Why A Girl Called Jack lends her support to this year’s Big Lunch

With the sixth annual Big Lunch taking place in thousands of communities on Sunday, 1st June, celebrity cook A Girl Called Jack has shared a scrumptious selection of affordable recipes perfect for any Big Lunch. The Big Lunch – the UK’s biggest get-together for neighbours – is a very simple idea from the Eden Project, encouraging people across the UK to have lunch with their neighbours once a year, for a few hours of community, friendship and fun.

Single mother Jack started creating nutritious recipes to feed herself and her son after finding herself with a budget of just £10 a week for food. Jack soon began to share her recipes with local foodbanks and the world via her website and blog (www.agirlcalledjack.com), helping others in similar financial situations.

Using her budget savvy cooking style, A Girl Called Jack has served up five recipes – a combination of savoury and sweet options, perfect for sharing at a Big Lunch. Each recipe requires minimum preparation, so all you have to do is invite your neighbours to get involved on Sunday, 1st June! The recipes are taken from Jack’s latest cookbook, A Girl Called Jack (published by Penguin Books Ltd, price £12.99) and are featured on these pages.

Jack Monroe says, “The Big Lunch is a fantastic opportunity to get local communities together over a bite to eat. I hope my recipes will help show that everyone can take part in a Big Lunch and bringing something to the table doesn’t have to cost much at all. It’s not too late to get involved on Sunday, 1st June – all you need is a few neighbours and some delicious food and you’ve got the ingredients for a great day!”

Sir Tim Smit KBE, Founding Director, Eden Project and co-Founder The Big Lunch said: “The Big Lunch is all about getting together and having fun. A Girl Called Jack’s low cost, mouth-watering recipes are perfect for every Big Lunch. It doesn’t have to be a big event. Even a small get-together in your garden or on your street is a great way to get neighbours talking sharing conversation, skills, resources – and, of course, the vital ingredient – food!”

There is still plenty of time to organise a Big Lunch as events can be any size or shape and can work for any community. They needn’t be expensive, as everyone brings something to the table. For more information on how to hold a Big Lunch on a budget, visit The Big Lunch website and download “The Funding Doctors: ‘10 tips to a Big Lunch on a Budget’.”

The Lottery-funded Big Lunch, supported by Halifax, ASDA and “StreetClub” by B&Q, is an annual event led by the Eden Project and takes place annually on the first Sunday in June.

Recent research from The Big Lunch showed that over 60% of organisers say having an event in their community made them feel less isolated and 86% of the 3.65 million people that took part in last year’s Big Lunch reported a positive long term effect in their neighbourhood as a result.

This year’s Big Lunch takes place on 1st June and packs including posters, invitations, an inspiration booklet and other materials to help organise your Big Lunch, are available from www.thebiglunch.com.