Our Origins
Foodkind CIC began in Northamptonshire in 2016, with a mission to stop good food going to landfill and to raise awareness of the environmental impact if it goes to waste. We are almost all volunteers: and the current team is listed here.
The group of committed environmentalists started at Elsie’s cafe, which sadly didn’t survive the pandemic, but the work continued in many other projects. At one time we ran two Shop Zero’s, one in Kettering and one in St.James, as well as Cafe Zero and links with other community cafes we helped found.
Our Community Interest Company measures its impact by the tonnes of nutritious produce we rescue and pass on to those who most need it in our community, and by the number of people who are involved in our projects.
Supermarkets are often left with unsold, but perfectly edible, food. Thanks to an unmatched team of collectors, we pick up from a wide variety of stores and bring produce to our hubs to be stored in our goods area; or to freeze chilled food.
Other volunteers work in our community stores (pop-up and bricks and mortar). For any of our Shop Zero customers, including those who face food poverty, our fresh fruit and vegetables, other goods and plentiful supplies of bread offer an alternative place to shop.
Before their closure (see news update), our cafes saw our chefs create delicious meals, tailoring menus to match our stock.
We offer training and are committed to making sure volunteering adds value for our colleagues and some have found a route into paid employment.
Schools and other charities also share our produce and we support new projects to set up by advising on food safety and waste management.
As a Community Interest Company we invest all takings into paying our costs or developing the enterprise (we are not-for-profit).
Raising awareness
Through talks and food demonstrations we show how food ‘waste’ can be saved from ending in going for landfill. We have also spread the word at festivals, local events and at our own shows. Allotments grow food for us, while farms, gardens and smallholdings surplus also donate to us.
We rescue tonnes of food each month. But that is not the only way we aim for a social impact. Many of our volunteers gain confidence working in the shop or cafes and through our training. We are an inclusive organisation, where those with learning difficulties or physical disabilities are valued for their contribution.
True to our origins, the principles from the earliest days are still there today: sharing, creating a sustainable food system and growing our community for future generations.