Offering choice in food support: a process evaluation in a London food bank

Background

To address financial pressures and uncertainty over the supply of donated food, many food banks are adopting ‘cash-first’ approaches, giving users a choice in the type of support and range of food they can access. However, evidence on the acceptability and impact of these approaches remains limited. This study reports a process evaluation from a trial in a London food bank assessing the impacts of offering food bank users a choice between supermarket vouchers and food parcels.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews and one focus group were conducted with five food bank staff (intervention implementers) and twenty users (intervention recipients). Topic guides, informed by the principles of realist evaluation, explored food bank experiences and perceptions of the intervention. Data were analysed thematically, informed by the General Inductive Approach.

Results

All participants reported that having a choice between supermarket vouchers or food parcels was highly beneficial to both food bank staff and users. For staff, supermarket vouchers improved operational efficiency, which increased capacity to deliver wider support services. For users, choice had positive impacts via two distinct pathways. Firstly, being offered a choice made people feel respected and trusted. Secondly, receiving supermarket vouchers rather than food parcels (having made that initial choice) provided autonomy to purchase healthier and more culturally appropriate foods. Logistical benefits included reported reductions in travel and carrying heavy bags, and decreased food waste. Users also reported positive impacts on both mental and physical wellbeing.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that supermarket vouchers are highly acceptable and efficient alternatives to food parcel provision. Offering choice in food support provides a novel pathway that increases dignity, reduces stigma, and enhances autonomy for supporting people experiencing food poverty.

Key messages

• Offering choice in food support improves dignity, autonomy, and wellbeing while reducing stigma and food waste for people experiencing food poverty.

• Cash-first approaches increase efficiency for food banks and provide users with flexible, culturally appropriate food choices, improving both service delivery and user experience.