This year has seen a real increase in activity on campus with BU staff, contractors, students, and the Students’ Union all working hard to find ways to grow food and feed our community in a sustainable, resourceful way.
Our contractor, Chartwells, have planted a new herb and vegetable patch
We are pleased that the raised beds on the roof terraces of the Fusion Building at Talbot Campus have been taken over by our catering provider Chartwells. The Head Chef and team have planted over 200 onions, 50 garlic bulbs, plenty of carrots and some mint herbs! We are thrilled that these are being used as ingredients in recipes sold in the building. In addition, some of the compost used comes from an on-site composter which uses food waste produced on campus. This is a fantastic circular example of turning waste into a resource and growing food locally. A big thank you to John Barrow and the team at Chartwells.
How does the composter work? Food waste and wood chips are placed into the composter. Micro-organisms break down the organic matter, which generates heat. The composter can also be rotated manually, which generates additional heat. This creates ideal conditions for producing compost at a fast rate. In 2023-24, 1.03 tonnes of food waste from the Fusion Building kitchen was fed into our composter.
Chartwells Head Chef, John Barrow, said, “With the ever-changing world around us and consumption going up every day, it’s great to be able to use nature to bring down waste and grow food at the same time, something I hope will become more common in the future with other food businesses”.
The SUBU Community Garden is now up and running!
We are very proud that BU Students' Union (SUBU) have developed a new Community Garden on our Talbot Campus, supported by grants from BU Estates, Neighbourly and Students’ Union as well as donations from the community.
This project has seen the transformation of an unused plot of land into a thriving space for inspiring and educating students, staff and the local community on the topic of food growing. All produce grown in the garden will be used to supply the SUBU Community Kitchen - a space for students to eat and access food if needed - with fresh, seasonal, and chemical-free fruit and vegetables. The garden will also be used for activities such as monthly supper clubs, workshops, plant sales, and SportBU kids' camp.
Drop-in volunteering sessions are available for anyone in the community to gain some experience and help to maintain the garden. Read more about how to get involved on the SUBU website.
SUBU Advice and Support Manager and driver of the Community Garden project, Chloe Lockett said, “By opening the allotment we are taking a proactive step toward creating a more resilient and supportive campus environment”.
If you would like to learn more about growing food and get involved, you can volunteer at the new SUBU Community Garden on Mondays and Wednesdays. You can find out more about what Chartwells are doing for sustainability by following the @BournemouthUniFood Instagram page.
For any questions, please contact [email protected]
