Field & Flower and FareShare

At Field & Flower, we believe good food should be enjoyed, not wasted. That’s why last year we decided to team up with local charity FareShare South West (FSSW) in order to find a responsible route for our surplus meat.

FareShare South West (FSSW) is a Bristol-based charity which redistributes quality, in date surplus food from the food industry to over 150 charities, schools and community groups across the South West. They receive food into their warehouse from big supermarket chains as well as smaller regional food companies like us. There the food is sorted, stored and picked by their amazing team of volunteers, before being redistributed across the region to member charities. It is then enjoyed by people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to a nutritious meal.

Since May 2017, we have donated our surplus meat to them, meaning it goes to feed some of the most vulnerable in our community. This follows the food waste guidelines, which calls to feed people first before other forms of disposal. We think this is a much better solution than sending it to waste!

Since teaming up with FSSW, they have redistributed over 210kgs of our premium cuts to their member charities, from prime rump steaks to freshly caught fish. This is good, in-date food which has been saved from going to waste, and is going instead to feed vulnerable people in our community. FSSW has delivered Field & Flower meat to charities of all shapes and sizes across the South West, from homeless shelters in Taunton to community centres in Gloucester.

"The nice thing about Field & Flower is the quality- it is great to be able to give prime cuts of meat to charities who are often on restricted budgets, serving people who have very little. Field & Flower are a great local food partner and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them!" - Charlie Mason, Operations and Warehouse Manager at FSSW.

FSSW follows rigid food safety guidelines and has the capacity to store and distribute fresh foods in warehouse fridges and refrigerated vans, which means they can guarantee Field & Flower’s meat will be delivered safely. We work with their warehouse team who maintain the same high standards that we do, meaning freshness is ensured throughout the process. FSSW track every food donation they receive, meaning they can ensure traceability.

"FareShare South West has enabled BAPP to open the minds (and mouths!) of hundreds of children and families. Children have tried lots of new things, including smoked cod, venison, guacamole and lentils. A group of 26 children and their parents last week tried duck for the first time and absolutely loved it!" - Bath Area Play Project, FSSW member.

"The food which we receive from FareShare is always of the highest quality. Many of the people we serve are homeless and rely on the service we provide. Many live in hostels and squats and this is their main source of food. If we did not receive food from FareShare we would find it very difficult to provide such high quality and nutritious meals." - Wild Goose Café, Bristol

Learn more about FareShare and how you can get involved with your local FareShare centre here.