FoodCloud Expanding in UK

20th January 2017

Posted In: FYI

FoodCloud, an award winning Irish social enterprise, is expanding its reach in the UK with the premium retailer Waitrose. FoodCloud will pilot 25 Waitrose branches, and if successful, will expand to all Waitrose stores through the UK.

FoodCloud has developed an innovative software platform that connects stores directly with local charities ensuring good food can be rescued within communities.

Waitrose is the second UK retailer to use the FoodCloud platform to redistribute its surplus food. FoodCloud expanded into the UK market last year with Tesco through a partnership with UK food redistribution charity FareShare. Tesco is the largest retailer in the UK.

In less than a year, through this partnership, FoodCloud have facilitated the redistribution of 5 million meals from Tesco stores across the UK. Over 3,300 community groups and charities have benefited from donations of good quality surplus food.

FoodCloud’s world class technology has enabled it to rapidly scale from 200 donating stores to over 1,200 across the UK and Ireland. FoodCloud have ambitious growth targets for 2017 with work underway to bring on a further 1,800 Tesco convenience stores.

FoodCloud CEO Iseult Ward, who was named this week as one of Forbes 30 under 30 European Class of 2017, said: ‘Continuing from our success with Irish retailer partners, including Tesco Ireland and Aldi, we are delighted that Tesco UK have redistributed over 5 million meals in less than a year. We are excited to also have the opportunity to work with Waitrose in 2017 and benefit more communities across the UK.’

The FoodCloud founders – Iseult Ward and Aoibheann O’Brien are the current Newstalk WMB Social Entrepreneur Award recipients.