Freezer donation for Pot Luck Cafe
Tesco supports SCYD and Perth Autism group
Big-hearted staff and customers at the Tesco store in Blairgowrie raised £320 for two chest freezers for two local charities recently.
The money was raised through a raffle in the shop on Welton Road and the freezers were donated to the Strathmore Centre for Youth Development (SCYD) and the Perth Autism Support group, the latter based on Jessie Street in the east Perthshire town.
SCYD and Perth Autism Support are two of the local charities benefitting from Tesco’s food redistribution initiative which sees the supermarket giant redistribute surplus food that would otherwise have been thrown away to local community groups and organisations who transform it into nutritious meals available to local people.
Through the scheme, SCYD has set up a new ‘pot luck’ cafe offering people in Blairgowrie and beyond the chance to enjoy a free meal.
The unusual eaterie is based in the Wellmeadow Cafe on Gas Brae and is open on Tuesdays.
The surplus produce that is redistributed includes fruit and vegetables, cakes, grocery items and goods that are perfectly fine but that the shop can’t sell due to damaged packaging.
Wellmeadow Cafe chef Becky Moran makes lots of tasty and nutritious meals from the produce, including many varieties of soup and other dishes, which are available for free.
And the new chest freezer will enable the teams at SCYD and Perth Autism Support to freeze any surplus fresh food that is not snapped up.
Becky, the current Blairgowrie and Rattray Young Person of the Year, said: “The first week we collected four big boxes of produce from Tesco and were able to make lots of soup and offer treats such as croissants and pastries as well.
“We put up a post on Facebook and there were so many positive and supportive comments from people saying what a fantastic idea it was. The young people who come to SCYD after school all had soup and fruit – as well as some of the sweeter goodies!”
She added: “We would like to thank Tesco and everyone who bought raffle tickets for their support.
“The new freezer will make a big difference to us and it means a lot to us to be able to offer this service and in turn support the local community.”
The Pot Luck Cafe is based in the Wellmeadow Cafe on Gas Brae and is open on Tuesdays from 3.30pm until 6pm.