The UK’s first food waste supermarket opens

The UK’s first food waste supermarket opens

The UK’s first food waste supermarket has opened in Pudsey, near Leeds.

Food waste campaigners from the Real Junk Food Project have opened "the warehouse", a store on the Grangefield Industrial Estate. Customers are invited to shop for food thrown out by supermarkets and other businesses.

The food is priced on a "pay as you feel" basis and has already helped desperate families struggling to feed their children.

"The warehouse has absolutely been our lifeline over the past month or so," Kirsty Rhodes told The Independent.

Kirsty was recently diagnosed with a chronic pain condition, leaving her husband with no choice but to leave work to take over most of the care of the couple’s three children. Overnight the couple’s household income was reduced to almost nothing.

“With three young children and two adults to feed we started to struggle straight away. Luckily we took the plunge to go to the warehouse and it was amazing!" Kirsty said.

What is the Real Junk Food Project?

So far the family have bought fresh pasta, juice, pasta sauce, desserts, fruit, vegetables and lots of salad. "We've even had baby milk on one occasion and our baby is 7 months so it was perfect," she said.

Kirsty has plans to run a workshop to teach people how to make jam after she used fruit from the warehouse to make her own.

Adam Smith, founder of the Real Junk Food Project, which is behind the food waste supermarket, told The Independent that there are plans to open a warehouse selling surplus produce in every city in the UK.

The initiative started as "boutiques" or food waste stalls selling produce in Real Junk Food Project cafes.

“We’re about to start in Sheffield and Bradford,” he said. “Every city will now obtain central storage and run a ‘people’s supermarket’ as well as Fuel for School.”

Fuel for School is the work of a group of food activists from The Real Junk Food Project who deliver surplus bread, fruit, vegetables and dairy products from supermarkets to schools, where it is used to feed hungry schoolchildren.

The food has been diverted from landfill after it was thrown out by supermarkets and other retailers (The Real Junk Food Project)

The Real Junk Food Project is also working to expand its pay as you feel cafe movement. There are now hundreds of cafes around the country feeding people on food waste.

As with all the initiatives, customers are invited to pay for their meal in money, time and skills.

Food and drink news

“We need volunteers,” Adam says of the new food waste supermarket. “Driving, weighing, sorting, stacking shelves, cleaning and much more. Lots of opportunities for people to get involved and give back.”

According to an investigation by the Evening Standard, supermarkets are throwing away £230m of edible food.

The Independent’s sister paper, the Evening Standard, has launched a campaign on food waste in London.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/first-food-waste-supermarket-uk-leeds-real-junk-food-project-a7317906.html






I simply cannot express how happy this makes me! To think that hungry children will be fed and there's no wasted food.
I hope this totally catches on. I think Denmark is about to follow.

It's a brilliant idea,
To throw good food away when people are going hungry is a sin.

Syl it's fantastic! You know, if restaurants could put a couple of items on their menus, dishes made from some of the food, people could choose that option at a very low price too.
Affordable eating for everyone.

Roughly 1/3rd of the world's food production (over a billion tons) is wasted annually. This is an awesome idea.

It really is. Simple but.... it's made my day.
I hated seeing hungry children when I worked in schools. Hopefully, this will help out loads of families and the idea will spread around the world.
Hopefully it won't be interfered with by greedy money makers though.

eddie wrote:Syl it's fantastic! You know, if restaurants could put a couple of items on their menus, dishes made from some of the food, people could choose that option at a very low price too.
Affordable eating for everyone.

It would be a good idea, some restaurants might take it up.
Eating out in restaurants is expensive and out of reach for many families....sad really when it's such a pleasurable experience.

Ben Reilly wrote:Roughly 1/3rd of the world's food production (over a billion tons) is wasted annually. This is an awesome idea.

European Union directives and regulations compel farmers and horticultural growers, and even seagoing fishermen, to destroy huge amounts of produce because it simply doesn't comply with some bureaucrat's opinion of what it should look like and what size it should be.

Thank God this country will soon be out of this madhouse.

Syl wrote:

eddie wrote:Syl it's fantastic! You know, if restaurants could put a couple of items on their menus, dishes made from some of the food, people could choose that option at a very low price too.
Affordable eating for everyone.

