Tesco share unsold food

New scheme to help vulnerable

Community groups and charities throughout Lanarkshire are being urged to sign up for a new scheme which will see unsold food become meals for vulnerable people across the area.

Tesco stores in Lesmahagow, Uddingston, Carluke and Lanark will work with Fareshare Food Cloud, to distribute unsold food from their stores directly to those in need.

Signing up to Community Food Connection with Fareshare Foodcloud means charities will be fully supported in the process of preparing for, and arranging, their collections.

As part of its ongoing pledge to cut food waste, Tesco’s Community Food Connection programme with Fareshare Foodcloud recruits and supports charities and community groups, linking them to Tesco stores via an innovative app that allows store teams to alert them to surplus unsold food items available at the end of each day.

The unsold food is free and includes fresh produce, such as fruit, vegetables and bakery products.

Chilled products like meat, dairy and ready meals are also offered.

Rachel Finn, Head of Community Food Programmes, at Tesco said: “No food that can be eaten should go to waste.

“We’re really excited to start working on this initiative to ensure that any unsold food we have is made use of.

“We are looking forward to forging strong links with local charities and community groups in South Lanarkshire, and to use this initiative to support their efforts to help vulnerable people in our community.”

Fareshare Foodcloud is the latest step in Tesco’s work with Fareshare on the provision of surplus food.

Any charities or community groups in South Lanarkshire using food to support people that would like to access the scheme, should register their interest by visiting www.fareshare.org.uk/faresharefoodcloud or contact Bonnie Thomson on 07572 228 273.