Lewes supermarket donates surplus food to charities

The supermarket is trialling the food donation scheme with community engagement platform Neighbourly

Aldi will donate provisions to help Fitzjohn Food Bank and Malling Food Bank to tackle hunger in the region, as well as boosting supplies at the Phoenix Community Fridge in Brighton.

The Landport Youth Centre, which provides a safe space for young people to relax and socialise, will also benefit from donations from the store in Brooks Road.

These new partnerships are part of a trial between the supermarket and community engagement platform, Neighbourly. The store in Lewes is the first in Sussex to partner with local good causes that are now collecting surplus food up to five days every week.

The stores are donating perishable items such as fresh fruit and veg, chilled products such as yoghurt and milk, and baked goods.

The trial will continue until the spring, and if successful will be rolled out across Aldi’s entire store estate.

Last year the supermarket donated two million meals to charity and expects to increase this by 50 per cent if the trial is extended to its 827 stores.

Fritz Walleczek, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “We’re always looking for new and creative ways to increase the amount of food we are able to donate. This partnership is enabling us to be even more efficient in how we distribute surplus stock, while supporting a vast range of causes, across Sussex.

“Our aim is for fresh, healthy food to be accessible for everyone, and Neighbourly is helping us to extend this commitment beyond our affordable range of fresh products.”

Steve Butterworth, Neighbourly CEO, said “We are delighted to be partnering with Aldi on this programme and to help them realise their ambition to benefit those communities local to each and every one of their stores across the UK.

“Food surplus is a challenge Aldi is committed to playing its part to address. This approach is critical to ensure surplus food finds its way easily to the good causes supporting those communities that need it most.”

Any local charities in Sussex looking to partner up with an Aldi store should email [email protected] to apply.