Meet Bristol & Bath partnership with Too Good To Go

Meet Bristol and Bath is partnering up with the sustainability app Too Good To Go to help members fight food waste.

Food waste in events can be hard to avoid; accurately predicting the amount that will be consumed is complicated. The success of an event is often judged by the catering, so it is not uncommon to over-order in case there are last minute menu changes or additional attendees. This leads to the problem of having unpredictable amounts of food being wasted. Fortunately, Too Good To Go provides an easy and flexible solution.

The Too Good To Go app lets venues sell surplus food to local customers, to save it from going to waste and recoup some costs. Customers use the app to buy a surprise ‘Magic Bag’ of surplus food, then pick it up at a time set by the venue. There’s no need for venues to predict what won’t be eaten; they simply load Magic Bags with whatever’s left over, setting a price that’s fair for them and the customer. 

The Too Good To Go Story

Too Good To Go has an ambitious goal: to inspire and empower everyone to fight food waste, while proving that it’s possible for businesses to thrive with social good at their core.

The problem is simple: too much food is being thrown away. It happens at venues and restaurants everywhere, from fresh sandwiches, to untouched buffet food being tipped directly into bins. It’s all delicious, made to be enjoyed - but it’s getting wasted instead.

At the same time, food waste is putting the planet under enormous strain. Entire forests are cleared to grow produce that will never be eaten, and scientists have discovered how food releases harmful greenhouse gases when it’s disposed of unsustainably.

It raises the issue: if our food is putting the planet under so much strain, why are we throwing so much of it away?

That’s the question several entrepreneurs around Europe - from Paris to Copenhagen to Leeds - were asking when, in 2016, they joined forces to create Too Good To Go.

The platform is a proven success with 7 million UK users; the South West turning into a particular hotspot. So much so, that 1 in 3 Bristol food businesses have signed up. We spoke to Matthew Phillips, from the University of Bristol, to find out how they have found integrating Too Good To Go into their daily operations.

Name and Job role: 

Matthew Phillips – Catering Cluster Manager

When did you start using Too Good To Go and why?

We started using Too Good To Go in September 2019 as a way of reducing our food waste in line with the University’s commitment to sustainability.

How do you use the platform?

We currently offer Magic Bags from 4 locations, utilising food items that would otherwise be thrown away, such as sandwiches, salads, pastries as well as tinned or packaged food.

How have you found the platform’s usability?

Too Good To Go is very flexible, allowing us to change the amount of bags at a moment’s notice. With the easy to use interface, we have empowered staff to update the amount of mystery bags available as well as offering feedback on service and the amount of CO2 emissions we have helped to save.

What has been the biggest advantage to the service?

The biggest advantage for us has been to not only reduce our food wastage but also offer another way to reach our students as well as the general public, and promote our sustainability message.

Do you have any plans to use Too Good To Go in other areas of the business?

As we reopen outlets across the university, we intend to extend Too Good To Go to ensure all areas are covered and the maximum amount of food is saved from going in the bin.

About the Partnership

The partnership of Too Good To Go and Meet Bristol and Bath means that any hospitality and food business that is a member of Meet Bristol and Bath is able to join the anti-food waste initiative without having to pay the usual annual fee.

If you’re interested in finding out how Too Good To Go could work for your business, click the link below to pass on your details and Yasmine from Too Good To Go will be in touch ...

Join Too Good To Go - Visit West Partners

**Members of Visit West who sign up using this link will get their first year’s administration fee of £39 waived**