Food
We are supported by
Retailer & Brand Authorisations
The brands listed below all authorise their own-label products to be sent to City Harvest for onward charity redistribution.
Supported Charities & Partnership News
The London Lions ‘spend time’ with local Beckton youth group
Partners City Harvest & London Lions make an impact in east London, home to City Harvest charity partner, Beckton Globe Youth Zone. The basketball club supports City Harvest’s new social impact campaign, EQUALS.
Artemis Charitable Foundation funds City Harvest food rescue van
Artemis Charitable Foundation funds City Harvest food rescue van, delivering £4 million worth of surplus food to Londoners facing food poverty.
Belazu: Living the B-Corp Values with City Harvest
City Harvest B-Corp partner, Belazu, lives the B-Corp values by reducing food waste and volunteering.
Unrooted Drinks: City Harvest distributes discontinued stock
By working with City Harvest, the team at Unrooted Drinks has been able to divert discontinued stock to nourish local communities.
Sysco GB partners with City Harvest
Global food leader to provide 200,000 meals Sysco GB Extends its strategic partnership with City Harvest. The partnertship will provide around 200,000 meals and save 330 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. "Working...
Sky News Italia – City Harvest
Sky News Italia speaks to City Harvest food charity's Head of Community Impact, Marco Torquati, about the startling levels of food poverty amongst Londoners this Christmas, and to CEO, Sarah Calcutt, on the economic...
Nourishing Children: Parkfield Primary School
City Harvest charity partner, Parkfield Primary School's Community Boxes have been life lines for families in need. #feedthefuture “We’re supposed to be here to teach children to read and write, aren’t we? But they...
Whole Foods Market x City Harvest – Shop Local, Give Local
City Harvest's very first food donor gives back to the community. Shop Local, Give Local City Harvest is thrilled to be Whole Foods Market’s chosen charity for their 2022 ‘Shop Local, Give Local’ campaign. This...
City Speaks Up: Manorfield Primary School
City Harvest delivers to Manorfield Primary School. Topping up local food banks feeding families in need. Read more
Food Donor FAQ's
What types of food can you accept?
We accept all types of food, ambient, chilled, frozen.
We accept surplus food from all parts of the food supply chain that occurs due to things like:
- New product development testing
- Order cancellations
- Packaging errors and damage
- Quality rejects
- Out of date product past its best before date
- Discontinued product lines
- Obsolete seasonal stock
- Machinery failure and start-up calibrations
- Strict sell-by dates
- Consumer demand for cosmetically perfect produce
- Packaging/branding changes
- Sales forecasting errors
What are the guidelines on the food you can take?
We can collect all kinds of products including chilled and frozen, and we’re able to blast-freeze products at our warehouse to extend product life.
- Food must be unopened, in its original packaging. We can take products with damaged packaging as long as the food itself is not exposed.
- Food must have labels with ingredients, allergens and best-before/use-by dates.
- Ideally, food will have 2-3 days before its ‘use by’ date to allow for redistribution through our charity partners, although we can often take food on its ‘use by’ date.
- We can take most food past its best before date and are able to officially extend best-before dates.
- Food must be stored indoors and at the correct temperature until we collect.
Is there anything that you cannot accept?
- We cannot take hot food however we can work with you to help rescue securely packaged catered food that is safely chilled or frozen.
- We cannot take food past its ‘use by’ date (however we can accept food past best before).
- Alcoholic beverages or products containing alcohol.
- Open packages where food can be exposed to cross-contamination.
How do I make a food donation?
Once you’ve identified the food you want to give us, you can fill out this form, email us or call us on 0207 041 8491 with the following information:
- type of food
- best before/use by dates
- storage type (ambient, chilled or frozen)
- amount available (number of pallets, kilograms or units)
- if unsure, you can also send us a photo of the goods
If products need to be collected:
- collection address
- when we can collect (days and times)
- collection contact email address and phone number
If delivering:
- when we can expect delivery
- haulier (if any)
Where can you collect from?
We’ll collect within the M25 using one of our own vehicles or will use third party haulage outside of London.
Can City Harvest accept deliveries?
Yes, our warehouse operating hours are: Monday – Friday, 07.00 – 19.00 & Saturday, 08.00 – 15.00
Are your vans temperature controlled?
All of our vehicles are temperature controlled and able to safely transport chilled and frozen goods.
Can you take products past their best before date?
Yes, before dates are about quality, not safety, so we are able to officially extend best before dates. Extensions depend on the type of product so please get in touch with our team to discuss.
What happens to food once City Harvest receives it?
All of the food that we receive first comes to one our London depots, where it is sorted and checked by our staff and volunteer teams. Each item is then categorised and packed, ready to be loaded onto a van and delivered to one of our 375+ charities.
Can our office organise a food drive for City Harvest?
Yes, please – please get in touch with our team at food@cityharvest.org.uk or call us on 0207 041 8491 and we’ll be happy to help.
Who does the food go to?
City Harvest delivers nutritious surplus to 375+ charities across greater London feeding people facing food insecurity. Recipients span all areas of need, including; homeless shelters, soup kitchens, community centres, food banks, children’s programmes, schools, and more. Free food provision frees up budgets so partners can provide additional, vital services.
Can you return equipment to us?
We can return trays and farm equipment to your site.
Why use City Harvest alongside other food redistributors?
We can often collect stock they can’t. Food that is very short dated or packaged incorrectly will make the products unsuitable for some food redistributors.
We have a team of over 2,000 volunteers who help us to grade, sort and repackage items, saving you labour and time on redistribution.
Collaboration. We’re part of the Xcess Network of national redistribution charities, and we work collaboratively with other food redistributors like FareShare and The Bread and Butter Thing to ensure no food is wasted and that it gets to the right people.
How can City Harvest support you?
- Corporate Volunteer Experience Days at City Harvest
- Supporting your social and environmental impact messaging with our Impact Reports as well as marketing support.
- We offer bespoke solutions for all types of food.
- Conduct ‘Waste walks’ to help you unlock hidden food surplus throughout your supply chain.
What are your delivery/ collection times?
- We can accept delivery of food to our Acton warehouse at short notice Monday through Friday between 7am and 7pm, and Saturday between 8am and 3pm.
- We can collect within the M25, with a minimum 24 hours’ notice Monday through Friday between 7am and 4pm, and Saturday between 7am and 2pm (depending on location). Minimum collection amount is 50kg.
- We can also collect outside the M25 for a minimum amount of 1 pallet (min 250kg).