too good to go food waste app - anyone else use it?

[TheGenealogist]

Huge fan of this app - friend told me about it over lockdown and after I'd had my first "magic bag" I was hooked! The basic idea is that you pay for a lucky bag of food from a local retailer which would otherwise have gone in the bin. Picked up a bag from a M&S petrol station shop last night, cost me £4, got two large packs of salmon, two panini wraps, two packs of sandwiches, a side salad, a bag of mixed veg, and a pack of melon. Greggs also do bags which the kids enjoy - most of the bags we've had from there have a couple of the bakes, sausage rolls, cakes, pastries.

Yes it's all short-dated, yellow sticker stuff but lots can be frozen. Or eaten the next day. Definitely worth looking at if you're flexible about what you eat. Lots of restaurants do it too, although pick up times can be much later in the evening.

Any other fans???

The local food waste charity does them - a £5 chilled bag or a £10 family box.
This was a family box:

Jeezo @NeedNewKnees that's amazing!

Used to when I lived in the city but there's only greggs here and we don't need encouragement to eat junk food!

The £5 chilled box had pork and lamb mince, two packs of fish fillets, chicken goujons, chicken breasts and a few pots of chilled chocolate mousses.

I had the app for ages but not a single thing was ever available where I live (IW) so I gave up and deleted it. I was very disappointed.

Funny I've just come across this thread as just been and picked up a bag from a indie convenience store nearby. Its the first bag that I've been a bit over ( even the morrisons million punnets of plums didn't raise the eyebrow). The contents of the box are all 2-3 months past the best before date. I know you can get things past best but this is the first one I've had where they are that far past. It's mainly tins and crisps so nothing that's going to make us ill but the shop has a really good rating and wasn't expecting that

Most of my bags have been fresh stuff, don't think i've ever had tins and packets.

If shops are having to use too good to go to get rid of tins and packets, their stock control is rubbish!

My daughter introduced this to me recently. I have been getting rather too many cakes from the Korean patisserie. I don’t get supermarkets on mine though, but I live in the US where they often don’t bother with sell by dates and just sell manky stuff anyway.

I’ve browsed this several times but never actually ordered anything. Apart from trying to watch the waistline I did wonder if the stuff is a bit dried out/old ? If it’s been sitting on some deli counter all day?

Depends what you get, it's no different than going into Greggs at 4.30 and picking up a doughnut on your way home from work or school. I've never had anything I thought was too past its best to eat.

Can someone explain the process to me. Feel like I could manage it in a drive through but there's local carverys on here and I just think if feel really awkward. Going up to the till in a pub saying I've reserved a too good to go.

Live in a bigish town, but nothing like central London so not sure it's very well used around here...

I can't see a way to filter it to vegan/veggie, but someone else may know if it has an advanced setting I can't see.

Yes, you can!!

Open the app and go to 'Browse' (one of the four main categories at the bottom). Then hit the icon on the top left that looks like three horizontal lines with dots on them. It'll bring up a page where you can filter your results, choose either vegetarian or vegan and hit apply.

It's no different from ordering anything else in a shop. The food will already be packaged up in a bag when you arrive to collect it.

The staff will be dealing with up to 5 bags every day, they will not batt an eyelid. I really don't see what there is to feel awkward about?

I’ve found it a bit hit and miss. I did a greggs one and it had far too much sweet stuff.
I was regularly getting Morrison’s and sometimes it would be great and sometimes terrible. I complained about one that had rotten food in it and I got my money back.
I might give it a go again however the Morrison’s one for me tends to be 80% veg, 10% fruit and a packet of donuts, every time!

never bought a magic bag, but have had some brilliant £1.50 fruit and veg boxes from Lidl . Great way to get more healthy stuff in my diet,best recent box contained 1 punnet of strawberries, 3 large peppers, 4 tomatoes, 4 potatoes, a bunch of beetroot, an iceberg lettuce,packet of radishes, 2 apples,3 bananas and 2 satsumas, all fresh enough, great bargain!

I ordered my first bag today! Unfortunately it was later cancelled as they didn't have enough leftovers. Trying again tomorrow.

I got the Easter one from Morrison's and the advert said something like "Easter treat bag, left over whatever can contain x, y and z and maybe some hot cross buns"

It only contained hot cross buns. 16 of them. I don't even like them that much to eat 16 of them.

I got one from marks and it had 3 things in it, the value of the 3 items was way less than the £4 it cost for the bag.

I won't use it again.

I keep looking....

is this the produce that has been left after the normal reductions in store?

thank you

@RollerGirl7

Can someone explain the process to me. Feel like I could manage it in a drive through but there's local carverys on here and I just think if feel really awkward. Going up to the till in a pub saying I've reserved a too good to go.

Live in a bigish town, but nothing like central London so not sure it's very well used around here...

I get what you mean. I felt like that the first couple of times but honestly, nobody's judging you. They really aren't that interested. The only people who are interested are the ones who'd like to do it themselves.

Yes, I’ve used it several times. Our local carvery is often on there and they just give you a takeaway box to go along the carvery and serve yourself as you usually would for £3.50.

Also been to get one from a Waitrose petrol station, we got a big tub of chicken soup, a pizza, garlic bread, pack of chicken breast slices, two slices of New York cheese cake, a big box of quinoa/grains/humous salad type thing and some samosas for £5.

Auntie Ann’s pretzel place wasn’t so good, just a big (cold) cinnamon pretzel, some sugary pretzel sticks and a little cup of cheesy/bread bites. £5 and ended up getting stung to pay to park as well.

I've tried several times but have never managed to get one, they sell out in seconds round here. I tried widening the search to 10km, but they all seem to want collection between 7-10pm and with two young kids to get to bed, it's awkward for me to get out at that time

@whatsthestory123

is this the produce that has been left after the normal reductions in store?

thank you

Depends on the store. In the spar / M&S garage places yes it's the yellow sticker goods. But yellow sticker veg or sandwiches are fine the next day. Lots can be frozen. For bakeries, they don't really do yellow sticker as it's made fresh each day, so it's what's left at the end of service. Other places are more random.

Someone mentioned a hotel breakfast - better they get a couple of quid and let someone take all the cooked food than Chuck it.

@nonotmenotI

I got the Easter one from Morrison's and the advert said something like "Easter treat bag, left over whatever can contain x, y and z and maybe some hot cross buns"

It only contained hot cross buns. 16 of them. I don't even like them that much to eat 16 of them.

I got one from marks and it had 3 things in it, the value of the 3 items was way less than the £4 it cost for the bag.

I won't use it again.

I’d take a photo and send to customer service. They are really good and will refund if the bag doesn’t contain the value it advertises.

Agree - we once went to pick up a bag at a place which was closed. They refunded no questions asked.