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Original poster

Community larder - would you use one

108 replies

Moana987 · 31/07/2025 11:00

If you didn't need to for financial reasons?

Within a 15 minute drive I have 3 Community larders where you just go and help yourself. Sometimes they have some decent stuff in and other times its just stale bread left.

I use them now and again, when passing I may have a look but financially I dont need to use them so I feel guilty sometimes encase others need the food.

They are not food banks. They are to stop food that's perfectly fine going to waste.

Would you use one?

OP posts:
JMSA · 31/07/2025 11:17

I’d ask the people running it if I was permitted to buy stuff. I’ve never used one but maybe they all have different rules.
It does sound like a great initiative to reduce waste (I still think I’d feel a bit bad though, in case others needed it more).

ForeverPombear · 31/07/2025 11:15

I don't because I financially don't need to and the one near me always runs out of food which I'm hoping means people who need them are getting the food. I'd feel too bad doing it.

Original poster
Moana987 · 31/07/2025 11:14

OnyourbarksGSG · 31/07/2025 11:08

Yes, we have one by me and I think it’s great. Add you say, sometimes it’s great stuff sometimes it’s awful. But I really like the idea of saving food from landfill and my guinea pigs love the “past It’s best” fruit and veg. We have another place a few miles away that get huge bulk deliveries of surplus food add they sell it on cheap. Often there is nothing wrong with it at all, and it’s just an incorrect order or they have ordered too much. At the moment they are doing 4 punnets of strawberries for £1 and 10 portions of other fruit and veg for £2. They ALWAYS have free bread add you can take up to 4 at a time. Other times they have had 15 free eggs with your 10 fruit and veg, 4 packs of free sausages, 4 litres of milk etc. it’s a brilliant community initiative and they also offer free DIY classes for women, recycled paint for cheap, a mega cheap cafe from the food.

Your Bulk place sounds great. Nothing like that around here!

OP posts:
AutisticAndMore · 31/07/2025 11:12

Thehop · 31/07/2025 11:08

Yes because they're not good banks they're to avoid waste. I'd be careful not to take more than I could use.

if a family needed a food bank and the larder was empty they could use one.

You can’t always use a food bank when you need to. They often have limited days and hours. I used to volunteer making referrals to food banks and it was awful to have to tell someone that they’d have to wait a day or two.

AutisticAndMore · 31/07/2025 11:09

No I’d leave them for people who actually need them and that’s the intended purpose of any that I’ve seen. Free fruit that people leave outside of their homes is one thing but I personally wouldn’t take from a community larder.

Thehop · 31/07/2025 11:08

Yes because they're not good banks they're to avoid waste. I'd be careful not to take more than I could use.

if a family needed a food bank and the larder was empty they could use one.

OnyourbarksGSG · 31/07/2025 11:08

Yes, we have one by me and I think it’s great. Add you say, sometimes it’s great stuff sometimes it’s awful. But I really like the idea of saving food from landfill and my guinea pigs love the “past It’s best” fruit and veg. We have another place a few miles away that get huge bulk deliveries of surplus food add they sell it on cheap. Often there is nothing wrong with it at all, and it’s just an incorrect order or they have ordered too much. At the moment they are doing 4 punnets of strawberries for £1 and 10 portions of other fruit and veg for £2. They ALWAYS have free bread add you can take up to 4 at a time. Other times they have had 15 free eggs with your 10 fruit and veg, 4 packs of free sausages, 4 litres of milk etc. it’s a brilliant community initiative and they also offer free DIY classes for women, recycled paint for cheap, a mega cheap cafe from the food.

SkintSingleMumm · 31/07/2025 11:07

Not if i didnt financially need to no. I dont financially need to at the moment but i would if needed in the future