SOS Guernsey Food Angel is a non-profit organisation that wants to get restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels to stop throwing out food that is about to go out of date, or has been cooked but not eaten, and sell it at a low price through an app.
Founder Hans Canagareddy hosted the official launch this week and told attendees that the island produced some 1,500 tonnes of edible food waste every year which he wanted the initiative to help address.
Little Big Hotels director Charlie Walker signed up to the business side of the app during the launch event.
‘I think this is one of those things we can be a bit complacent about,’ she said.
Getting staff involved in the project would be an important element of the app working, since it would be them who uploaded information about food that was available onto the app.
‘Hans is incredibly passionate and to ignore that would be detrimental to Guernsey,’ she said.
Randall’s executive chef Antonio Alderuccio said the company had a zero food waste policy in its kitchens.
‘But I think this is a real opportunity for Guernsey, from my point of view, to use waste to create value and structured connection with the business community,’ he told the audience.
‘I’m excited to see what comes next.’
Sarnia Hotels’ operations manager Calum Le Noury had attended to find out more about the project.
‘I think it’s a great concept. But whether it’s right for us, I’m not 100% sure,’ he said.
He thought that places that offered pre-packaged food such as sandwiches might be a better target.
‘I feel that probably for restaurants and hotels it’s slightly more difficult when you’re looking at a bulk product that’s not packaged,’ he said.
Deputy Rhona Humphreys, a member of the Housing Committee, was also at the event and said she thought it was an interesting proposition.
‘Anything that reduces waste is a great thing,’ she said.
She thought that access to prepared food was something those experiencing homelessness would find helpful.
Guernsey Welfare Service chairman Jon Honour is on the board of SOS Guernsey Food Angel and spoke to the audience about his experience of using the similar Too Good To Go service in the UK, which offers cheap food from supermarkets.
‘It’s all about connecting the supplier with people who can benefit from it. It helps the community and it also reduces food waste,’ he said.
To find out more and download the app go to sosfoodangel.com or email info@sosfoodangel.com. The app will also be available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
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