DH is using community pantry for free food

You can check with the organisers whether theres food left over or whether the demand is greater than supply. Unless there is a shortage, its the right thing to use it up. In my town we all started off feeling free to use the foodshare then some of us stopped when the cost of living went up and more families asked to join.

I did say I use a mixture of the local food waste pantry and Olio.

No one’s talking about a food bank. Someone asked how picking up unpredictable food waste could possibly work to incorporate into meals - and I answered.

But ok - challenge accepted.

If you gave me me those perishable ingredients right now, here’s what I would make using only those ingredients and items already inin my pantry:

Pea and mushroom risotto, cheesy garlic bread (peas from my freezer, dried mushrooms from my pantry, stock cube and risotto rice from my pantry, garlic powder, butter, dried taragon, chili flakes, part baked bread in my freezer.

Doughnut bread pudding - eggs from my vanilla and cinnamon from my pantry, milk from my fridge, doughnuts plus any leftover bits of bread I need to use up, brown sugar if needed from my pantry.

Breakfast - satsuma smoothie with satsumas, yogurt (already in my fridge), oats, ice.

They do vary obviously in what they have.
There's no specific rules and it depends where it is and who runs it.

@Fiftyandme you are obviously lucky to live near one that has these things.
Some aren't like that though. Some are just leftovers from the nearby Greggs distribution centre or wherever.

I've been a member for about a year now going twice a week and there's never only a few things available and nothing else.

The one I go to is like a proper shop with fridges, freezers, shelves and then crates for fruit, veggies etc and there's always plenty.

Absolutely but its not going to be helpful to people who don't have a well stocked pantry and can't afford to pick up a bottle of wine. That's why its a community pantry and not a food bank. Food banks give out bags of food that will supply meals for x number of days without any addtions.

Ok.

Again, I’m not sure where you’ve missed ‘well stocked non perishables pantry’ and not sure how you can’t see that when one does this several times a week one ends up with things like carrots, squashed, swedes, sprouts, parsnips, peppers, hard cabbages, little gem lettuces, potatoes, onions, spring onions, mange tout, baby sweetcorn, green beans, cauliflower, spinach, curly kale, leeks, fresh chili, corriander - all of which will keep a minimum of several days to weeks when stored correctly in the fridge/freezer and all if which I’ve had in the past two weeks . And it’s quite entirely possible to plan.

Sorry but you have lost me completely.
When people generally say they "plan" their meals they mean that Monday will be spag bol, Tuesday fish cakes and rice and so on.
If you turn up at the community pantry and all that's available is donuts, crates of satsumas and some cheese all the recipes in the world won't make a "proper" meal out of that.

Ok, I don’t know what to say. I’ve explained several times how one plans, I can’t say it any differently.

@Fiftyandme I'm confused. I DON'T think Olio is a "predictable shopping experience". That's my point. It will be completely random each day.

No, Olio is supermarkets giving surplus food to others who distribute it (just like a food pantry). What’s available is unoredicrable (just like with a food waste pantry) If you were to pop to your local food pantry the morning after having a look on your local Olio network, you would find repeat items because it’s all come from local supermarket surpluses.

im not sure how you think that Olio is this nice predictable shopping experience similar to supermarkets.

But I do use the local food pantry too and the same rules apply for using what you find: well stocked non perishables pantry and google.

ive not once said you ‘plan in advance’ - the key is a well stocked non perishables pantry and access to google (for recipes). You plan once you know what you’ve got.

Olio is a bit different though isn't it because it's individuals giving away their unwanted food.
Apologies if I am wrong about that.
But also how can you plan in advance what people are giving away?

Food waste pantries are supposed to be getting rid of food, not swapping it

I initially agreed with you OP but PP are right this is more of an eco shop rather than a food bank, so is fine (agree he should make a donation though).

That’s exactly what I’m saying -

agsin - well stocked pantry at home, access to google and hey presto, it’s pretty easy to use up whatever perishables you’ve picked up for free.

Tonight I’m making a vegetarian stroganoff - I had to pick up a bottle of red wine and a punnet of mushrooms, I already had all the non perishable items and sour cream, and the onions, peppers, leeks and courgettes I had from Olio over the past week.

lol

Community larders/fridges are for everyone.

No what I meant was you can't predict what the community pantry will have.
One day they might have piles and piles of unsold parsnips because someone at Tesco ordered the wrong amount in error.
The next day it might be some uncollected platters of party sandwiches from a local deli.
It's random.

Omg.

No it's not, it's for everyone to prevent food waste.

Yes exactly.
All it takes is some unexpected weather or something like a traffic accident that blocks the road so people can't drive to the supermarket and they are left with piles of unsold fresh goods.

Gosh
That's not aimed at him ,that's for people actually struggling,you are taking food out of the mouths of people struggling.
I'd be so upset if my DH did that

How would anyone know how many people are struggling in the village and how can anyone be sure that if you don’t take it it will be taken by someone else?
If there was one in my village I wouldn’t have a clue who needed it it’s not like I know the financial situation of every person I would assume anyone who needed it would go there and collect the food.