Funded by The Riverside Foundation, the mobile shop will first hit the road on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 July, offering a weekly service packed with nutritious options – from everyday staples to healthy ready meals and family-friendly meal boxes.

The mobile shop operated by Can Cook and delivered in partnership with Riverside will stop at key locations across the two estates, making it easy for residents to drop by and access healthy food close to home.

Weekly schedule

Every Wednesday in Langley starting from Wednesday 16 July:

• 11am to 11.45am – Keswick Gardens, Langley, M24 4TL
• 11.50am to 12.30pm – Burnside Centre, Langley, M24 5NN
• 1pm to 1.45pm – Kentmere Drive, Langley, M24 5LQ
• 2pm to 2.45pm – Martindale Crescent, Langley, M24 5PR

Every Thursday in Colshaw Farm starting from Thursday 17 July:

• 11am to 12pm – Lime Tree Court, Colshaw Farm, SK9 2SH
• 12.30pm to 1.30pm – Oakenclough Family Centre, SK9 2PZ
• 1.35pm to 2.15pm – Tarporley Walk, Colshaw Farm, SK9 2NZ
• 2.20pm to 3pm – Blackden Walk, Colshaw Farm, SK9 2EN

The shop is open to all residents and is designed to make healthy eating easier, affordable, accessible and more enjoyable.

Can Cook is conscious that without subsidy, good food is often unaffordable to around 50% of the population; meaning half of homes in Langley and Colshaw Farm may be priced out of eating well.

Pricing for the mobile shop will therefore be subsidised to make sure meals are affordable for everyone, with ready meals costing £2.25 while cook at home slow cooker bags and cook easy recipe packs priced around £4.50 to £7.50 to feed four people.

Hazel Waddington, Chair of the Riverside Foundation, said:

“We’re proud to invest into the Well Fed mobile shop to help families and individuals make better food choices, save money, improve their wellbeing, and feel more in control of their health and finances.

“This is more than just a shop on wheels. It’s about creating lasting change and supporting households through the ongoing cost of living crisis.

“The mobile shop is part of our wider Well Fed Riverside programme, which aims to empower communities and create long lasting behavioural change and builds on the success of a 2022/23 pilot in North Liverpool, where 100% of residents continued to scratch cook after completing the programme.”

Robbie Davison, Director of Can Cook, added:

“We’re excited to launch the new mobile shop in partnership with Riverside, building on the success of our last year of work across both Langley and Colshaw Farm. The shop will allow everyone in both areas to buy affordable, healthy meals. The offer of ultra-processed free meals sold via the mobile shop is a first for the UK.

“Our previous work with meal box deliveries and cookery training has proven how vital accessible, affordable, and fresh food options are in supporting families to make healthier choices.

“We’ve reached 270 households, and we are now looking to reach everybody across both estates, once the shop starts to circulate.”

Councillor Sue Smith, Cabinet Member for Communities and Co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council, added:

“This is a welcome and practical initiative that puts the needs of our residents first. Having a mobile shop across key areas of our communities means people can access fresh, nutritious food without the barriers of distance of cost. It’s a great example of how strong partnerships can deliver real, everyday benefits for families and residents in Langley and Colshaw Farm.

“I’m pleased to see Riverside and Can Cook investing in something that supports wellbeing and strengthens community resilience.”

The mobile shop is part of the Well Fed Riverside programme, a £1 million three-year investment by the Riverside Foundation to tackle food inequality and improve health outcomes in Langley and Colshaw Farm.

The programme aims to create ‘good food communities’ by also including wraparound services such as cookery sessions and a 12-week meal box programme.

Together, these initiatives aim to help residents develop lifelong skills, build confidence in cooking from scratch, explore new foods, reduce food and fuel bills, while further supporting long-term health outcomes.

For more information about the Well Fed mobile shop and the wider programme, please contact Can Cook on [email protected] or call 01244819543.