It would be a good idea, some restaurants might take it up.
Eating out in restaurants is expensive and out of reach for many families....sad really when it's such a pleasurable experience.

Try the Fawlty Towers Experience restaurant if you are ever in London!

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

Syl wrote:
It would be a good idea, some restaurants might take it up.
Eating out in restaurants is expensive and out of reach for many families....sad really when it's such a pleasurable experience.

Try the Fawlty Towers Experience restaurant if you are ever in London!

I just googled it...it sounds like fun.

Wonder if they serve Basil.

eddie wrote:Wonder if they serve Basil.

You are very quick with these little asides Eddie.

I'm more concerned about homeless people who don't have the support of anyone because they're adults. Children are always looked after by the State anyway.

Raggamuffin wrote:I'm more concerned about homeless people who don't have the support of anyone because they're adults. Children are always looked after by the State anyway.

Not if their parents don't spend the money wisely.....not every child is fed and clothed properly, even in this day and age.

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:I'm more concerned about homeless people who don't have the support of anyone because they're adults. Children are always looked after by the State anyway.

Not if their parents don't spend the money wisely.....not every child is fed and clothed properly, even in this day and age.

Well then the parents need to be pulled up rather than be allowed to use food banks or supermarket food. At least the children won't be homeless, unlike many adults who are simply ignored by the authorities and the public.

Rags. Regardless of whomever or whatever, it's a good idea, yes?

Raggamuffin wrote:

Syl wrote:

Not if their parents don't spend the money wisely.....not every child is fed and clothed properly, even in this day and age.

Well then the parents need to be pulled up rather than be allowed to use food banks or supermarket food. At least the children won't be homeless, unlike many adults who are simply ignored by the authorities and the public.

To deny anyone in genuine need the right to use a food bank or cheaper food outlets would be wrong.
If someone is hungry they should be helped.

Now THIS is socialism........

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Well then the parents need to be pulled up rather than be allowed to use food banks or supermarket food. At least the children won't be homeless, unlike many adults who are simply ignored by the authorities and the public.

To deny anyone in genuine need the right to use a food bank or cheaper food outlets would be wrong.
If someone is hungry they should be helped.

Doesn't it depend on why they're hungry? If they spent their money on booze instead of feeding their children or themselves, that's their own fault.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Syl wrote:

To deny anyone in genuine need the right to use a food bank or cheaper food outlets would be wrong.
If someone is hungry they should be helped.

Doesn't it depend on why they're hungry? If they spent their money on booze instead of feeding their children or themselves, that's their own fault.

Yep, that's why I think in certain cases benefits should be given in food vouchers.
Lots of people who use food banks are working, the cost of living is more than the wages they are earning.

Syl wrote:

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

Try the Fawlty Towers Experience restaurant if you are ever in London!

I just googled it...it sounds like fun.

I haven't been but I certainly intend to.

My daughter and family went recently and they're still screaming with laughter about it.

The evening started when she found a set of false teeth in her soup and Sybil came up to the table and said "Oh, don't worry dear, they're Chef's. They are always falling out....I'll take them back to him because he's dribbling a bit at the moment."

Apparently everything went downhill after that with Basil and Manuel creating absolute mayhem....but the food was apparently superb!

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

Syl wrote:

I just googled it...it sounds like fun.

I haven't been but I certainly intend to.

My daughter and family went recently and they're still screaming with laughter about it.

The evening started when she found a set of false teeth in her soup and Sybil came up to the table and said "Oh, don't worry dear, they're Chef's. They are always falling out....I'll take them back to him because he's dribbling a bit at the moment."

Apparently everything went downhill after that with Basil and Manuel creating absolute mayhem....but the food was apparently superb!

Lol....I can imagine the fun.
The prices were pretty reasonable for entertainment and a 3 course meal...especially in London.

I imagine the amount of money given by our government would and should ensure our own children do not need to have food from supermarket 'throwouts', having said that, I am pleased it is happening.
As a kid, although we wanted for nowt I was taught to waste food was shameful, sinful, the plight of our poor children hungry on this island was high then.

Inspections on how parents, guardians mis spend government money intended for children should be put into operation, NOW.

Look after our own first.

Syl wrote:

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

I haven't been but I certainly intend to.

My daughter and family went recently and they're still screaming with laughter about it.

