Supporting our communities with access to food

Preventing food waste and supporting access to food in our communities continue to be key priorities for Co-op. Working together with Hubbub and Your Local Pantry, we are able to do both in a long-lasting and sustainable way.

A community fridge is a space that brings communities together to share food, meet up, learn new skills and prevent fresh food from going to waste.

Co-op first partnered with Hubbub in 2021 and have since supported them to create a national network - doubling the number of Community Fridges to over 700 fridges - as well as funding food hubs and investment grants, to support the resilience and development of local food projects.

Click to view Hubbub’s interactive map to find your nearest Community Fridge.

Find our more about the Community Fridge Network

Community fridges are open to all and anyone can share or take food, including surplus from supermarkets, local food businesses, producers, households and gardens.

Fridges are run by community groups in shared spaces such as schools, community centres and shops.

On average the Community Fridge Network receive around 30,000 unique visitors each month and over 1.3m visits per year.

Your Local Pantry is a network of pantries across the country, offering low-cost subscriptions to access food that you choose, including fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and store cupboard favourites, which will be worth on average £21 more than your 'pay as you shop' membership payment.

Since 2022, Co-op has partnered with Your Local Pantry to more than double the size of the network to over 120 pantries.

Find out how you can join, start or help a pantry

With pantries located across the UK, you can find out if you have a pantry in your community and become a member.

Would your neighbourhood benefit from a pantry? Find out all you need to know about setting up a pantry in your area.

From volunteering to donating food, there are many ways you can help support a pantry and give back to your community.

We're giving communities a helping hand

At Co-op, we're delivering in-depth support in the communities that need it most.

This includes ‘Hurlford Helping Hands’, a community pantry, providing local residents access to 12 essential items weekly for £4.50, as well as transforming a disused space.

Watch the video to find out more.

Supporting our communities with access to food

Community Fridge Network

Find our more about the Community Fridge Network

Who can use a community fridge?

Who runs a community fridge?

How many people use fridges?

Your Local Pantry

Find out how you can join, start or help a pantry

Join a pantry

Start a pantry

Help a pantry

We're giving communities a helping hand