Northampton's first ever community fridge opens in bid to tackle food waste

Northampton' s first ever 'community fridge' has been opened in a growing effort to tackle food taste.

The community fridge opened on January 11 at The Abbey Centre in East Hunsbury and will now be open three days a week to enable residents and businesses to donate or take surplus food that would otherwise be wasted.

Project co-ordinator, Loz Ferrin, said: "This is a really worthy project to have in the local community and help the fight against food waste, whilst supporting others."

Abbey Centre Community Fridge was opened with the support of UK environmental charity, 'Hubbub', and the project is now calling for all local food businesses and allotment holders in the local area to donate any surplus food.

According to 'Love Food Hate Waste', the average UK family with children throws away around £720 worth of food a year - this amounts to £60 a month. There are simultaneously over four million people in the UK living in food poverty.

Loz added: "Most food waste in the UK is avoidable and could have been eaten, had it been better managed."

The fridge is one of a growing number opening up across the nation. The concept first arrived in the UK in 2016 with community fridges opening up in Swadlincote, Frome and London.

Now, more than 50 projects are running across the country.

Some of the challenges faced by community fridges to date are around legal requirements and food hygiene. The world’s first community fridge network has been set up by environmental charity, Hubbub, to provide free advice and support to local organisers and act as a hub to enable communities to share their experiences and learn from one another.

The community fridge in East Hunsbury will be open from 10am to 12pm on Tuesdays, 4pm to 6pm on Wednesdays and 10am to 12pm on Fridays.

To find out more about the Abbey Centre Community Fridge, donate or volunteer visit: The Abbey Centre, 10 Overslade Close, East Hunsbury NN4 0RZ or email [email protected].

More information on the community fridge network - including a map of fridge locations and advice for those interested in setting up a community fridge - can be found at

www.hubbub.org.uk/communityfridgenetwork.