UK's first 'social supermarket' opens to help fight food poverty

Community Shop in Goldthorpe gives local shoppers access to surplus food from supermarkets for up to 70% less

Britain's first "social supermarket" opens its doors on Monday, offering shoppers on the verge of food poverty the chance to buy food and drink for up to 70% less than normal high-street prices.

If successful, the Community Shop, in Goldthorpe, near Barnsley, south Yorkshire, which is backed by large retailers and supermarkets, could be replicated elsewhere in Britain.

Community Shop is a subsidiary of Company Shop, Britain's largest commercial re-distributor of surplus food and goods, which works with retailers and manufacturers to tackle their surpluses sustainably and securely.

It sells on residual products, such as those with damaged packaging or incorrect labelling, to membership-only staff shops in factories. The new project goes one step further, located in the community for the first time and also matching surplus food with social need.

Membership of the pilot store – in Goldthorpe, an area of social deprivation – will be restricted to people living in a specific local postcode area who also get welfare support.

Individuals who shop at Community Shop will not only get access to cheaper food, but will also be offered programmes of wider social and financial support, such as debt advice, cookery skills and home budgeting.

The scheme is being supported by retailers, brands and manufacturers, including Asda, Morrisons, Co-operative Food, M&S, Tesco, Mondelez, Ocado, Tetley, Young's and Müller. All are diverting surpluses to the pilot.

Company Shop hopes to open Community Shops in London and beyond next year should the pilot prove successful and sustainable.

Sarah Dunwell, director of environment and social affairs at Company Shop, said: "With many families facing tough times in Barnsley, Company Shop wanted to do more to match surplus stock with people who really need it.

"I was delighted to help develop and deliver the UK's first social supermarket. Industry surplus is hard to avoid, but what Community Shop shows is that if we all work together we can make sure that surplus food delivers lasting social good."

Bron: http://www.theguardian.com/society/...op-food-poverty
9 december 2013

Commentaar: Ik vind dit een zeer goed initiatief. De mensen die de doelgroep van deze winkel zijn, hebben het geld niet om in een 'gewone' winkel eten en andere spullen te kopen. Deze sociale supermarkt voorziet voedsel aan een zeer lage prijs. Het is niet omdat de verpakking van het product een beetje beschadigd is, dat wat zich in de verpakking bevindt niet meer eetbaar is. Op deze manier wordt er geen eten verspild en raken de 'gewone' supermarkten ook de producten kwijt die zij niet in hun winkel verkocht krijgen. Het is een goede promotiestunt van deze bedrijven (Mondelez, M&S...) om zich te linken aan zo'n mooi initiatief en deze sociale supermarkt is zo goed geholpen. Ik vind dat er duidelijkheid geschept moet worden over wie in deze sociale supermarkt eten 'mag' kopen. Als iedereen zich haast om goedkoop etenswaar in te slaan, dan wordt het doel van bestaan van de 'gewone' supermarkten weggenomen. Men kan bijvoorbeeld beslissen dat enkel mensen die in een OCMW of dergelijke ingeschreven zijn, in de sociale supermarkt hun inkopen mogen doen.