Target reached!
Any extra money we earn would be used to grow our social enterprise and increase our...
Tanpopo Recipe Boxes
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
Aim
We're raising money to kickstart selling our cook-at-home Japanese recipe boxes. This crowdfunder will cover our up-front costs and fees!
Who are we?
We are a group of empowered workers from the food industry who want to bring affordable, healthy food to communities in Gateshead. At the minute we are moving towards selling our recipe boxes out of Tea Sutra in Newcastle, but we’ve got our sights set on big things! We’re a co-operative, which means we all have an equal say in how things are done. We’re also passionate about Japanese food culture and hope to bring a slice of what we know to you through recipe videos, workshops and more! In the future we're hoping to work with Gateshead Council to empower the community through healthy food. We're also currently supported by The Hive and Cooperatives UK, receiving specialist support from Sunderland Social Enterprise Support.
Our Mission Statement
1. Educate around sustainability and healthy eating to combat fast-food culture in the age of austerity.
2. Utilise our knowledge of Japanese food-culture to share positive ideas around food waste and seasonality in the community.
3. Set an example to show that hospitality businesses can benefit from a co-operative model in which teams work effectively and which leads to active, worker-led decision making, profitable work, sustainable / non-precarious work in a positive environment and good value food for customers.
Our Recipe Boxes
The hospitality industry is struggling right now. Although we have a business plan ready to go for a cooperative cafe and hub in Gateshead, we've had to take a different route due to the pandemic. We've developed our unique recipe boxes to bring our food into your homes and teach you a little bit about Japanese cuisine along the way! Each recipe box contains the instructions and quality ingredients for a noodle dish of your choice, alongside a delicious sweet treat. For the production of these boxes we're lucky to be hosted by one of Newcastle's finest Teahouses - Tea Sutra - and we'll be adding one of their carefully selected teas to match our dessert.
The re
cipe boxes are designed to be quick and delicious... and they're fool proof! In about 20 minutes you will have a bowl of miso ramen or creamy tantanmen, a steamed bun filled with sweet anko beans and a complimentary tea. You'll have access to videos and text-based instructions to help you accomplish a delicious and healthy meal, no matter your skill level.
Everything we make is suitable for vegans.
We will use the money to buy eco-friendly, compostable packaging and cover the upfront costs of ingredients for 100 recipe boxes. Not only will it help us to buy what we need for our recipe boxes, but it will also help us pay ourselves. The coronavirus crisis has meant that many hospitality workers are struggling to get by. We've been working voluntarily on building Tanpopo cooperative since Februrary 2020 - your contribution to this crowdfunder will also provide jobs for members of a dedicated new cooperative.
We're a creative bunch, so you'll see a lot of hand-made artisan rewards here including handmade jewellery, cards and art prints. We've each contributed something that we've made ourselves so that you can get to know us better and further support local artists during this difficult time. You can check out photos of the art rewards below. If you purchase one of these artisan pieces, the artist will receive labour and materials costs. Some of the money we raise will also go towards paying Grey Tapes for allowing us to use their music for our video. These five lads are a local band who, like so many in the gig-economy, have been hit hard by covid.
This start up money will be used to start earning and saving for the next big step in Tanpopo's dream. After the recipe boxes are sold and delivered, we'll secure a 'meanwhile space' from Gateshead council and set up Tanpopo Kitchen and our cooperative workspace hub. The hub will host cooperative businesses from the North East, supporting the development of a coop sector in an area which has the potential to boom, contributing to the local economy and creating fair, secure jobs for empowered workers.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story,
Savannah, Ellen, Hiro, Yumi, Saya and Shiva
Original, professionally framed A5 painting by Savannah Rios Wills.
Original painting on recycled cotton, 15cm x 15cm by Savannah Rios Wills. Photo is an example, each piece is different.
‘Monstera’ A4 traditional wood block print by Saya Naruse. Available in deep green/ jungle green and teal. You'll be contacted before shipping to select a colour.
‘Octopus’ A4 traditional wood block print by Saya Naruse. Available in green/ blue/ lilac-blue and ocean green. You'll be contacted before shipping to select a colour.
'The Four Sisters' Art print by Savannah Rios Wills (available as A4 or A3)
'The Red Glove' Art print by Savannah Rios Wills, A3.
'The Shadow Self' Art print by Savannah Rios Wills, A3.
‘Dandelion’ A3 hand-carved block print by Saya Naruse. Available in blue/ dark blue-green/ spring green. Part of the 'Deluxe Tanpopo Bundle' and available as an A3 print. You'll be contacted before shipping to select a colour.
Set of 5 hand painted greetings cards by Savannah Rios Wills.
This project successfully funded on 31st March 2021