A SECOND successful online ‘eco cafe’ was held at the weekend by Skipton’s St Andrew’s Church Eco Group.
Around 30 people from across the area joined on Zoom to enjoy their own coffee and cakes and a chat about eco matters. The guest speaker was Michael Jennings from “Steep & Filter Independent Coffee & Tea House, Grocers and Refill Store” in Otley Street, Skipton.
He explained the background to the establishment of the independent coffee & tea house, grocers and refill store. He shared his enthusiasm for looking after the planet and described how the goods sold in the shop and used behind the scenes in the cafe are sourced. By buying in bulk he is able to pass on some savings as often organic and ethically sourced food is thought, wrongly, to be more expensive. He reflected on the fact that one aspect of modern life is that we have forgotten about the seasonality of our fresh food. He encouraged us to look forward to the joys of fresh tomatoes and new potatoes coming back into the shops and to cook from scratch using seasonal fruit and vegetables. As a society we might have a much wider range of fresh food available but at the cost of flying it in from all parts of the world and adding to pollution by increased air miles.
Mr Jennings was asked about how the business has expanded since being set up in March 2018. He talked about how setting up a new business is never easy and with the pandemic there have been extra pressures. It had been a “bit of a journey” but in many ways they had been able to provide a support to the local community and add to people’s awareness of the environmental issues of today.
In light of the current climate emergency he felt that it was important for the government to look at large scale solutions but also for each of us as consumers to make ethical choices which show our concern.
The talk was followed by a lively question and answer session, with questions such as “Should I still be buying avocadoes when they are flown from the other side of the world?” to “What is the advantage of only buying fresh goods which have come from within Europe?” Mr Jennings also “showed us around the shop” and explained how the refill store works, enabling people to buy dry goods and refills of washing up liquid etc in whatever quantities they wish and using their own containers.
The café continued in small group discussions when participants shared ideas and information, particularly about what inspired them to become more ethical. They shared their tips on composting, encouraging wild flowers, ethical banking and reducing plastic waste, as well as sharing dates of upcoming events and book recommendations.
There is lots of positive action taking place in this area. Shortly, St Andrew’s will have installed raised beds for vegetable growing in association with Incredible Edible and St Mary’s Embsay is working with other churches to become carbon neutral by 2030.
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