Shoppers at Manchester’s Arndale centre have been sharing their food waste saving tips as many Brits look for ways to save money on their food shop, and make what’s in the fridge go further.
The shopping centre organised a pop-up event in partnership with the Too Good To Go app, with which 18 of their retailers are partnered with, to help prevent food nearing its sell-by from going into the bin.
The weekend event, which ran on Friday, September 16 and Saturday 17, aimed to spread awareness about food waste and promote ways to reduce it.
READ MORE: Everywhere you can get cheap mystery bags in Manchester on Too Good To Go
Food waste experts were on hand to share tips on reducing food waste in their homes and businesses, with shoppers also sharing their thoughts on their shopping habits and food waste solutions.
Ben, originally from Blackpool, has lived in Manchester for 20 years now and said the event encouraged him to stop and think about food waste.
He said: “I became more aware of food waste during covid because we had limited access to shops. I would make use of recipe books and use items I would normally throw away. Everyone jokes about it but that was one of the reasons everyone started making banana bread, as well as for something to do. I’d read recipe books that I hadn't looked at in ages, I’d find ways to use the food in my fridge such as carrots that are going old! From a cost point of view, you also need to make most of the food you’ve got in this current climate.”
He thinks that more people should know about the Too Good To Go app, as not only can it help app users, but bags can also be donated. Ben added: “Too Good To Go is a very good idea, especially in the world that we’re living in and with limited resources. I hope more awareness is spread about the app, the amount of food you can get and the fact that you are saving it from going to waste, it’s a win-win.
“If you’ve already had your breakfast, lunch or dinner, it can be a great way to help homeless people at a lower cost to yourself too.”
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Also considering how the app could help feed the homeless community, Sianna, who lives in the city, added: “Taking the time to think about food waste has instantly made me think of homeless people. I’m wasting all this food and don’t even think who could be eating it rather than putting it in the bin. That’s where my mind instantly goes.”
She admitted sometimes her food shop can go off in the fridge, and added: “I work in hospitality so I work funny hours. A lot of the time I come home from work and my food is rotting in the fridge. I need to start putting more things in the freezer, including my bread. And buying smaller cartons of milk too.”
Alastair and Lynn McCarey, from Cheshire, called on both customers and retailers to ‘do more’ when it comes to food waste. Lynn said: “It’s been a brilliant event, raising awareness of food waste, which is an astronomical problem. You can always do more. Shops should do more as well, such as the Too Good To Go app. We have had a few magic bags and they are great value, I think what they are doing is fantastic.”
Alastair added: “At the moment, people need to have tips and hints in order not to waste food. We are all going to be facing a problem in the future with the cost of living crisis so I think it’s a good thing. I try to freeze food and not over buy. I try to plan my menu and only buy what I need. We also compost as well.”
One of the centre’s youngest shoppers, who was visiting the Arndale with her Grandma Barb, was also inspired by the event. Lois said: “My favourite sculpture was the bread. I’ve learnt that I should only buy what I need when I start shopping for myself.”
The free-to-download app has been reviewed extensively on Manchester Evening News, with dozens of city centre stores partnered with the app. In the UK, Too Good To Go has teamed up with over 22,000 food businesses including the likes of Greggs, Pret, Starbucks and Costa, alongside thousands more local independent favourites.
It also has around 10 million registered users, with a fast-growing social following who have helped save more than 14 million Magic Bags of food from going to waste in the country to date.
Instead of throwing food away that is left unsold at the end of the day, restaurants, coffee shops, pubs and retailers can pack the produce into Magic Bags for Too Good To Go users to buy for roughly a third of its original retail price, collect at an allotted time, and take it home to enjoy. You won’t know exactly what’s in your order until you pick it up - it’s all part of the surprise.
Here are all the vendors inside the Arndale Centre who offer Too Good To Go bags.
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Barburrito - Lower Mall
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Caffe Nero - Lower Mall
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Costa Coffee (Next) - Lower Mall
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Costa Coffee (Market Street) - Lower Mall
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Costa Coffee (Wintergarden) - Lower Mall
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Greggs - Upper Mall
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Krispy Kreme - Lower Mall
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Millie’s Cookies - Upper Mall
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Pizza Slice - Food Court
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Slim Chickens - Upper Mall
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Tim Hortons - Lower Mall
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Wolf Street Food - Halle Place
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Yo! Sushi - Upper Mall
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