OzHarvest has today opened Australia’s first rescued food market in Kensington in Sydney, providing food and resources at a lower cost than supermarkets.
OzHarvest Market is stocked with donated ‘rescued food’ produce that would otherwise go to waste as it is past its use-by-date but still edible.
The new take on the grocery store allows shoppers to pay what they can for the produce and items that they need.
Inspired by the world’s first surplus food supermarket in Denmark, OzHarvest worked with The Addison Project to open the pop-up marketplace.
At the market’s opening, OzHarvest CEO and founder Ronni Kahn said the store was about giving people the opportunity meet their needs.
“OzHarvest is about its impact; it is about solving a problem…we want to get to the bottom of food waste,” she said.
“We hope this will be an inspiration to other developers and other businesses.”
The Mayor of Randwick Noel D’Souza was also present at the opening and said the donated food can be fresh food and vegetables.
“It is the best we can do for our fellow residents,” he said.
“We can give them the support to ensure they don’t have to sacrifice their meals…food will be available to them, whether they have the money or not.
“In order for a community to thrive, basic needs must be met, the need for food the need for water the need for shelter.”
Mayor D’Souza ended his speech by encouraging each person to get involved as a volunteer and to give what they were able.
The OzHarvest Market makes use of surplus food and giving to those in need, part of OzHarvest’s mission to reduce food waste in Australia.