A renovated shipping container will serve as a socially-conscious ‘free store’, which will collect unsold food from cafés to give away for free.
“There is no exchange of money between any parties,” said Kairos Free Store manager Beth Hutt. “We are partnering with cafes to solve their wastage problem, while providing free food to those who need it in our city.”
Hutt was inspired by the Wellington Free Store, which has been operating since 2011. Twenty cafés have signed up to donate, including Hello Sunday, Little Poms and Lux Espresso.
Hutt currently works as manager at Allpress Espresso, which has also signed up to the programme, and it was seeing the problem of food wastage at her own café that inspired her to begin the Free Store.
"Unless the staff take it home, or cafes give it away, it's chucked in the bin," she said. "If you go into a cafe at say, 3pm, a sandwich is $10 and looks great. Then after they close it's got no value, which is ridiculous."
The entire operation has been reliant on donations. The shipping container was donated and fitter out by RNP Homes, 3D Factory contributed the architectural work for free and the container will occupy a site donated by Grace Vineyard Church.
Volunteers will begin collecting food at 3:30, with the store opening at 5:30. It will be open to everyone.
Burns & Ferrall is offering the chance for one lucky company to walk away with a fully equipped, fully functional commercial kitchen housed inside a custom-built recycled container, worth over $125,000. Simply spend $1000 at Burns & Ferrall to go into the draw.
