Supermarket gifts stocking community cafe
FRUIT, veg, cakes, bread and other products that would previously have been binned by Tesco when the store closed are now helping a new community group to pros- per.
For the edible food – rejected for its torn packaging or because it’s near- ing its sell-by date – now helps to stock a cafe run by a not-for-profit group in Tondu.
And the money raised from sales of food to the public are helping to grow enterprise academy Steer (Support Training Enterprise Employment Route) and fulfil its aim of helping people of all ages to better themselves and enjoy a sustainable future.
“Having this food is really supporting us to become sustainable because we are all about sustainable development,” said Tracey Miles, Steer’s chief executive officer.
“We stand for social, economic and environmental wellbeing.”
It is just one of the charities and community groups benefiting from the Tesco community food connection scheme.
Twice a week on appointed days, Tracey receives a text from the Brewery Lane store in Bridgend telling her what they have left over.
She collects the food and delivers it to the Pit Pony Cafe at Steer’s new base on 43-acres of land at Tondu House Farm, just outside Bridgend.
Tracey said not only is the food served to the public, it is also used to provide a tasty treat for the many volunteers who are giving up their time to get Steer off the ground.
She said disadvantaged young people undertaking courses at the centre have also benefited from using donated fruit to make smoothies and a fruit salad.
“Some of the young people had never tasted a mango before,” said Tracey.
“This food is creating this lovely atmosphere. Last week we had mushrooms and our volunteers made mushroom and garlic soup.
“So after working really hard all day, they are able to have something to eat.”
The Brewery Lane store’s community cham- pion Angharad Davies said prior to the food connection programme, whole boxes of eggs would be thrown out because one was cracked, packs of perfectly good fruit would be binned if there was a tear in the cellophane wrapping, wonky veg would not get passed on to the public and products nearing their sell-by date would be disposed of even if nothing was wrong with them.