A supermarket which fills it shelves exclusively with food waste from other stores has opened for business in the United Kingdom.
The ‘Mirror’ newspaper said the warehouse in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, was created by campaigners in a bid to combat the excessive disposal of edible food by larger retailers.
And it is not just the stockroom that is unconventional – customers are also told to “pay as you feel”, it said.
The initiative was set up by the Real Junk Food Project, which has previously established cafes with kitchens using surplus food for ingredients.
Customers will be able to fill their trolley with goods from other shops and business – ranging from fresh meat to flowers.
The warehouse is reportedly receiving up to ten tonnes of food every day, much of which is being donated by businesses.
“But if you are concerned the food you are about to buy is past its best, fear not – organisers claim they adhere to health standards.”
The Real Food Project wroteon its website: “Every single Pay As You Feel cafe that is part of the Real Junk Food Project network adheres to all Environmental Health regulations within their respective establishment. This includes transporting food safely, storing it safely, cooking and re-heating it safely….
It added: “We intercept food that is past its expiration date and use our own judgement on whether we believe the food is fit for human consumption or not, by smelling it, tasting it and visually inspecting it. We do not turn food away simply because it has ‘expired’, but we will never serve food that we believe is unfit for human consumption.”