CREDITON’S Tesco superstore at Wellparks is now taking part in a national scheme set up by Tesco whereby food that is due to go out-of-date is now given away to local organisations that are able to come and collect it at the end of the day.

The scheme was piloted at a small number of Tesco stores around the country and has been such a success that it has now been rolled out across the country, allowing the Crediton store to get involved.

None of the waste that Tesco produces goes to landfill, and the excess food products which had reached the end of the “sell by” date had previously been either turned to fertiliser, used to power electrical generators or turned into animal feed.

Under the new scheme staff at the store still go through their regular routines but now a charity receives a text message with what is available for them and they reply to say whether or not they would like to collect.

Rhonda Gallacher, the manager responsible for setting up the scheme in the Crediton store thinks it is a brilliant opportunity for those that are in a position to take it up.

She explained: “Although the food items that we hadn’t sold could still be recycled as such, this new scheme really does benefit local groups that are in a position to use it to provide meals for their patrons.

“We drew up a list of local groups that we thought it may be suitable for and Fareshare, the Foodbank charity that we are working with, contacted everyone to establish whether they would meet the criteria and when they would be available to collect.”

Under the rules of the scheme the organisations come to the store at around 8.30pm to collect whatever is left at the end of that day. They have the choice about what items it is that they require and can refuse anything that isn’t suitable for them.

The first in to collect were Pippins Pre-School and Nursery, which provide an after-school club and Breakfast Club for more than 100 children.

Manager Hazel Hodge, said: “We signed up to the scheme to prevent food from being wasted and thrown away which is edible.

“The scheme saves the charities money, enabling us to purchase new resources. Pippins and Kidz Star Club children already benefit from a variety of fruit and vegetables however this scheme will give us a broader selection – some of  which we would not normally purchase.”

Hazel continued: “In our first week we received a selection of breads from the Bakery which the children really enjoyed – all of it was consumed.

“Children also explored celeriac for sensory play.

“The scheme will enable children to get more involved with preparing their food and drink, for example making wraps using salad products.

“We will further extend the children’s learning about the Healthy Eating Plate, portion sizes and which foods are healthy for their bodies to develop and grow.”

The types of organisations involved can vary greatly from schools and children’s groups to those that cater for the elderly population and everything in between.

Turning Tides are an organisation that work towards a common aim: to make equal access to music, the arts and life a reality for people with “learning disability” or “autism” labels.

Dominic Palfreman, from the group, commented: "We’re looking forward to making healthy lunches and everyone learning about nutrition and developing cooking skills" and in addition Carol Hewings, also from the group, stated: "It’s great that the community is coming together to decrease food waste.”

Turning Tides has plans to make use of as much of the produce available as they can.

Abi Innocent is: “looking forward to cooking and sharing healthy recipes”, while Stuart Raymont said: "We’re hoping to make lots of Jam, loads of it, we’ve got to!"

Copplestone Primary School is another children’s organisation that has signed up to the new scheme.

Administrator, Tina Cartlidge said: “We are very pleased to be part of the new FareShare Community Food Collection Scheme with Tesco.

“The pupils at our school are benefiting from the scheme with fruit and bread being used at our Breakfast Club, potatoes and vegetables have been used for printing in our Preschool and the flowers really brighten up the school entrance.

“The cookery utensils generously donated by Tesco will be a great addition to our new building for the children to take part in cookery sessions.  The staff at Crediton Tesco are very friendly and accommodating which makes the collection easy.” 

The Tesco store manager, Simon Anbany, said he is delighted with the opportunity to increase the community benefits that the store provides.

He commented: “In some ways this scheme is a bit of a no-brainer. We have this excess of produce that can be used to feed people and, until now, we have had to send it to be recycled in other ways. To be able to let it go to those who will both use it and appreciate it is a great step forward and allows us to do something else good for our local community.”

The scheme does have some restrictions on who can apply and what is required, but if you know of, or are part of an organisation that feels that they would be able to collect the food and put it to good use, please contact the stores Community Champion, Andrew Drayton by emailling: [email protected] for more details.

Alan Quick