City Harvest is 10 years old!
City Harvest was founded in 2014 by a small group of people in west London, who came together to address food waste and food poverty in the capital, forming London’s first food redistribution charity.
2014
Co-founded by Laura & Steve Winningham, and Bruce Marquart
- City Harvest starts collecting from Nandos & Whole Food Market
2015
Charlie Bigham donated money for our first food rescue van.
Mike Motl became City Harvest’s first paid employee.
City Harvest started collecting surplus from NCGM.
2016
M&S partnership. FSA freezer trial – ready meals at the end of the day are frozen down. Using Belazu freezer + fridge space
We started collecting from Pinewood Studios.
Deliveries expand to east London.
2017
Moved into Acton Industrial Estate
ITV – Gino D’Acampo films 3 millionth meal delivered
June – Grenfell Tower Fire – City Harvest is a first responder bringing supplies and working with Leiths to store donations to support victims without food access.
2018
May – City Harvest wins Silver Medal at Chelsea Flower Show for sustainable garden.
May – The Grocers Gala dinner 5 million meals in 5 years.
June – Metallica presents a cheque on stage at Twickenham.
July – reaches 6 million meals.
September – City Harvest Green Plaque awards begin.
2020
March – City Harvest’s New Spitalfields Market site opens
Lockdown – City Harvest triples in food distributed overnight supporting the hospitality industry save food from going to waste
April – Crystal Palace FC partnership
May – The Savoy kitchens cook meals
June – BBC Earth films at City Harvest
June – Wimbledon ALETC partners with City Harvest
September – Livery Kitchen Initiative launches – cooking meals
October – Laura Winningham receives OBE for COVID’s unsung heroes
2021
February – Laura Winningham – City Food Lecture.
March – Harvest for Hunger launches.
April – Expanded to bigger depot (13,000 sq ft), Unit 8, in Acton Park Industrial Estate.
May – 20 millionth meal delivered.
July – City Harvest Food Council launches.
October – Rebrand: Rescuing Food, People & Planet.
November – Lord Mayor’s Show.
2022
July – 1st special edition van for The Platinum Jubilee for The Vintners.
October – Orange special edition van, Rabobank.
November – London Lions Basketball partnership.
December – Navy special edition van, Artemis.
2023
March – The Lord Mayor launches the Livery Food Initiative special edition van at Mansion House.
(October) First City Harvest Festival at St Paul’s Cathedral. Launch of City Harvest’s roaming art exhibition, ’The Beauty of Food Redistribution’, St Paul’s Crypt, World Food Day at the Conduit Club, 22 Bishopsgate, Rabobank: ‘The Beauty. of Food Redistribution’.
Old Vic – Christmas Carol xmas 2022 & 2023.
December – Kings Chapel Christmas service.
2024
January – moved into NCGM working closer with traders to rescue produce.
March – launched our Planet Report at the same the Lord Mayor of London launched our new LFI truck at Mansion House.
10 Years of City Harvest Dining in the Depot celebration fundraiser.
