Shop Zero (Food "Bank")

[BertaHoon]

In our town we have a non for profit charity called Shop Zero.
It's advertised as pick and choose, more of a shop because you pay £5 for 15 points (items). The video advertising shows shelves full of everything from crisps to choc, fresh veg to frozen.

I went along.

I 'spent' my 15 points on a packet of birdseye chilli peppers, a pack of 3 freshish garlic bulbs, 1 pot of white pepper, 1 packs of wraps, several sachets of Aldi stir in Chinese sauces, a packet of Sharwoods poppadoms and 2 packs of popcorn.

This was the best of a bad lot, there was no choice. I also stupidly paid £5 for the 'freezer' pack.

Bear in mind this was my first visit... It was packed, I didn't get a chance really to inspect anything and shouldn't have had to, as the place is described as out of date, but too good to waste.

I got home -

The popcorn was a year out of date (no probs bit chewy) - 33p
Poppadoms the same - 1 year out of date (not really a prob, but bendy) - 33p.

However on unpacking I noticed the sauces are 3 years out of date.

3 years out of date? I'm not Z for Zachariah just yet!

I think it's disgusting to get people to pay for foods that are that out of date.

They probably only cost about 70p in Aldi in 2019 when they went out of date. I think I purchased 6 in total.

As for the freezer items - that's an extra £5. Fooled there... You just given a random bag of 5 items. It wasn't too bad, but nothing I'd buy, or could make a meal from - think pizza, Korean pork belly, haddock goujons, mini scotch eggs... No plain mince, chicken or fish.

I've been absolutely done out of a tenner haven't I? 🤣

Place was heaving though, people thinking they're getting something for nothing.

Anyway my main AIBU is :

Should people be paying for food that's 3 years out of date?

(to a not for profit charity that pays wages etc.)

I packed a big bag of food for food bank donation in 2019 (I think) and mixed it up with other stuff, so came across it recently in my attic.

Lots of the food is now way past best before dates so can't donate now - early 2021 at latest. Eating it myself. It's fine. Best before on tins is meaningless. They last for decades. Likewise processed sauces, drinks etc. Have drunk 8 cartons of juice, gone through soups, beans, custard. No problem.

That freezer bag sounds good value - just not to your taste. The rest you surely saw before buying?

It's not jarred or tinned it's in plastic pouches.

It's not a food bank.

Money is being charged for these things.

As I said it was my first (and last) time visiting on the misleading assumption that all food was 'just' out of date.

I used some BB gravy granules from 2004 from my pantry last year - it was fine.
However I'd never expect to pass it on to anybody for free, let alone expect them to pay for it.

Each to their own. Why pay 33p for something three years after BB when it was probably only 70p when in date - that's my issue with regards to this 'charity'.

Well it will be interesting to see their accounts and how much the staff are being paid.

Unlike other food banks where all time is voluntary and food is in date. Including fresh veg - for free.

You're right - unless they made it very clear this was food past its use by date, that's not on at all

@Skatewing yes, gladly. PM me if you like.