CALLING all foodies! If you’re potty for pasta, go silly for stews or even crazy for curry, then Toby Long could be your new best friend.

That’s because the 25-year-old bank worker has just set up the Colchester Food Exchange.

The foodies’ community group started at the beginning of the year and has had two successful meetings already.

The idea behind the group is to promote food in all its forms and encourage people not only to exchange ideas and recipes, but things they have made themselves.

Toby explains: “Local people with a passion for food can come along and bring with them a dish or a pot they’ve prepared in line with that month’s theme.

“They then exchange it with another member on the night.

“On the first night, members actually brought along two jars of their home-made produce.

“One was opened up for the tasting table and the other was kept shut, ready to be exchanged.”

As well as the exchanging, Toby has organised a number of people to speak on the nights, including Colchester’s Red Hot Chilli Fella, Andy Roshay, who gave the group plenty of inspiration for the next month’s meeting, which had the theme of curries and chillies.

Toby adds: “Our first event’s theme was chutneys and jams and we had a great turnout with some rather wacky home-made jams brought along.

“There was a banana and strawberry jam, which I managed to bag and a toffee apple jam which was also amazing.

“As well as Andy, we had a chat from a local chap who grows his own veg on an allotment. He spoke about what we could be doing in our gardens to get ready for the coming season.

“He also took questions and gave tips for beginners trying to grow their own food.”

The next gathering takes place on May 21, when members will be exchanging pies and pasties.

Toby says: “I started the group because I used to love going to farmers’ markets and wanted the opportunity to try and sell some of my own produce, but without the trouble of making lots and lots.”

Eventually Toby wants the group to run their own stalls at markets and food festivals, offering a whole range of tantalising foods.

Toby continues: “People could then just produce what they want. A few pots here, a couple of jars there, and we could sell them all collectively.

“At the moment, we have a great range of members with people in their twenties going up to those in their fifties.

“It’s great for meeting new people and, of course, tasting new foods.”

Colchester Food Exchange takes place on the third Monday of each month at 15 Queen Street.

The first meeting is free to members, but afterwards it’s £3 per session.

If you’d like to find out more about the group and events, take a look at the Food Exchange website and blog at food-exchange.co.uk