Surplus to Supper Trust CIO

Who we are

Surplus food redistribution

Surplus to Supper is a surplus food redistribution charity.

Our mission is to bridge the gap between food waste and food poverty locally.

We collect surplus food from local retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and caterers then redistribute most of it to 100s of local projects―such as foodbanks, charities, schools, and community organisations―ensuring it reaches those most in need. We do all this, totally free of charge.

All of this means, every day we save and deliver more than 2 tonne of food―that’s 5000 meals―that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

We operate 364 days a year, relying on a team of volunteers to collect and distribute this food in chilled vans.

The rest of the food that collect is used to support our other activities, The Surplus Kitchen and The Surplus Market.

Surplus food redistribution

Food becomes surplus for many different reasons, such as packaging errors, short-date coding, over-ordering, or cosmetic imperfections. Our stringent policies, guidelines, and storage and transportation procedures ensure we meet strict Food Safety Legislation. All our food handlers undergo relevant industry-certified training.

Operating 7-days a week, our volunteers use chilled vans to collect and redistribute the surplus food from our hub at Sunbury Cricket Club in Lower Sunbury. We sort and redistribute it, according to the needs of our projects, or safely store it the same day. Surplus food consists of fresh fruit and vegetables, bakery items, dairy products, meat and fish, store-cupboard items, and frozen foods.

We have a daily/weekly delivery schedule with our projects depending on their needs and our availability―making 40 deliveries on an average week to ensure food regularly flows to those in need.