From what started as an initiative to reduce waste to a weekly offering involving many local groups and businesses, the Bridport Garden Glut stall has grown throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

We caught up with the organisers and volunteers who bring the vital stall to St Swithun's Church car park each Thursday.

It started with the stall during the summer holidays last year at St Mary's Primary School which gave away surplus vegetables from the school's edible garden, set up by Sarah Wilberforce.

When the schools went back, the team were faced with having to stop.

Alongside this, Peter Wilson, who is part of Bridport Local Food Group and helps run the stall, was talking to Sarah and Lizzie who set up Bridport Community Fridge about getting out there and making it more accessible.

Peter said: "It dawned on me that we needed a space for the edible garden and something for expanding the community fridge and I knew this space.

"One thing led to another and we set this up in September when the schools went back, we had all this stuff from the gardens, allotments and community fridge and it's grown up topsy and we've been trying to get to all the people most in need.

"We had some harrowing experiences on the stall before Christmas, young people turning up who had never been out of work, self-employed people who had fallen through the cracks and couldn't access, or didn't know how to access, any support, so we gave them the immediate help of some food.

"We've had a whole range. It was heart-wrenching for us, let alone them, hearing their stories first hand, but because we're outdoors, people consider it a safe space and we're classes as a market stall, we meet all the Covid restrictions and we have hand gel, we've been very good about doing all that.

"But we thought, 'how can we expand it?' so, a few weeks ago we had the pizza stall and that was wonderful, and it was suggested why don't we do chicken wings."

Kitty Ford and her Dad Simon were at the stall last week, cooking up Chinese chicken wings and rice using the Bridport Local Food Group's community cooking kit.

The group is getting donations for a number of local businesses, including Washingpool Farm, The Ropemakers pub, Leakers bakery, the Taj Mahal Indian restaurant, Red Brick Café and The Green Yard café as well as from the big supermarkets, such as Morrisons, Waitrose and Co-op.

The stall is able to pass on products past its best before date - items that are safe but cannot be sold by shops.

Peter added: "Supermarkets are encouraged now not to throw stuff away with things like FareShare and Neighbourly. They have these schemes that they are part of so food gets to food banks, community fridges and other things.

"Anyone can turn up; the stall was started to reduce food waste. Obviously in times like this is helps a bigger range of people as well but that's ultimately what still remains our remit and our goal to reduce food wastage."

If there is anything left over, it goes to Bridport Community Fridge for its Saturday and Tuesday opening and anything left there goes to the stall on Thursday.

Peter said: "We're really keen with the local food group to make sure people eat properly and eat healthily, so a lot of what we do is try and encourage people to eat more healthily, eat more fresh food and eat locally, that's what the local food group is about.

"The initial need is to help people in a crisis and that's what we're doing. It's a real eye-opener and we had no idea how it was going to work, but it's great.

"There's a great community here, it's been shown by all the support here. People I have never met before have been volunteering every week since last September and are relay keen - that shows a lot."

The group also welcomed Kitty, who is volunteering at school after university, and Jessie, a local student who made 'immunity packs' which contained tea, seeds, citrus fruits and things to boost your immunity. It is hoped these little packs will also be available over Easter.

What's next for the Bridport Garden Glut stall?

The group is hoping to do cooking demonstrations for people in need when coronavirus restrictions allow.

Peter added: We're hoping to do one or maybe two days in Easter around kids clothes and maybe toys as well.

"Hopeful Hampers prepares all the children's toys before Christmas but couldn't do that this year so we had them out here for people to wrap themselves. Having a space people feel safe and can use has really worked."

The stall will be back in St Swithun's Church car park on Thursday from 9.30am.

Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter below!

You can submit your own news straight to Bridport Nub News by using the 'Nub It' button on our home page. This can also be done for events on our What's On page and businesses, groups and organisations on our Local Listings page , also by using the 'Nub It' button.

Please like and follow our online newspaper on your favourite social media channel. You can find us @BridportNubNews on Facebook and Twitter.