We know that life can get pretty hectic sometimes, and having to plan, shop for and cook meals is one of those things that always takes way more time and energy than you have. Whenever I have a friend or family member who is coming to the end of her pregnancy, the best thing I can think to get her as a gift is a batch of frozen meals – it tends to go down well! When we have a birth client we often offer to bring over some prepared meals that can be frozen, to make that postpartum period a little easier, but we realised that there are lots of times in life where meal prep is at the bottom of the list.
So we decided to make it a thing! Or more accurately, bring it back because when we lived in real communities women would be doing this sort of thing anyway – supporting each other so that nobody is carrying too much alone. Our village is made up of the Greater Manchester Doulas, our amazing volunteers, and women who have used our services in the past and want to pay it forward. If you are preparing for a busy period such as your postpartum, moving house, or starting a new job, and you need a helping hand with meals – give us a shout! We have a team of willing volunteers who will happily make a bit extra so that we can provide you with a bunch of frozen meals.
Who is this service for?
Any woman who is in need of a helping hand with meals at the moment. It might be that you’re struggling financially to get fresh ingredients, or find that you don’t have any time to cook from scratch. You might be heading into a busy period of your life and are planning ahead. Meals can be collected from either Fallowfield, Bury, Stockport, or Warrington. If you are unable to collect, let us know and if you’re based in Greater Manchester we will do our best to accommodate a drop-off instead.
How does it work?
This is a new service so we might hit some potholes along the way, but we believe the best way for this to work is for you to fill out an application form which will give us information such as a contact number, the date you’d ideally like your meals for, your address for drop-off if needed or preferred collection point, any allergies and preferences we need to be aware of and how many meals you would like. Once we have this information we will assess our availability and let you know if we’re able to fulfil your request at this time. If we are able to fulfil your request then between us we will cook up some lovely dishes for you and then contact you to arrange collection/delivery. You just need to make sure you’ve got enough space in your freezer!
What kind of meals can I expect, and how many?
All of the meals we make will be vegan as we are a vegan organisation, and I promise you – you’re going to love them! This also reduces the risk of food pois
We will try to cook a variety of meals for you in each batch so that you don’t get bored of the same old stuff. Our tried and tested favourites are soup, chilli, stew, dhal, lasagne, burritos, curry, cottage pie. Lots of the meals can be enjoyed with a quick pack of micro rice, some crusty bread or a jacket spud, or just on its own. We are always open to recipe ideas so if you find any that you love, send ’em over!
We will label everything with what it is along with the date is was made and frozen.
We will be offering batches of 4, 6 or 8 meals at a time for now to see how we get on.
What about allergies?
Within the application form you will be asked about any allergies, intolerances and preferences. Please put ALL of this information here as this is the only thing we will have to go off when preparing meals for you. You can also use that space to tell us if you don’t like certain things like mushrooms or peas.
How much does it cost?
We want this service to be accessible to those who need it, particularly women in financial difficulty, so the service is free to access and will be subject to availability. If you would like to make a donation at any point in order for us to be able to support more women, you can do so here. A suggested donation would be £2 per meal but anything you can donate is greatly appreciated!
This sounds wonderful! What do I need to do to access it?
We’re glad you think so! If you’re interested in getting some meals then please fill out our application form as soon as possible.
If you are interested in volunteering to cook some meals, or donating any ingredients, drop us an email to hello@greatermanchesterdoulas.com