Is it Too Good To Go? Derbyshire Times reporter reviews the app hoping to eliminate food waste

Too Good To Go is the app that is hoping to revolutionise the way people tackle food waste while satisfying their taste buds! In a world where millions of tons of perfectly edible food are thrown away each year, Too Good To Go is looking to make a positive impact by connecting users with local businesses that have surplus food. The mission is simple: to fight food waste and help build a more sustainable future.

Here's how it works: local restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, and bakeries upload their surplus food to the platform at the end of the day, ensuring that perfectly good food doesn't go to waste. Users browse through the available options in their area, choosing from a wide range of cuisines and food types. Once they find something they love, they simply place an order, pay through the app, and collect their meal during the designated pickup time.

I’ve had my eye on the app for quite a while, but never logged on at the right time to get what I wanted. There are a lot of places to choose from - Morrisons, Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Londis, Greggs, Starbucks, and even Mecca Bingo! The key to being able to grab one of these bags is to log on the day before you want to pick something up, as they sell out quickly. So, I logged in and saw that Morrisons were offering a bag of groceries for £3.09 - the process was easy and I could pay through Apple Pay (you can also use Google Pay or your card details).

Too Good To Go told me that my bag would be ready between 2pm - 4pm, but I had no idea what would be included. Heading to customer services at Morrisons, I showed them the code the app gave me and they went to collect it. Just a minute later and I was presented with a pretty full bag, and apparently, the bag is included in the price - quite impressive considering they are now 60p!

I’m one of those strange people that actually enjoy going grocery shopping, and I especially love a bargain. I’m always on the lookout for things that are on clearance. I decided to wait until I got home to have a look inside.

Once I was home, I emptied the bag, excited to see what Too Good To Go and Morrisons had for me. There was a lot! Two loaves from their The Best range, a pack of vanilla creme crowns, two packs of apple and custard lattice, a chocolate fudge cake slice and two mini bags of apples and grapes. If I were to buy these normally, it would come to £12.15. The items had a best before of the date I collected them.

Obviously, a great bag if you like your bakery items and desserts. For me, the bread went straight into the freezer and I kept the other items in a bread bin. The quality of the products was great - we ate the bakery items for dessert over the next few days and they still tasted fresh. One of the loaves has been taken out of the freezer and also used, with one still there and ready to go when I need it.

I think the app is a great idea, and from my experience using it, it works really well. So well in fact, I’m going to pick up something tomorrow from Morrison's cafe (I’m hoping to get some sort of all-day breakfast selection).

Food waste is an unfortunate tragedy, and the impact report of Too Good To Go reveals that nearly 40% of food is wasted globally. In the year 2021 alone, the app successfully saved an astounding 52,554,009 meals. Moreover, with the recent addition of locations like the USA, Germany, and Spain to the app's list of accessible regions, the number of rescued meals is expected to soar to new heights.

Furthermore, considering the skyrocketing inflation of food prices, which surged to a staggering 19.1% in March, it has become increasingly crucial for everyone to seek opportunities for savings. This is where Too Good To Go comes in. By being open-minded and embracing a bit of creativity in your food choices, this app enables you to discover remarkable bargains that can help alleviate the burden on your wallet.

You can find the app on the Google and Apple app stores.