Food charity calls for new warehouse as demand rises

FareShare South West has issued an urgent call for a new warehouse to support its expanding food rescue operations, after its current premises reached full capacity.

The appeal was launched during the charity’s Spring Summit, held at Plymouth Argyle Football Stadium, which brought together more than 120 leaders from across Devon and Cornwall’s political, business, education and charity sectors.

FareShare South West, which redistributes surplus food to frontline organisations tackling hunger, says it needs a larger facility in place by autumn 2025 to meet increasing demand, expand cold storage, and support its growing volunteer network.

The charity, headquartered in Bristol, has strong links to Exeter, where it expanded its services in 2020 in partnership with Exeter Food Action. This partnership has enabled food distribution to frontline charities across the city and beyond.

Lucy Bearn, CEO of FareShare South West, said: “Our current warehouse is simply bursting at the seams. Securing a new, larger facility is essential, not just for space, but to ensure that all surplus food we rescue can reach those who need it most.”

She also shared sobering figures about food poverty in the region:

• 19% of children in Devon are living in poverty

• 23% in Cornwall

• Up to 35% in parts of Torbay

• And 42% in some areas of North Devon and Bodmin

Bearn added, “We are living in a broken food system. There are so many reasons food goes to waste - seasonal gluts, incorrect labelling, short shelf lives. Despite progress, 4.6 million tonnes of edible food is still wasted in the UK every year, enough for 10 billion meals.”

Luke Pollard MP for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport said FareShare South West urgently needs larger facilities and more delivery vans, and called for wider action to address structural issues such as wages, housing and food inequality.

Rebecca Tonks, CEO of St Ewe Free Range Eggs, highlighted the need for better education around food use, “Many people simply don’t know how to cook or store food properly. We should be bringing back home economics and teaching children how to cook from scratch.”

FareShare South West supports over 75 organisations across the region and has tripled its food rescue volume since 2018. Its work in Exeter continues to be an important part of that reach.

The charity is calling on local businesses and supporters to help - through volunteering, partnerships, donations or helping to identify new premises.

To get involved, visit faresharesouthwest.org.uk.