Norwich City Hall at Christmas.

We all know that food costs are rising rapidly and as a result, many families are really struggling. Norwich City Council and The Feed have put together a list of providers offering free or pay-what-you-can meals and food services for people in the Norwich area.

Please note that we do not endorse any of the services included on this list, therefore use of these services is at your own discretion. We do not in any way verify the quality or availability of the services listed. Before visiting any of the providers, we recommend contacting them to check they are open. This list was updated in November 2022.

Community food.

Indoor Hot Meals

  • Salvation Army, Pottergate ARC. Monday-Thursday til 3pm, Friday til 1pm. Verified rough sleepers welcome from 8am, all others 9am. Hot breakfast 90p-£2.40, free toast and free cakes/pastries, hot lunch, sandwiches.
  • The Feed’s ‘Nourish’ service Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 5.30-7pm, Saturday/bank holiday 4-7pm. Pottergate ARC. Hot meals to eat in. By referral only for those without cooking facilities. Professionals can refer clients by emailing NourishGemma@thefeed.org.uk.
  • Nourish at King’s Community Church. Sunday, 1-4pm. King Street. Hot meals to eat in, laundry and shower facilities. By referral only for those without cooking facilities. Professionals can refer clients by emailing NourishGemma@thefeed.org.uk.
  • New Hope Christian Centre. Wednesday, 10am-2pm. 2 Martineau Lane, NR1 2HX. Set snack menu, donations welcome. For more information, please call 01603 617905.
  • St Stephen’s Church Café. Monday-Friday,10am-3pm, food served 11.30am-1pm. Meal and a drink for £1.00.
  • Food Cycle. Friday, 7-8pm. Quaker Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane, NR2 1EW. Takeaway meal and bag of food.
  • Society Alive, every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, 12.30-2pm. Clover Hill Village Hall, Humbleyard, Norwich NR5 9BN
  • Corton House Community Hot Spot. Tuesdays throughout December and January, 1-3pm. The Jubilee Centre, Long John Hill, NR1 2EX.
    Sessions for people over 65 years old, including free simple hot meal, tea & coffee.Activities, social opportunities, advice and information from various charity partners. No referral needed, just drop-in.

Outdoor Hot Meals

  • The Norwich Soup Movement. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 7.30pm, opposite City Hall.
  • The People’s Picnic Tuesday, 7.30pm. Haymarket, Norwich.
  • Anon Street Team. Sunday, 7pm. St Peter’s Street, opposite City Hall, Norwich.

Food Parcels/Deliveries

  • Wymondham, Community Help Point. Tuesdays 12-1pm, Saturday 2-3pm. Our Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury RC Church, 1 Norwich Road, Wymondham, NR18 0SZ. Help Point Foodbank and food delivery, for more information please contact community@wymondhamchurch.org.uk.
  • Taverham, Thorpe Marriott and Drayton Community Food Bank provides food fortnightly, to those in the above community specifically, on a delivery only basis. No questions asked, no referrals needed. Those in need can self-refer by calling Sarah on 07921 120822 and giving us their name and address.
  • Silver Road Community Centre, Silver Road,NR3 3TB. Foodbank open Thursday 10.30-12.15 and Saturday 11-12.15. Community Fridge is on Saturday 11-12.15 too with free bread from the bread source and other items from foodhub

Community Fridges

Social Supermarkets

You can experience a new, more affordable, way of grocery shopping thanks to the introduction of social supermarkets in the city.

Social supermarkets are run by voluntary organisations, working with local food producers and suppliers to provide products at a lower cost than traditional supermarkets. These shops are aimed at anyone who is struggling to afford food, but there are no specific criteria for who can become a member.

Find a social supermarket:

Other Options

  • The Feed Café, Pay It Forward hot drink scheme. Monday-Friday 8.30am-2pm. 78-80 Prince of Wales Road. Ask a member of staff for a free hot drink provided for by public donations, no questions asked.
  • Namaste Village, Dosa on the Wall Scheme – Monday-Friday 5-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 12-9pm. Free Dosa meal, partly donated for by the public and partly by the business. Visit Namaste Village during opening times, take a voucher from the wall and collect your free Dosa meal. Namaste Village 130-139 Queens Road, Norwich, NR1 3PN.
  • Healthy Start vouchers: If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk. If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. Learn more.
  • Free school meals. These are universal for all children up to year 2. From year 3 onwards, eligibility is based on other benefits and you must apply directly. Learn more and apply here.

Christmas Day

Norwich Open Christmas plans to provide, for any guest who is able to get to St Andrews Hall, a free Christmas lunch, clothing distribution, entertainment, a take home food bag of non-perishable food and a festive bag containing Christmas Cake, mince pies etc. Sunday 25th December, St Andrew’s Hall Norwich, 11am – 5pm.