Something quietly powerful happened in Brighton this winter.
Across the city, diners added a voluntary £1 to their bills and together they raised £17,182 to support local families.
Half of that total, £8,591, went straight to Brighton Food Bank and CHOMP, split evenly at £4,295.50 each.
One extra pound at the end of a meal turned into thousands of pounds of food, warmth, and breathing space.
Grassroots Campaign, Introducing Love Food Share Food
At the centre of this is Love Food Share Food, a grassroots campaign built on a simple idea: if you make it easy for people to help, they usually will. Groups like Black Rock Restaurants leaned in this winter. Their teams placed small table cards, added a button to the till, and carried on doing what they do best – serving great food. The impact happened in the margins, as guests chose to leave just a little more on the table.
The Coal Shed – Part of the Black Rock Restaurants Group
Easy to get Involved
For venues, the model works because it respects how pressured service already is. There’s no cost to participate, no bulky branding to work around, no complicated admin. Hosts receive a small, discreet set of table cards, clear guidance for the till, and a short briefing they can share with staff. Donations are 100% voluntary and can be transferred weekly or monthly. Once it’s set up, it runs quietly in the background.
A bridge between people who have something to give and people who need support.
The upside isn’t only financial. In a city where diners are spoilt for choice, stories matter. “Our customers love knowing their dinner supports local families” is the kind of line that builds loyalty and pride. Staff feel they’re part of something bigger than a shift; guests feel their night out has a little more meaning. Hospitality becomes what it has always had the potential to be: a bridge between people who have something to give and people who need support.
The Impact of Giving
The numbers give that feeling a shape. Brighton Food Bank has provided the following stats:
- £3 provides emergency overnight food provision
- £5 provides basic toiletries
- £10 provides signposting for a client to additional help
- £20 provides basic food provision for a week
CHOMP uses its £4,295.50 to provide hot, nutritious meals to children and families who might otherwise go without.
Each £1 might feel small in the moment, but together they add up to hundreds of full plates and a little less worry for the households receiving them.
Now attention turns to the Spring Drive (April – June 2026). Existing supporters like the Good Times Pubs are on board year-round, helping to build a loose network of pubs, cafés, and restaurants that see social impact as part of their identity. Onboarding a new venue takes around ten minutes: place the cards, add the till button, brief the team, and you’re ready to go.
Partnering with Restaurants Brighton
This is where Restaurants Brighton plays a unique role. As sponsors of Love Food Share Food, they sit at the crossroads of the city’s food culture and its stories. Their platform reaches the very venues that can turn a quiet £1 into real, local change.
How to Get Involved
If you run a venue and this resonates, consider it an invitation to join the Spring Drive. The winter numbers have already answered the question of whether hospitality can make a difference. The only question now is how many more tables we can turn into change.
Email Jude@lovefoodsharefood.org if you would like to join the growing number of venues who are quietly making a difference. Thank you.