Home / Getting Food

We help get good food to good causes in the region. If your organisation uses food to support people, you can sign up for a FareShare North East membership.

We offer two options for getting food – a paid for service with a FareShare North East Membership or the opportunity to collect free surplus food from your local supermarket through FareShare Go.

Register your interest in receiving food from FareShare North East and one of our team will be in touch to assess your needs. (The link will take you to FareShare UK’s website).

FareShare Community Food Membership

When you become a FareShare North East Member, we provide you with weekly surplus food deliveries, consisting of a mixture of fresh (meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables), dry (tins, pasta and bread etc) and frozen food. The food you will receive has become surplus before it has even hit the supermarket shelves and could be from a local grower, a manufacturer, a retailer’s distribution centre. To cover our operational costs, such as petrol for the vans, we charge a nominal fee.

Our members estimate that if they had to replace the food they receive through their FareShare North East membership, it would cost them an additional £7,900 per year on average.

Benefits of Community Food Membership include:

  • Get a regular supply of surplus food delivered straight to the door of your charity and community group
  • Receive a variety of food each week
  • Saves you money on groceries
  • We will support you on food safety
  • We provide volunteer opportunities

Find out more about a FareShare North East Membership

FareShare Go

FareShare Go provides charities and community groups with direct access to surplus food from local supermarkets, including Tesco, ASDA and Waitrose & Partners, and wholesaler Booker.

The food is good quality that can no longer be sold for a variety of reasons, such as damaged packaging or a short-shelf life. This does not have an impact on the standard or safety of the food items available. Food available often includes bread, eggs and fresh fruit. It will always be within its use by date and is perfectly good to eat.

Since launching the scheme in 2015, FareShare Go has already connected over 7,500 charities with more than 3,500 stores across the UK.

Benefits of FareShare Go include:

  • Direct regular access to supermarket surplus food items
  • No cost implications for your organisation
  • Opportunity to build a relationship with your local supermarket

Find out more about FareShare Go

Can My Organisation Receive Food?

In order to receive food, your organisation must demonstrate that you are fit to provide a safe food service to your users. Don’t worry, we can help you reach these standards if you are not quite there yet.

You must:

  • Register with the Environmental Health Office (EHO)
  • Be equipped to safely receive, store, prepare and serve or redistribute food
  • Staff supervising food handling and preparation must hold the IEHO Basic Food Hygiene Course Certificate (or equivalent)
  • Staff and volunteers handling food must be trained to do so safely
  • Adhere to food safety legislation and current good practice

What Next?

Register your interest on FareShare UK’s website. A member of staff will get back to you between 5-10 working days.