BRIGHTON and Hove has become the first place in the UK to win an award for tackling food problems, including during Covid-19.

The city has been honoured with the Gold Sustainable Food Place Award from national awards body Sustainable Food Places.

It recognises efforts by sustainable food projects across the city, co-ordinated by the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership.

Vic Borrill, director at BHFP, said: “We are thrilled. Food has never been so important – it is a lens for understanding some of society’s most complex problems.

“It has the power to bring people together and changes lives.

"When people ask what is special about food in Brighton and Hove it is not one single thing – it is an attitude to improve all parts of the food system, from farm to plate.

“It is the Food Partnership approach of bringing together businesses, community and voluntary groups, local authority departments and individuals to work in partnership.

"Our collaborative approach means Brighton and Hove is one of the few areas bucking the trend on childhood obesity, has breastfeeding rates 25 per cent above the national average and has tripled the number of community gardens.”

Tom Andrews, of Sustainable Food Places, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has shown just how important it is that people have healthy diets and can access affordable, healthy and sustainable food no matter who they are or where they live.

“But the pandemic has also shown just how resilient communities can be when they work together to help those most in need, and nowhere more so than Brighton and Hove.”