HRH The Prince of Wales visits Surplus to Supper in Sunbury

25th April 2024 | Royal Visits to Surrey

HRH The Prince of Wales visits Surplus to Supper in Sunbury

The Prince of Wales visited Surplus to Supper, a surplus food redistribution charity, on Thursday 18^th April, to learn about its work bridging the gap between food waste and food poverty across Surrey and West London.

Founded in 2017, Surplus to Supper redistributes over three tonnes of surplus food a day to hundreds of local projects such as foodbanks, charities, schools, and community organisations. The charity uses its team of over 200 volunteers to collect food that would otherwise go to landfill from local retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and caterers and then redistributes it in its fleet of chilled vans, ensuring it reaches those most in need. The charity will hit a significant milestone in April of saving the equivalent of three million meals that would have otherwise gone to landfill.

During his visit, The Prince met volunteers who sort and deliver food on behalf of the charity and helped loading this into their fleet of vans. His Royal Highness also joined the team of chefs in the kitchen assisting in the preparation of the meals. .

Operating seven days a week, volunteers sort and redistribute surplus food at the charity’s hub based in Sunbury Cricket Club. Items include fresh fruit and vegetables, bakery items, dairy products, meat and fish, store-cupboard items, and frozen foods which will have become surplus for many different reasons, including packaging errors, over-ordering or cosmetic imperfections. Surplus to Supper also prepares and freezes 25,000 meals each year, distributing them to those in need via foodbanks, charities and community organizations.