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Community larder guidance

Guidance around what to donate to our community larder, fridge and freezer.

Please help to keep the community area tidy.

Stack any donated items neatly on the shelves or in the fridge and freezer and make sure that the fridge and freezer doors are kept closed.

Chilled food

Donate food that:

  • is unopened
  • in date
  • has allergy information in English
  • has been kept at fridge temperature

Food should be quickly transported from one fridge to another and must still be cold to the touch.

Don’t donate food that:

  • is beyond the use by date
  • is raw meat, eggs or raw fish
  • is in open packets, jars or bottles
  • is in glass containers

Ambient food

This is food that can be safely stored at room temperature in a sealed container.

Donate food that:

  • is sealed shut if in an open packet or a liquid form, such as oil or vinegar, or
  • is in unopened drink cartons
  • unopened sauces that do not state ‘keep refrigerated after opening’
  • has an expired best before date of up to three months maximum
  • has allergy information in English

Don’t donate food that:

  • may spill and contaminate other items
  • is more than three months past the best before date
  • states ‘keep refrigerated after opening’ and has not been stored in a fridge
  • is dented, blown or rusty tins of food
  • is alcohol

Frozen food (when available)

Donate food that is:

  • unopened
  • in date
  • has allergy information in English
  • has not previously been defrosted

Food should be quickly transported from one freezer to another and must still be hard to the touch.

Don't donate food that is:

  • contaminated with any signs of freezer burn or covered in ice
  • ice cream, raw meat or raw fish
  • re-frozen
  • homemade
  • bought chilled and then frozen

Kitchen equipment

Donate items that are:

  • in clean, usable condition
  • rolls of cling film, foil and food bags
  • clean tea towels, kitchen roll and unused cleaning cloths and scourers

Don’t donate:

  • knives
  • broken items
  • dirty items
  • bleach

Other items

Donate items that:

  • are in clean, usable condition
  • that other people will want or have a use for

Don’t donate:

  • broken items
  • any general waste

Other ways you can help Leave No Trace

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