Borough Market has extended its surplus food redistribution scheme with an additional midweek collection.
The London retail and wholesale market has been working with the charity Plan Zheroes since June 2014, collecting surplus food from traders on Saturday afternoon and redistributing to local charities. Following the success of the initiative, a midweek collection has now been added.
With products like bread being baked every day, Borough considers that there is still surplus food available during the week, and with many charities only operating Monday to Friday, organisations such as St Mungo’s, ATD Fourth World, Roundhouse and Age UK are set to benefit.
In a further development, the scheme will now be pedal powered after Borough teamed up with Better Bankside, who are providing a special electric-assisted, zero-emission bike which will help reach even more charities who have been unable to come to the market to collect the produce.
Last year, the market’s traders collectively donated 8,909kg of surplus food - the equivalent of around 17,800 meals - to 15 charities across the capital.
Borough Market managing director Darren Henaghan said:“Borough Market is home to many small artisan producers who haven’t got the storage space to keep produce until Saturday - a midweek collection provides a solution to that problem. It means the produce is fresher, too, and therefore of more use to the charities.
'This is more than just simply donating food, however; it’s about working with charities which provide wraparound support, and genuinely helping the people that receive it, as well as providing food. That’s why our work with Plan Zheroes is so important.”
Darren Henaghan is speaking at FPJ Live on 4 May. For tickets visit www.fpjlive.com.
