Bags of food waste at well known bakers in Romford

[Malibuismysecrethome]

I’m upset to see the bags of food wasted by the Romford branch of a High Street food outlet and their spokesperson saying is goes for renewable energy. A former worker has exposed the practice. Why can’t it be put out at 3.30 pm for school kids and people in food poverty. The binned items include sandwiches.

Me too, OP - I’m hoping things will change for the better now, because of that article, and businesses will think about distributing surplus food rather than just putting it in the bin.

Because their profits would be reduced and some people would wait for free food!
Yes, they need to manage their stock control better, but they aren’t responsible for feeding people, for free. The money is coming from somewhere!

@JackieWeaversLaptop

Me too, OP - I’m hoping things will change for the better now, because of that article, and businesses will think about distributing surplus food rather than just putting it in the bin.

Or just prefer less food so there isn’t so much waste. That would be the best outcome in all of this.

*order (not prefer)

I don't understand why it can't be donated to charity like the supermarkets do.

I can’t see people who want breakfast or lunch waiting until 3.30 pm to eat and we are talking 6 black bags so the shop could afford to give it away or sell at a greatly reduced rate and not just dump food.

Wait, are you the poster who is always sniping about the family who had a lot of children? Never openly but faux disgust at the bakery, the pie quality, now the waste...?

If so, please get a grip and then another grip to keep that one in place.

@Malibuismysecrethome

I can’t see people who want breakfast or lunch waiting until 3.30 pm to eat and we are talking 6 black bags so the shop could afford to give it away or sell at a greatly reduced rate and not just dump food.

A sandwich lasts more than a day! If I get a free one, I’m not buying one the next day! I imagine anyone who takes a free sandwich may think that! And if you can afford all your meals, why take the few sandwiches? It’s not the responsibility of small business to foot these costs then pass on for free. A better manager is needed in this place to manage supply for sure, but waste should be minimised where possible.

They don’t have to give away food just because they aren’t using it! And when you start relying on this, that’s a slippery slope!

Imagine being known as the ‘free sandwich’ shop after school?!

No thank you!

PlanktonsComputerWife no I’m not

@PlanktonsComputerWife

Wait, are you the poster who is always sniping about the family who had a lot of children? Never openly but faux disgust at the bakery, the pie quality, now the waste...?

If so, please get a grip and then another grip to keep that one in place.

LOL. No, that’s not me! Nice try though - obfuscate a bit of common sense and reduction in food waste, with your views on pies and children

(P.s, Got 4 kids and love pies!)

Could it be another example of H&S madness that past a certain time the food can’t be eaten? So they have no choice but to bin
Just a guess mind- I have no knowledge (and don’t even know who you are on about)

And it that wasn’t directed at me - my sincere apologies

^ so it’s ok to just dump 6 bags of food when there are food banks and food poverty?
Why not get a reputation for helping the community?

@Malibuismysecrethome

^ so it’s ok to just dump 6 bags of food when there are food banks and food poverty? Why not get a reputation for helping the community?

Because it is costing them money!!! Why should they do this, as a small enterprise for free!

If they go out of business due to financial mismanagement, jobs will be lost.
Is that ok???

Ours sells leftovers on the too good to go app - we sometimes order one and pick it up on the way home from school. Strikes me a good way to reduce food waste.

www.mirror.co.uk/money/greggs-worker-fired-after-exposing-26009137

Here's the actual story. Sounds like not every Greggs has an arrangement with charity to donate. And there's all sorts of regulations regarding refrigeration, or how long a hot product has been out of the oven, not to mention Natasha's Law and food labelling re allergies. Sometimes things aren't as simple as you would like.

It’s not the responsibility of small business to foot these costs then pass on for free.

OP said it was a branch of a large chain. I think it's reasonable to expect large corporations making money selling us stuff to do something positive for their local community. People in the area are hungry and yet they prefer to dispose of surplus food instead of letting someone in need have it?

They are not a small local enterprise. It is a well known profitable High Street chain. A small enterprise wouldn’t have 6 black bin bags of food to dump at the end of the day.

There are food safety reasons, but no reason why bread and cakes couldn't be sold cheaply or donated to food banks etc.

Co Op sells bread and other food items for 10p when past the sell by date.

It makes no difference financially to the company to donate food that's just being thrown away.

Are they throwing food into landfill or does it go into food recycling waste at least?

@Baystard

It’s not the responsibility of small business to foot these costs then pass on for free.

OP said it was a branch of a large chain. I think it's reasonable to expect large corporations making money selling us stuff to do something positive for their local community. People in the area are hungry and yet they prefer to dispose of surplus food instead of letting someone in need have it?

Maybe! But I believe Greggs is. Franchise? That’s not ho Franchise’s work!

People on here not understanding basic business…

Be mad that we are in the situation we are in, yes! But to blame shop managers (which this comes down to) is crazy!

And if you expect, what you expect, then you are naive! Corporate responsibility is a good thing of course, but they owe you nothing other than to obey the law in their dealings with you!

This is the result of years of poor governance and lack of corporate responsibility.

Why don't you contact the shop manager and suggest they join Too Good to Go?

There's a small 24-hour supermarket in our town attached to the petrol station, and I was in there about 10pm one evening. A staff member was going round with a large clear plastic sack and collecting up all the reduced stuff. I said what an awful waste, and she said no it didn't get chucked, there was a charity that came and collected it every night. That's the way to do it.

It’s Shocking on here how so many expect free food, and that donations should happen!

From the article-

This food is donated through partnerships with charities and sold at discounted prices through outlets shops and the app 'Too Good To Go', but the statement admits that not every store has these partnerships in place

It also states that for stores where none of the above partnerships have been put in place to donate leftovers, any unsold food is 'returned and transformed into renewable energy'

@Quincythequince

It’s Shocking on here how so many expect free food, and that donations should happen!

It's shocking how many on here aren't appalled that businesses throw away food when local people are genuinely hungry and can't afford to eat.