on January 1st, 2026. Further details about programmes, a voucher scheme, and how to get involved will be announced in the coming months.

For media inquiries, partnership opportunities, or more information:

Juli Thompson, CEO
Email: juli@innchurches.co.uk
Web: innchurches.co.uk | foodsavers.org.uk
LinkedIn: FoodSavers Network