Aldi's partnership with Too Good To Go means it is one of the latest grocers trying to curb food wastage by selling surplus food in 'magic bags'. Money-savvy shoppers can download the free app, search for an Aldi store in the vicinity and pick up an available bag.
After a successful trial last year, the supermarket announced last week that Too Good To Go will be available at all its stores in the UK. In a recent tweet that has been viewed over 138,000 times, Aldi wrote: "We've teamed up with Too Good To Go to help reduce food waste, find out how to rescue a bag of goodies worth at least £10** for just £3.30."
Other stores that have partnered with the innovative app include Morrisons, SPAR and M&S. Reporter Dayna Farrington tried a 'magic bag' from Aldi, and wrote about her experience in BirminghamLive, an undertaking which she says 'wasn't easy' due to the availability of the bags.
What is Too Good To Go?
Too Good To Go is an app that its creators say aims to reduce food waste worldwide. According to the website, people can enjoy food in three simple steps.
Shoppers discover 'delicious surplus food at a great discount around them', they collect the food and can 'enjoy a tasty meal that helps the planet'. It works by connecting supermarkets and restaurants - that have unsold, surplus food - with budget-seeking customers via a mobile app.
Food that would usually be wasted is collated in 'magic bags' and collected by customers who pay a discounted rate, thus saving money. A unique point of the Too Good To Go app, is the surprise factor.
Shoppers don't know what they will be getting in their 'magic bag'. This is great for those who like to switch up their dining experience, however if you lead a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, a 'magic bag' may not necessarily save you money as the food you would pay for, no matter how heavily discounted, would still be inedible if it doesn't fit your lifestyle.
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Dayna and her colleague Emily were keen to try Aldi's Magic Bags ever since the supermarket's announcement them on February 1. They had tried for days to get a 'magic bag', however they were left disappointed with a 'nothing today' message that usually popped up whenever they searched on the app.
Tenacity paid off when Dayna finally managed to collect a 'magic bag' between the very specific time of 9.25pm and 9.55pm. Little was known about the contents of the 'magic bag', apart from the fact that it would be a "complete surprise" and that the food would be close to its use-by or sell-by date.
Dayna's excitement ratcheted when a store worker handed her a box saying: "It's quite a good one today". Making the short journey home with "huge anticipation", Dayna unloaded the items and found three "incredibly meaty" products plus a twin pack of cakes.
All products in Dayna's 'magic bag' were "going out of date that day". This is a key reason why food is at a heavily discounted price on the Too Good To Go app.
Dayna's partner cooked the first item which was a chicken and chorizo traybake. This meal for four people came in a "huge" foil tray packed full with chicken, chorizo, onion and peppers.
The original cost of this was £3.99. This was already over the price of what was paid for the entire box which cost £3.30.
The large portion of the chicken traybake meant Dayna was able to make "easy lunches" by reheating leftovers in the following days. The second item was also a meat product.
The original cost of Specially Selected British dry-aged lamb leg steaks was £4.29, which Dayna thought was "wild". The third meat product was a British pork fillet costing approximately £3.19, which alongside the lamb, was frozen to preserve so as to be eaten at a later date.
It also had dessert in the form of a twin pack of Totally Tantalising Sticky Toffee Biscuit Cupcakes whose full cost is £1.49 and which went down a treat with her two children as an after-school snack.
Dayna said: "Overall, I felt the Aldi Too Good To Go 'magic bag' was very good value for money. We paid £3.30 for around £12.96 worth of food which is really good.
"With the cost-of-living crisis, the app is a good way to get food and save money at the same time. You really can't deny the appeal of the Too Good To Go app at all."
Recognising the 'magic bags' won't work for everyone, Dayna said: "My box was overly meaty, so it wouldn't be ideal for vegetarian or vegan customers. I've seen other boxes where people have been given boxes full of fruit and veg.
"But for us, it was perfect as we found use for all four items. And with how difficult the bags were to get hold of, other app users are obviously fans too!
"For me, the food is better given out at a discounted price than going straight in the bin. It is really worth testing in your local area to see what discounts you can pick up."
Aldi said: "Availability varies depending on the amount of surplus stock at each store on a given day. There are a limited number of boxes available each day and demand is very high'.
The Too Good To Go app can be downloaded on Android from Google Play and on iPhone and iPad on the App Store.
