DH is using community pantry for free food

No perhaps not but the first few posts, or even just the OP's posts.

Just makes them look a bit dim.

We have one of those too, where you pay a membership and you need a letter from a ‘professional’ - it’s a different thing.

People aren't going to rock up and read 20 pages

If it's combating food waste, and the goal is to avoid wasting food, then no I don't see anything wrong with everyone using it. You say that they advertise it as being free to 'anyone' so the organisers must know this.

I would hope that if they saw an influx of people in need, that they would change these rules to allow those people to have priority.

I've seen disagreements about this sort of thing before. I like to use the Too Good to Go app for reduced price food on offer at the end of the day. Some people came to our FB group to say that the food should just be for people who 'need' it, however, there's reasons why that isn't always feasible: for example, often people in need don't have their own transport to the awkward locations where they would need to pick up the foods, for example. The cafes just want to avoid wasting food and hopefully recoup a bit of the cost of that rather than throw it out. Also the cafes/takeaways are often only offering it at like 10pm, which is unsociable for most and mostly impossible unless you live next door or own a car.

Food waste is its own challenge and I applaud anyone organised and trying to combat it.

I’m absoloutly disgusted at the people who cannot understand he difference between a food bank and a food pantry (that is open to all and is designed to reduce food waste)

well I had a look at the website for my local pantry and it says nothing about food waste on its website. It very carefully talks about everyone having access to good food. It runs a membership scheme and you pay a small amount and you get to take £20 odd worth of food with you per visit. They are currently not taking any more members. They are part of a network so it’s not some random stand alone. Perhaps people are using pantry’s instead of Community fridges or perhaps everyone uses the term pantry differently.

My food pantry does. It also takes donations of food

Combatting food waste is good, not taking too much and perhaps making a contribution to help running costs would be ideal

There's really no shortage of people who don't bother to read the whole thread (or at least more than just the OP) before giving us the benefit of their "wisdom", is there?

I volunteer for olio which is a food waste programme. I can keep 10% of what I collect and probably spend half an hour to an hour a day volunteering.

It is not for people in poverty- people in poverty use it I am sure but it is open to all and the pure aim is to prevent food from going in a bin

I don't care if the people picking up food from me are in need or not. I just want it to go to use

On that bases YABU

The whole point is. Your partner doesn't need to be using this service. There have been times over the last few years where I could have used food banks but I didn't. Because my view was that there were people poorer than me

I do use a community pantry but I'm living well below the line. This is a lifeline to some people. If you are in the higher tax bracket you don't need to be using community pantries

I will also say. There are greedy people everywhere. The pantry I go to had to limit the items they give to people because one person basically tipped the entire table into their bag and walked off leaving other people with zero

Im sorry but if he wants to be a food waste hero there are other ways to do this - because he's not in need and I really hope he's not taking a lot of food when he goes to this pantry

It is a lifeline for some people - if you don't need it - don't use it.

Speaking as someone who used to work for an anti food waste project, we always preferred that the food was used rather than left to rot, by WHOEVER would use it. If you genuinely think he is leaving poorer people hungry, fair enough, but if the food would simply go off, unused, that's just foolish. I would talk to the people running the project and see what they think, they will know who is using the service, and whether he is taking stuff unfairly. If it makes you feel better, you could set up a standing order to the Trussell Trust, or an organisation like Crisis.

I would use the Community Pantry to cut waste and then contribute the value of the food I've had to a food bank either money or goods they are asking for.

To be honest OP I was absolutely disgusted reading this. What is wrong with him and what is wrong with you for not challenging him. Leave the food for people who really need it and put your hands in your pocket. Shocking behaviour.

Food pantry’s tend to not take ‘donations’ from individuals. It’s surplus’s foods from corporations and open to all

I’m aware of that. It’s mainly ‘food champions’ collecting food from supermarkets.

Individuals can also list food on Olio

I think it’s mean of him to do that and I think you are right to feel uncomfortable about it.
Does he make charitable donations anywhere? Does he donate to the food pantry he is taking from? i.e. a tin of biscuits, something for a raffle etc? If he does then it’s not so bad.

Is this like Food Waste Heros with Olio ? I do this. I am a volunteer and also receive 10% of the food 'waste' to keep. It's very different to a food bank. We collect food from supermarkets and places (I do Boots) at the end of day for food going off with that days date, but still perfectly good to eat. I then distribute what I collect and keep 10% of it for myself and any left over that isn't collected (which is often the case) I also keep to use. It's about being eco friendly and avoiding food going in the bin not cost.

Completely with you here. I use a community pantry. Started using it with I was on 400 pounds a month universal credit. They give free food and there's a pantry that folk can pay for so you pay 3 pounds and get 15 pounds worth of food

I would be less against your partner using this service if he was using one where he needed to give a donation.

If he wants bargains tell him to rock up to a supermarket and buy yellow stickers

😂

I think one of the issues isn’t just food poverty, but also fuel poverty (which I guess food banks try to anticipate and was certainly an issue for me - I’ll never forget the replied of the local council offering me £40 in January to put on my gas after going for weeks with no heating or hot water or gas job only to have it all being eaten immediately by ‘service charges’ so I still had to wash in cold water, couldn’t heat my house, and only had the oven or microwave)

You're a walking argument against jury trials.

I agree, it is not pleasant to live on food bank food - although where I volunteer there is additional food which is more interesting/pleasant and over the summer, a lot of fresh vegetables as a few allotmenteers grow for us. I dont know when the lists were last updated, but they also seem to be very old fashioned -tinned fish and sponge puddings anyone?

However, the community cupboard has a terrible time giving away fresh vegetables. May be some people dont have the means to cook, but a lot of people say they dont know how to cook them. They put on some classes, but still struggle. So if you do go and get veg, you get tons of it.

If it is to cut food waste and he doesn't empty it (picks up few items) and uses the items, I don't see the problem. If he goes and takes everything then that is a bit shit. If everyone was to wonder if they are too rich to take anything then it would likely go to waste.