In our latest Health and Wellbeing spotlight, VONNE member Food Nation CIC share the recipe for success behind Men’s Pie Club and Xtra Ingredients – their food-based wellbeing programmes supporting men at risk of social isolation and loneliness. Their work enables men to connect through the simple, shared act of making pies at weekly clubs in community venues across the North East. This community-led work has driven huge improvements to life satisfaction, mental wellbeing, social connectedness, life skills and confidence for hundreds of men across the region.
Local guys, making pies. Men’s Pie Club (MPC) exists to enhance men’s health and wellbeing by strengthening social connections, building skills and resilience, and creating a sense of belonging - using food as the foundation for bringing people together.
We use the power of food to create welcoming, male-friendly social groups for men at risk of poor mental health due to social isolation or loneliness. MPC offers a space to build friendships, develop new skills and experience the benefits of a supportive community, with communal pie-making at the heart of everything we do.
Founded in 2017, Men’s Pie Club has grown steadily over the last decade while staying rooted in local communities. Our clubs are member-led, volunteer-supported and embedded in a variety of trusted community venues, offering a consistent, no-pressure male-friendly spaces.
This is important because we know many men don’t engage with traditional services or group settings, particularly those that feel formal, clinical or focused on ‘talking about problems’. Male-friendly environments like MPC remove these barriers by focusing on activity, purpose and connection.
Our impact
Over the last nine years, MPC has grown into a strong, community-led network:
- 35 active Men’s Pie Clubs, delivering over 1,500 club sessions per year
- Over 1,000 men have been involved, with 14,000+ pies made
- Over 100 referral partners across health, social care and the VCSE sector
- Around £80,000 of in-kind volunteer time, contributed by trained MPC Leaders
- Age range: 19–94 (average age 54)
Independent evaluation shows significant improvements in life satisfaction, mental wellbeing and social connectedness over just 20 weeks. Members report building stronger social networks, improved confidence and life skills, and consistently high satisfaction with their experience of MPC.
“The pie club events have become more important to me than l could have imagined. They provide valuable "me time" for me as a break from my carer life. I think it keeps me sane and l love meeting new people outside of my pie club. I struggle to feed my family so the cookery lessons have been wonderful for someone who had basic skills suddenly having to cook for the entire family. I'm grateful l can attend.” L Patterson, Pie Club member.
Why Xtra Ingredients?
As MPC has grown, members told us they wanted more opportunities to build skills, confidence and wellbeing through food, beyond the weekly club sessions. Xtra Ingredients was created in response to that feedback.
Co-designed with members, Xtra Ingredients is a structured, food-based wellbeing programme that builds on what already works in MPC, while offering a clearer, time-limited pathway for men who may be referred through social prescribing or who want something more focused.
It supports members to strengthen their life skills, health and wellbeing through practical, fun and engaging activities that encourage growth and resilience. The programme aligns with the 'Five Ways to Wellbeing' and subtly incorporates health literacy in a way that feels accessible and non-clinical.
What does Xtra Ingredients involve?
Xtra Ingredients brings together:
- Food skills: Such as cooking, baking, fermenting and budgeting
- Hands-on activities: Including foraging, outdoor cooking and food growing
- Community experiences: That support connection, purpose and giving back
The programme is deliberately flexible. Rather than asking men to attend the same session each week, participants choose a set number of sessions within a wider timeframe. This reduces barriers around confidence, health, caring responsibilities or work, while still supporting meaningful engagement.
Having participated in the programme, G Groom says: “The Xtra ingredients cooking course was really beneficial for me and my overall wellbeing. It gave me time to slow down, focus on something creative, and build confidence in the kitchen. An excellent course. I found the stottie Xtra ingredients cooking course incredibly positive for my wellbeing. It was not only a chance to learn new skills, but also a therapeutic experience that helped me relax and feel more balanced.”
Reflecting on his experience, C Elkins says: “I have really enjoyed the various cooking and pickling sessions. They have all been enjoyable and very informative and given skills to help with my culinary abilities and self-sufficiency. I would happily attend further sessions.”
Co-design, delivery and partnerships
MPC and Xtra Ingredients have been shaped directly by members. Through co-design workshops and ongoing consultation, members identified what they value most about MPC — trust, inclusivity, relationships and belonging — and helped shape how those qualities are carried into Xtra Ingredients activities. Delivery is shared across:
- MPC staff, who coordinate delivery, safeguarding and evaluation
- Local activity providers, who bring specialist skills and facilities
- Members, who continue to shape MPC and Xtra Ingredients through feedback and involvement in MPC’s new member-led advisory group (working name: The Pie Panel), which is in the early stages of development
This collaborative approach ensures Xtra Ingredients remains values-led, accessible and relevant to the men taking part.
Challenges and learning
Delivering a flexible programme across multiple locations brings challenges, including attendance, unfamiliar venues and seasonal activity planning. We’ve responded by maintaining a consistent MPC staff presence, offering personal contact with participants ahead of activities, and building in practical access support where needed.
North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) funding, via VONNE and the Healthy Communities and Social Prescribing programme, has also enabled us to strengthen our evaluation work with First Person Consulting, embedding tools that capture changes in wellbeing, social connection and food confidence over time.
Looking ahead
Xtra Ingredients is a natural next step for Men’s Pie Club - not an add-on, but an extension of our core offer. It strengthens our ability to support men at different stages of their journey and provides a clear, evidence-led pathway within social prescribing.
At its heart, Men’s Pie Club is about connection, belonging and shared purpose - brought to life through food, friendship and doing things together.
Visit the Men’s Pie Club activity portal, where people can sign up to forthcoming workshops themselves or be referred: https://xtraingredients.zite.so/