FoodCycle started operating in 2009 with its first community ‘hub’ in London, and now has four hubs in London and others in Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool and Norwich.
The organsisation accepts donations of surplus food from businesses, particularly perishables like fruit and vegetables, which are turned into a nutritious meal by volunteer chefs and served in community cafes at affordable prices.
The cafes operate on a pop-up basis, taking place in community centres or church premises at lunchtime, several times a week.
CEO and founder Kelvin Cheung told FoodNavigator.com that the organisation is now seeking a trustee to champion the model within the food industry – and help companies, especially retailers – to understand the potential for addressing food poverty when the community pulls together.
He said that some food manufacturers and retailers are reluctant to donate surplus, which would otherwise be thrown away, because they are worried about liability and brand management. However much of this food is perfectly safe to eat – and the charity has safety controls in place to ensure that what is not suitable is not served.
The food industry wastes very little food in proportion to its output, Cheung said. But if a big company wastes just 0.01 per cent, that could be 100kg of food.
Although FoodCycle is focused on perishable food it also accepts packaged and prepared foods – and it works in partnership with food bank FairShare to pass on any goods that it cannot use.
More information on the trustee vacancy is available at http://www.foodcycle.org.uk/dl/FoodCycle-Trustee-Food-Industry-Expert.pdf