What’s in a name? Turns out... a lot.
After 10 volunteer co-design meetings, 4 weeks of public campaigning and roughly 17 cups of tea (low estimate) we received 88 suggestions for possible new names. During this time we also received overwhelming support for a name change and many people noted that Aber Food Surplus does not effectively reflect our work or our commitment to climate action and sustainability.
So then we set out to do something seemingly simple: rename our organisation.
We quickly discovered that picking a name that’s bilingual (minimum), bold, rooted in community, and distinctly not a food bank is very hard. But then you already know we like a challenge!
Our amazing volunteers got us started by shortlisting the 88 name ideas down to 17 — then passed the baton to the staff team.
Over a few lively staff team meetings (fueled by passion and not nearly enough snacks), we rolled up our sleeves to decide what our initiative should actually be called and two top contenders emerged:
Dyfodol Bwyd Aber (The Future of Aber’s Food): hopeful, future-facing, and Welsh.
Bwyd Aber (Aber Food): simple, clear, and... maybe a bit too familiar.
We debated. We got philosophical. Is “futures” too vague? Does it suggest lab-grown veg? Does “Bwyd Aber” risk dragging us back into “food hub = food bank” territory?
We want to avoid using the term “food hub” because, in the recent public perception, it has become strongly associated with food banks and emergency food aid. While we deeply respect that role, our work is different — we focus on creating positive food system change by supporting local growers, and reducing food waste, not providing crisis support. Using “hub” risks reinforcing misconceptions and can make people hesitant to engage, whereas we want our identity to reflect empowerment, sustainability, and community action. That’s why we’re careful with our language. Moving away from terms like ‘hub’ helps us tell a story that reflects who we really are: a community working together to nourish Aberystwyth and create a better future for food.
For a while, Dyfodol Bwyd Aber had momentum — it ticked lots of boxes. We even found comfort in knowing other Welsh organisations had used similar phrasing. But when we took it for a test drive in the real world? It didn’t quite land. It just wasn’t us.
So… back to the drawing board.
And that’s when it happened. We looked again at the longlist, and one name quietly stood up and waved: Porthi Aber.
It means “Nourishing Aberystwyth” — and somehow, it just felt right. Warm. Active. Rooted. Human. Nourishing food, nourishing community, nourishing change. And as a bonus, “Porthi” also means to give verbal appreciation, which is just so us. (“Thanks for saving this food from waste!” “Thanks for supporting local growers!” “Thanks for showing up with your time and energy!”)
So after all the loops, language detours, and naming existential crises — we’ve found a name we truly love. It captures who we are and where we’re going, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
We’re Porthi Aber. Nourishing Aberystwyth — together.