Madklubben’s green concept-restaurant, FOOD CLUB, is working together with takeaway portal Just Eat to deliver surplus food to DanChurchSocial shelters (Kirkens Korshærs Herberg).
Even though purchasing and work flow are regularly tweaked for optimization as FOOD CLUB works towards its sustainable ambitions, there’s a surplus of food at the restaurant’s buffet each night. FOOD CLUB is already collaborating with the food waste reduction app Too Good To Go, but now they’re taking it one step further in the fight against food waste. Surplus food is as good as new but cannot be sold the following day due to legal restrictions. This tricky situation gave rise to the idea for a partnership where FOOD CLUB would supply the surplus food, and Just Eat would take care of the logistics – with both sides working pro bono.
“Through our new concept, together with Just Eat, FOOD CLUB is able to be a part of a healthy food experience with high quality ingredients for vulnerable members of our society. Food waste is such a shame, so this initiative is an ideal solution to the eternal problem of surplus food,” says Christopher Haar, a partner at FOOD CLUB together with Martin Alf and Madklubben founder Anders Aagaard.
At the time of FOOD CLUB’s opening in 2018, Anders Aagaard said, “We need to hit the bullseye in terms of where society is headed: Better ingredients, less food waste, and more unity when we go out to eat. That’s a concept we believe has a lot of potential.”
This fits together well with the new collaboration. Every Tuesday until Saturday, Just Eat collects surplus food at FOOD CLUB and delivers it to a shelter operated by DanChurchSocial. Just Eat is eager to get behind local initiatives by making its resources available.
“We’re a takeaway partner for a great number of restaurants, so we know that food waste is a huge problem in this industry and an issue that many restaurants want to do something about. This is why we’re excited to be a part of this initiative with FOOD CLUB. It’s just the beginning of projects like this, but we hope it will set a good example for how companies can both reduce food waste and help some of the most vulnerable members of society at the same time,” says Kamilla Dannemarre Meincke, Brand Manager at Just Eat.
DanChurchSocial operates a cantine at a shelter in Nørrebro, but economic challenges mean that many residents are unable to purchase food each day. “We try to cook a weekly dinner on our limited budget, and that’s where we really see how much a meal and fellowship means. A calm comes over our residents, and the tables are full of good, happy conversations. This also deepens the relationship and trust between residents and personnel, which is incredibly important for everyone at the shelter. This collaboration with Just Eat and FOOD CLUB enables us to fill far more stomachs, and we’re thrilled about that,” says Kristina Kjær Lundeborg from DanChurchSocial.
At REGA, we are just as excited about this initiative – both in terms of food waste reduction, but also for the compassionate social progress it represents.
