Convenience store shoppers and local good causes on the Isle of Wight are benefitting from discounted food and surplus products as the co-operative unveils a new programme to keep as many products as possible in the human food chain.
Southern Co-op, which has 8 retail stores across the Isle of Wight, is currently rolling out the new food pathway across all of its stores – starting with products with use-by dates, before targeting food past its best before date.
The first stage on the Island launched on Monday with Too Good To Go Magic Bags. Too Good To Go is the world’s largest surplus food app that lets users rescue surprise ‘Magic Bags’ of delicious, unsold food from shops and restaurants so it doesn’t go to waste. Via the free-to-download app, customers can buy surplus food and drink products from local Southern Co-op sites which are near to their expiry date.
The second stage will see the rollout of other initiatives designed to save food that has gone past its best before date – either by reducing it to 20p or donating it to local good causes.
Gemma Lacey, Southern Co-op’s Director for Sustainability and Communications, said:
“All of these programmes involve a different method of improving food sustainability. By combining them together and making sure they are right for each store, we hope we can prevent food from going off to be recycled and get more into the hands of customers and good causes.
“It will benefit our customers as snapping up a Magic Bag could help those who are finding budgets tight as well as dozens of charities who can make use of goods past their best before date – which is a date that relates to quality, not the safety of the product.”
As part of the Too Good To Go trial, Magic Bags of food will be available to rescue for just a third of the cost at £3.29 – with an original value of £10 or more.
Originally trialled at 12 stores since 31st January and a further 26 from 19th April, so far more than 7,000 Magic Bags have been saved by customers.
At the end of each day, the store notifies a local connected good cause through Neighbourly about which food and drink items are available to collect. If the charity is unable to pick up, then it is offered to a 2nd linked local cause.
The stores on the Isle of Wight which will be rolling out these new initiatives are: Bembridge’s Sherbourne Street, Carisbrooke’s High Street, Cowes’s Mill Hill Road, Freshwater’s Avenue Road, Rookley’s Main Road, Ryde’s West Street, Sandown’s Avenue Road and Shanklin’s Regent Street.
Will this be after the staff have had their pickings
in my time at southern coop staff werent allowed to buy reduced or out date goods.they could come back and hour after there shift ended.
When I was a student, I worked at a Marks & Spencer in Watford. The job was a nightmare, but the one perk was they sold off out of date food to the staff. My mum used to love it.
Stale and out of date food should be ALL that is given to the paupers on benefits who then scrounge free food parcels as all money spend on dope, the BMW, take aways, phones, tattoos. beer and false nails and lashes.
Otherwise to open to abuse.
IF they are that hard up they will eat it or maybe even get their priorities right…then again
Rather a sweeping generalisation. Quite rude to assume that all of those in need, are scroungers and drug users. You should judge yourself before you judge those less fortunate.
Look to your own failings as a human being.
A great scheme; many times I’ve eaten food beyond the best before date, which is merely advisory. I judge food by its appearance and smell when deciding whether to eat it. Of course there must be some form of monitoring otherwise GPs and St Mary’s will be inundated with calls re food poisoning.
Common sense will prevail.