How this supermarket gave away 166 million free meals

16 February 2024 , 03:18

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Tesco's surplus food redistribution programme has helped millions so far (Image: Tesco)

An estimated seven million people in the UK are struggling to afford to eat and in recent years, demand for food banks and redistribution charities has spiked.

Right now, many people are skipping meals and going hungry because they cannot afford to eat every day.

To support local communities, Tesco is continuing to invest in its surplus food redistribution programmes.

“At Tesco, we believe no good food should ever go to waste, and it’s so important that we get food to our local communities,” says Nicki Mackay, community development manager at Tesco.

“We are very proud of our stores, distribution centres and our colleagues, as well as the army of volunteers across the UK, that help thousands of charities feed people with surplus food from Tesco stores and distribution centres each week.”

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At the end of every day, Tesco stores donate surplus food to charities and communities through its Community Food Connection scheme, delivered in partnership with food redistribution network FareShare and Olio, a food sharing app.

Olio plugs the gaps by collecting items that FareShare is unable to redistribute.

Its network of 100,000 volunteers collect food still fit for consumption and redistribute it for free to those living nearby, ensuring minimal food waste occurs at Tesco stores. Charities and community groups can then collect the food to be redistributed or turned into a meal.

Tesco’s Community Food Connection scheme is the largest of its kind, supporting more than 5,500 charities from its stores and distribution centres.

Tesco was the first UK retailer to develop an integrated food redistribution platform in partnership with food waste software FoodCloud, so charities can see what surplus food is available in stores at the end of the day.

The scheme has helped make healthier food more accessible to all (Tesco)

The success of the system is astonishing: the equivalent of 166 million meals have been redistributed in partnership with FareShare since 2016 and Olio since 2021, with approximately 3 million meals saved each month.

“We’re incredibly proud of how we’ve been able to positively impact the lives of so many families up and down the UK through the meals we’ve rescued together,” adds Olio co-founder Saasha Celestial-One.

Research from the Food Foundation think tank shows people in low-income groups eat well below the recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day, so Tesco is committed to making fresh, healthy food more accessible to everyone.

The most commonly donated surplus items are bakery products like bread, fruit and vegetables.

In addition, long-life foods like beans, pasta and rice are generously given by customers through donation points in stores.

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To find out how you can get involved, go to tesco.com/supporting-charities-and-communities

George Gaston