AN initiative by supermarket giant Tesco has seen more than 150,000 meals to charities and community groups in Somerset since it was launched 16 months ago.

Launched in February 2016, the firm's Community Food Connection scheme aims to ensure no food safe for human consumption will go to waste by the end of 2017.

Somerset charities benefitting from the scheme, run in association with food redistribution charity FareShare, include Yeovil Day Centre, Western-Super-Mare Salvation Army and Incredible Kids in Thornbury.

Tesco stores can donate unsold food to feed people in need through an app developed by Irish Social Enterprise, FoodCloud. The app lets local charities know there is surplus food available at the end of each day., which can then be collected by community groups.

And the Somerset stores with the most donations are:

  • Burnham-on-Sea: 29,589
  • Weston-Super-Mare: 27,704
  • Taunton: 18,785
  • Glastonbury: 14,446
  • Yeovil Extra: 13,719

The scheme is already live in all large Tesco stores, and is currently rolling out to a further 1,800 convenience stores nationwide.

Charities and community groups that could benefit from the support of Community Food Connection can register at www.fareshare.org.uk/fareshare-foodcloud.

Rhodri Evans, South West regional communications manager at Tesco, said: “It’s great to see the difference Community Food Connection is making by providing people in need with meals from food that would otherwise go to waste.

"We know that it frees up time and resources so that the charities using it can focus on offering other services.

"Our colleagues are playing an important role, too. Together with FareShare, they’re helping to make sure local charities across the UK have access to surplus food from our stores.”

Lindsay Boswell, chief executive of FareShare, said: “Reaching 10 million meals through our network of 5,000 charities and community groups is a phenomenal achievement. 

"There’s no reason for good quality, in-date food from stores to be thrown away when it could go to a charity who needs it.

"A big thank you to Tesco for their commitment to tackling food waste."

Across the UK, Tesco has donated 10 million meals to more than 5,000 charities and community groups.