The cost of living crisis continues to hit households across the country, but many costs are still unavoidable, especially if you’ve returned to the office. Petrol costs are soaring, tipping £100 to fill a family car, then there’s things like parking or lunch to pay for, if you’ve forgotten to make some at home.
But for Mancunians there’s a really easy way to grab a cheap lunch and save money in the city, instead of panicking only to wind up spending nearly a tenner on a coffee and panini.
The popular food-surplus app, Too Good To Go, not only helps people save money, but reduces food waste, too. The free-to-download app partners with dozens of venues in Manchester, many of which have prime lunch-time collection slots between 12pm and 3pm.
READ MORE: Everywhere you can get cheap mystery bags in Manchester on Too Good To Go
The app has a massive social following, with Facebook groups dedicated to people showing off their hauls from the likes of Starbucks, Greggs and Pret A Manger, which would have wound up in the bin otherwise.
In July, there were 9.4 million people using the app, which partners with more than 21,000 businesses which have helped save 13 million bags of food to date.
Pret A Manger is one of the chain brands partnered with the food waste-fighting app, who offer magic bags made up of unsold hot food items, which are not able to be redistributed through The Pret Foundation to local charities and communities.
This means that in buying a Too Good To Go bag from Pret, you’re not ‘taking away from the needy’ like some may assume, as those in need will also still benefit through 50 per cent of the proceeds going directly to The Pret Foundation.
The magic bags are usually around a third of the usual retail price, which meant I was able to get a bag at Manchester Piccadilly Station’s branch for £4, containing around £12 worth of food.
As always, the exact contents of the bag are a surprise, so it’s better suited to those who aren’t fussy eaters, seeing as it’s down to chance what isn’t sold on the day. However, if you’re likely to eat pretty much anything in a wrap or sandwich, you’re good to go at most places - pardon the pun.
On this occasion, my culinary lottery paid off in the form of a chicken and chilli burrito and tomato soup pot. I’ve heard horror stories of customers receiving nothing but soup before now, quite literally drowning in Souper Tomato, so I felt quite lucky.
Less appealing to me, though by no means offensive, was a meatless meatball wrap. The veggie product wasn’t my usual pick, however, if I was buying a Too Good To Go bag to take back to the office, I’m certain I could find someone to enjoy it more than I would.
In fact, colleagues could even go halves on a bag and split the contents at most places, making lunch even cheaper and far less likely to go to waste.
All of the items in the bag were still warm, having been kept in a heated cabinet, and could be eaten right away. For £4, or £1.30 an item, it worked out cheaper than ordering from most fast food places, and the chicken and chilli burrito made for a particularly delicious midday treat.
Overall, while it wasn’t my favourite magic bag of all time, overflowing with tasty nearly-past-best pastries and paninis, it certainly wasn’t the worst, either. I got a cheap meal for myself and a friend, saved food from going to waste, saved a bit of cash had I bought a full-priced dinner, and enjoyed the pot-luck mystery. It was a pretty successful bag, but my quest to find the best continues.
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I paid £4 for £12 of pastries at Manchester Piccadilly - and got to pick them