The evening started when she found a set of false teeth in her soup and Sybil came up to the table and said "Oh, don't worry dear, they're Chef's. They are always falling out....I'll take them back to him because he's dribbling a bit at the moment."

Apparently everything went downhill after that with Basil and Manuel creating absolute mayhem....but the food was apparently superb!

Lol....I can imagine the fun.
The prices were pretty reasonable for entertainment and a 3 course meal...especially in London.

That's what my daughter said. Try it, and if you don't like it blame her!

Lord Foul wrote:

Now THIS is socialism........

is it, sounds like someone making money from stuff that is thrown away, capitalism at its best

i dont think so dean, they say pay what can...either in a bit of money aor in help...I would imagine a certain amount of costs are involved, from premises to fuel for volunteers to fetch and carry stuff> I cant see anyone 2making" from it...until or unless it gets corrupted by the the greedy muscling in on it.

and after this perhaps you could all force supermarkets to stop requiring all veg to be a specific size and shape. tons and tons of veg are rejected becasue it doesn't measure up. IS it the supermarkets fault or the customers. I dont know anyone who really cares what shape a potato, courgette or green bean is.
when supermarkets charge a quid a pepper you know something is very very wrong.

most veg is not perfectly shaped. it comes in all shapes and sizes but still tastes good.

Mis shapen veg, fruit discarded is a sin.

We all used to buy any shaped stuff years ago.

Has anyone amongst you evaluated the price of EACH WASHED potato in a supermarket sealed plastic bag, I do not need my spudz washed. WE ARE BEING ROBBED.

Sheer bloody madness it is, all this "perfect veggie" nonsense....

A lot of organic salad and veg is mis shapen...and people pay a premium for it.

My old man used to take a lorry to Worcester, Pershore and other places and return with loads of unsorted, all sizes of apples, plums and so forth to sell to wholesale markets and some shops, they were all in wooden returnable boxes.
This was when I was a whippersnapper and lasted for years, I used to go with him.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:Roughly 1/3rd of the world's food production (over a billion tons) is wasted annually. This is an awesome idea.

European Union directives and regulations compel farmers and horticultural growers, and even seagoing fishermen, to destroy huge amounts of produce because it simply doesn't comply with some bureaucrat's opinion of what it should look like and what size it should be.

Thank God this country will soon be out of this madhouse.

Hello Fred, good to see you posting here.

Can you show me the EU directives that compel farmers to do what what you claim with the size, shape or whatever of fruit and vegetables?

Lord Foul wrote:i dont think so dean, they say pay what can...either in a bit of money aor in help...I would imagine a certain amount of costs are involved, from premises to fuel for volunteers to fetch and carry stuff> I cant see anyone 2making" from it...until or unless it gets corrupted by the the greedy muscling in on it.

if the goods are given away for free by the supermarkets and they are being sold for more than they cost (nothing) then its capitalism

Supposedly whoever is organising this has to pay for staff, transport and the rent of premises though.

Always a piss on a bonfire round here.

I thought of this thread yesterday when I heard the local news.

In the last few months there has been an 85% rise in people needing to visit the food banks in Salford.


http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/food-banks-rochdale-salford-tameside-6992502

Syl wrote:I thought of this thread yesterday when I heard the local news.

In the last few months there has been an 85% rise in people needing to visit the food banks in Salford.


http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/food-banks-rochdale-salford-tameside-6992502

And people on here say that benefits are enough to live on....

Well....like has been said, you have to walk in someone elses shoes to actually know....

Instead of restaurants, Bakers, Cafes Tec throwing away good food, why can't they give that to the homeless and kitchens set up to feed them too.

They can even donate to this scheme, cooked foods that are cheap to buy, rather than bin it.

eddie wrote:

Syl wrote:I thought of this thread yesterday when I heard the local news.

In the last few months there has been an 85% rise in people needing to visit the food banks in Salford.


http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/food-banks-rochdale-salford-tameside-6992502

And people on here say that benefits are enough to live on....

It mentions people who had benefits changed or delayed actually, which is a different issue. It also mentioned people whose income was too low, but that could mean those who work and have to pay extortionate housing costs instead of getting it all paid for.

Syl wrote:A lot of organic salad and veg is mis shapen...and people pay a premium for it.

the fact that we have to pay so much for our food is outrageous. I blame the supermarkets.