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The Real Junk Food Project

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The Real Junk Food Project (TRJFP) is an organisation that uses food that would otherwise have been discarded from supermarkets, restaurants, and other independent food suppliers to produce meals that are sold in its cafes and other food outlets.[1][2] TRJFP aims to raise awareness of the huge amount of food waste in the food system.[3] A pay what you want approach aims to make its food accessible to everyone.[4] The project was founded by Adam Smith in Leeds in 2013.[3][5]

It originally included food that had past its use-by-date, but since 2017 it has said it no longer does so in preparing meals for the public.[6]

Cafes

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The first Real Junk Food Project cafe was started in Armley, Leeds, in December 2013 by Sam Joseph, Conor Walsh and Adam Smith.[3][7][8] Since its opening, this cafe has fed over 10,000 people using over 20 tonnes of unwanted food.[2]

The Project now has a network of cafes,[9][10] which are staffed by volunteers.[11] As of 2015 there were more than 100 throughout the UK,[12] including in Bristol,[13] Brighton and Hove[1] and Manchester.[5][12]

No longer serves food past its use-by date

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During an inspection of its Leeds warehouse by West Yorkshire Trading Standards, 444 out-of-date items were found.[14] The project was at risk of prosecution for infringing the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations while serving produce past their expiration date.[15] Adam Smith argued that one million people had been fed by the project without anyone becoming sick.[16] As a response to the matter, Feedback, another UK organisation rescuing food waste, expressed support for The Real Junk Food Project by stating that "the real crime here is the waste that is caused when people throw perfectly edible food away".[17]

The Project said it would "no longer provide food past its use-by date to the public."[6]

Awards

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  • 2017: The Real Junk Food Project in Birmingham, Manchester and Northampton were runners-up in the Observer Food Monthly Awards[18]
  • 2018: The Real Junk Food Project in Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham were runners-up in the Observer Food Monthly Awards[19]
  • 2018: The Brighton cafes won two golds and a silver in the Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Awards.[1][20][21]
  • 2018: Runner-up in The Food Chain's 2018 Global Food Champion Award in the BBC Food and Farming Awards.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Laville, Sandra (26 January 2019). "The Real Junk Food Project turns supermarket waste into tasty meals". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b Campbell, Lisa. "Real Junk Food Project: The Leeds cafe that has fed 10,000 people, using 20 tonnes of unwanted food – and started a worldwide movement". www.independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Cadwalladr, Carole (18 September 2016). "The Real Junk Food Project: revolutionising how we tackle food waste". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  4. ^ "About The Real Junk Food Project". Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  5. ^ a b Rymajdo, Kamila (20 September 2018). "This Catering Company Turns Landfill Food into Office Lunches". Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b Perrett, Michelle (13 June 2017). "Sainsbury's and M&S suspend links with Real Junk Food Project". The Grocer. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Don't be a waster, eat at The Real Junk Food Project". Time Out Leeds. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  8. ^ "The food thrown away by supermarkets can be used to make restaurant-quality meals. Here's how". The Independent. 19 September 2016. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  9. ^ Slater, Nigel (18 September 2016). "Welcome to September's Observer Food Monthly". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  10. ^ Stott, Juliet (18 April 2015). "In the cafe where you can pay what you want, what would you choose?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  11. ^ Sherwood, Harriet; Lyons, Kate; Johnson, Sarah; Brewer, Kirstie (10 October 2016). "The Brits helping refugees help Britain". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  12. ^ a b Witt, Joanna (3 July 2015). "The Real Junk Food Project's Corin Bell on fighting food waste in Manchester". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  13. ^ Morris, Steven (8 October 2014). "Bristol restaurant opts for ingredients plucked from supermarket skips". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  14. ^ reporter, Frances Perraudin North of England (6 June 2017). "Food waste charity may be prosecuted over out-of-date produce". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  15. ^ "The Real Junk Food Project founder faces prosecution over out-of-date produce". The Big Issue. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  16. ^ "The Real Junk Food Project in Leeds may face prosecution". BBC. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  17. ^ "Feedback responds to reports The Real Junk Food Project under investigation for using food past its use by date". Feedback. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  18. ^ Fox, Killian (15 October 2017). "OFM Awards 2017: Best Ethical Food Project – the runners-up". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  19. ^ O'Neill, Holly (25 October 2018). "OFM Awards 2018: Best Ethical Food project – runners-up". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Revealed: The best restaurants, takeaways, Sunday roasts and chefs in Brighton and Hove". The Argus. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  21. ^ "2018 Food Award Winners". 20 November 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  22. ^ "The man using 'junk food' to stop food waste". BBC News. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
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