What is the Open Door Community Fridge?
A Community Fridge is a communal space where perishable food can be shared rather than wasted. It is a social space which helps to reduce food waste, build trust locally and normalise the sharing of foods and other household items. On Tuesday mornings, we will give out surplus food that has been saved from going to landfill.
How does it work?
- The Community Fridge is open 10-12am, every Tuesday morning
- Situated outside the front of Open Door (360-364 High Street, Berkhamsted, HP4 1HU)
- Please BRING YOUR OWN BAG, otherwise you will be charged £2 for a bag
- Open to everyone - please come along and help us fight food waste - no need to book
- All food is given out for free
- Available food is packaged into parcels by our volunteers - this will be given out on a first come, first served basis, and you'll be able to pack it into your own bag(s) to take home
- We can't guarantee what will be in the parcels, or the quantity of food available each week
- No parking on site - see here for more information
Where does the food come from?
Our small but mighty army of volunteers collect surplus food from a range of shops and hospitality businesses around Berkhamsted. This is food that can no longer be served by the establishments, but is still good to eat. We will never pass on food past its use by date!
How can I support the Community Fridge?
Whether you are a business or an individual, we would love your support in running the Community Fridge, here are the ways you can help....
Donate food or goods to be redistributed, see below what we can accept. We accept donations from cafes, restaurants and shops, as well as local growers. If you would like to financially support this project, or any of Open Door's work, please email [email protected]
Volunteer your time...
Donate food or goods to be redistributed, see below what we can accept. We accept donations from cafes, restaurants and shops, as well as local growers. If you would like to financially support this project, or any of Open Door's work, please email [email protected]
Volunteer your time...
- We need people to collect of food from supermarkets and other local food businesses - this is currently mostly on Sunday or Monday evenings, but may expand to other days. This involves lifting and being active, but we also need people back at Open Door to label, and properly store the food, if this is more your thing.
- We need people to distribute the food on Tuesday mornings - preparing food bags, weighing food and giving out food to the community.
- To find out more or register your interest in these roles (you don't have to commit to every week), please contact [email protected].
What food can the Community Fridge accept?
We accept food that is fresh and hasn’t reached the 'use-by' date if it has one. Food should only be donated if it cannot be used or sold, not because it is no longer good quality. Please only donate food that is good for at least 24 more hours. See the images below, or download them by clicking on them.
What can the Fridge not accept?
What can the Fridge not accept?
- Unpasteurized milk, cooked rice, raw milk cheeses, pâtés, bean sprouts
- Products which could contain any of the above ingredients
- Only donate food that has been stored safely and handled i.e. not temperature abused (out of refrigeration for more than 4 hours) or contaminated in any way
- Cooked food from an uncertified kitchen - only donate food that you have cooked or prepared if you are part of a food business registered with the local authority, complying with UK Food Law and have a minimum of level 4 Hygiene Rating
Any other questions? Please contact us on [email protected] or come along to the Community Fridge one Tuesday morning for a chat.
Or, find out more about Community Fridges at www.hubbub.org.uk/the-community-fridge
With thanks to Hubbub and Herts Community Foundation for their support to make the Community Fridge happen.
