UKHarvest

Our purpose is to Nourish Our Nation. UKHarvest is an not for profit (for impact) environmental charity, working across the South of England, focusing on using rescued food as a medium to educate all on the prevention of food waste.

Website: ukharvest.org.uk/ Contact: [email protected]

Impact in numbers (as at June 2022)

• 754 tonnes of food rescued in 2021 from 203 donors

• 75,500 meals delivered on average each week

• 7089 people attended our 2021 education programmes

Examples of industry partners

Sainsburys, innocent drinks, Barfoots, Vitacress, Getir, Iceland, Summer Berry Co.

What we do with the food

All food is collected in our refrigerated vans and re-distributed from our Chichester warehouse. Volume/Excess fresh produce is also re-packed or prepared into ready meals from our commercial training kitchen for re-distribution. The food is delivered free of charge to homeless refuges, domestic abuse shelters, community fridges and our own dedicated Nourish Hub in London and Pop Up Pantries in West Sussex. Our Hub and Pantries help those most in need in a more inclusive environment and are backed by education programmes to break the culture of free food dependency, with recipes and additional community support.

Operations

We currently operate with a core staff including drivers, qualified chefs and nutritionist supported by a network of 150 volunteers. Our Chichester Warehouse is fitted with walk in freezer and refrigeration backed up with commercial Training Kitchen to support 8 x Pop Up Pantries (as at June 2022) and a fully equipped Nourish Hub community café in West London. Our fleet of 7 refrigerated vans ensure the chill chain is maintained and we collect fresh, dry and frozen product and ingredients from across the supply chain. Our logistics operations are supported by education programmes to tackle food waste across the UK.

Key programme/capabilities

We are a full service food rescue operation who not only collects, and redistributes surplus food to other charities but has developed a network of UKHarvest Pop Up Pantries alongside our thriving Nourish Hub Community café and training space in West London, run by chefs and volunteers to feed the local community and reduce social isolation.

In addition our ‘Meals & Chat’ service provides ready to heat meals to those most vulnerable in Hammersmith & Fulham, delivered by electric cargo bike to cut emissions. In 2021/22 we delivered 23,660 meals and we look to increase this by 50% next year.

Our food reaches those in most need and our work is backed by a programme of education and classes to support those to eat well and live well.

Wider network

Xcess Network, Fareshare, Neighbourly, City Harvest and the Trussell Trust

Testimonial

“I am a mum of 3 amazing boys, working 3 jobs yet it never seems enough to pay for life now. Each week I am surprised at the new and healthy food. My boys look up your recipes and then we all cook together and enjoy not only the time spent together but the meals cooked.”

Kirsty recent pantry visitor