Did you know the UK throws away an estimated 10 million tonnes of food every year? That includes a staggering 20 million slices of bread every single day (WRAP, 2025). At the same time, the rising cost of living - especially food prices - continues to impact households.
To help tackle these challenges, in October 2025 the Sutton Bonington Campus launched an innovative pilot initiative in collaboration with the Midland’s largest surplus food redistribution charity, FareShare Midlands.
The Surplus Food Re-Store Pop-Up Shop is run by student and staff volunteers bringing together individuals from all levels of study, and across a range of job families. The pop-up store takes place most Wednesday lunchtimes under the central Bandstand in the heart of campus, and has three key aims:
- Redistribute surplus food - including fresh, store-cupboard, chilled, and frozen items.
- Reduce food waste and promote sustainability.
- Provide affordable food access for our campus community.
For just £5 per shop, students and staff can fill a bag with high quality surplus food - typically worth £15 or more. This donation covers FareShare Midlands’ operational costs, with any surplus reinvested into their mission to maximise the social value of surplus food, by redistributing it to those who need it most.
Impact so far
Thanks to FareShare Midlands and the exceptional team of volunteers, the pilot has been a great success. So far:
- 498 students and staff signed up
- 621 shops completed
- 3.48 tonnes of surplus food saved from landfill - that’s the weight of an African elephant and is also equivalent to
- Approximately 8,000 meals
- 5.6 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided
- 5.2 million litres of water conserved
- Retail value saved: £10,962
Simone Connolly, CEO of FareShare Midlands said: “This has been a fantastic collaboration. The enthusiasm from students and staff has been truly inspiring, and it's wonderful to see so many people benefiting each week. Together, we’re reducing food waste, easing the pressures of the cost of living, and creating a sustainable food model that we hope to see replicated across other university campuses.”
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with shoppers highlighting benefits for wellbeing, community spirit and sustainability. We love to hear the excitement from our shoppers as they see what is being offered at each shop.
“I love coming to the stall on a Wednesday - I never know what I’m going to get, but I’m always delighted!”
“It saves me so much money when the Pop-Up shop is on.”
“I’ve been able to try new things and cook for friends with what I’ve bought.”
“Can’t waitfor my £5 food shop every week. It’s a life-saverfor uni students”
What’s next?
Building on this success, the pilot will continue into 2026 at Sutton Bonington, providing students and staff with ongoing access to affordable surplus food. Alongside this, we are planning student-led research projects for those on nutrition-related degrees to contribute to a comprehensive evaluation. This evaluation will assess the pilot’s impact on food waste reduction, student wellbeing, food security, diet diversity, and educational outcomes. Meanwhile, for the sixth consecutive year, FareShare Midlands continues to support Dietetic students with alternative placement options at their Nottingham-based depot.
Find out more about the work of FareShare Midlands.
Posted on Tuesday 3rd February 2026