Fair Food staff holding NZFN boxes standing in front of pallets of donated food.

Food Hub Spotlight – Fair Food

After dropping off a recent delivery of donated food, we spent some time with NZFN Food Hub, Fair Food, to catch up with the team and get an inside look into some of the inspiring mahi they are doing in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Here’s a bit of background. Established in 2011 as Auckland’s original food rescue, Fair Food, has been working with local retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers to save kai destined for waste, and get it back out into the community where it belongs. After more than a decade of dedication and hard mahi, the team based in Avondale now provide kai support to over 60 recipient organisations around Auckland, including several schools, community groups and social agencies.

“Last year, we provided enough fresh groceries for 81,500 people thanks to the help of more than 2,000 volunteers. It's overwhelming to see this scale of food waste and hunger. We certainly don’t celebrate growth in our industry, but we are grateful to all the donors, especially NZ Food Network, for turning these leftovers into lifelines for families who would otherwise miss out.”

- Michelle Blau - Fair Food General Manager

The unique services that Fair Food offer

Fair Food is nourishing their community one bite at a time. On top of their food rescue service, Fair Food also has a big focus on education, teaching waste minimization and all the value it creates. Using their commercial kitchen space named the ‘Conscious Kitchen’, the Fair Food team offer several programmes on climate-friendly cooking with rescued food, open to rangatahi, corporate teams, and the general public, all of whom can sign up to learn practical skills for maximising your kai while preparing meals from scratch.

During our visit, we also got a close up look at some of the meals and condiments the team has cooked up in the Conscious Kitchen for the community, using food that isn't quite fit to hand out, but is still safe to use in cooking – check out the delicious-looking tomato relish being held by Fair Food GM Michelle!

The current need

However, despite doing everything they can, like all our Food Hubs, Fair Food continue to feel the pressure of an increasing demand for food support in Aotearoa.

“Every month we set a new record for how much kai we prepare. We have seen a huge rise in the number of employed people who need food assistance for the first time. A third of New Zealanders have less than $500 in savings, making many of us one sport or camp fee, flat tyre, or other unexpected expense away from a food parcel. We are humbled to be able to help so many of our friends and neighbours.”

- Michelle Blau - Fair Food General Manager

How your food donations connect to the bigger picture

“Food support alone is not the ultimate solution to hunger. To really solve this problem takes a whole community approach. That’s why we partner with domestic violence shelters, mental health and social services, schools and kura, social workers, rangatahi programmes, ethnic community groups, and many other local leaders who can get to the root of the problem and plant some seeds of change.”

- Michelle Blau - Fair Food General Manager

Fair Food donation recipients holding donated milk powder

Hear about the impact

Going the extra mile

In the name of ‘feeding people, not landfill’, Fair Food also acts as a donor to NZFN, taking the initiative to send us the surplus from any donations they’ve received exceeds what their community will eat in time. This extends the reach of fresh food across the North Island while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Last year, their rescued food was the equivalent carbon sequestration of a forest of 23,495 mature native trees. They also accept home-grown food, so if your citrus tree’s had a big year, think about dropping off your extra at Fair Food’s hub on Rosebank Rd.

What it means to Fair Food staff to do the work they do

“Too many mums are skipping meals, just so their kids can have one. This broken food system is exacerbating climate change, and our community is the most impacted. We hunger for a world where everyone has what they need, and we will continue to gather our friends and neighbours to eat the change we want to see.”

- Fair Food Staff

Fair Food's impact in the community is significant and ongoing, with 33,000+ meals being distributed weekly to their recipient organisations, enhancing the many different wrap around services that they offer, and making a difference to the lives of many Kiwis. We are grateful to be able to support this incredible work, knowing that our donors’ products are not only feeding hungry Kiwis, but also supporting education and services set up to create long-term impact.