Worldwide Fruit has partnered with redistribution organisation The Bread and Butter Thing to overcome the challenges of hiring and returning fruit pallets, punnets and trays. This Grocer Gold award-winning partnership is on track to save millions of pieces of fruit each year – from apples and pears to peaches, plums, nectarines and avocados. Read the case study below to find out how.
In order to maximise its own sustainability and productivity, Worldwide Fruit reuses its delivery trays. This means that when trays are used to deliver fruit, their return is critical to continue operations.
Worldwide Fruit has always been determined to reduce the quantities of edible surplus that go to waste. However, its reuse of equipment has created a challenge when redistributing surplus fruit due to the complex logistics of hiring and returning fruit pallets, punnets and trays. The business therefore needed a redistribution partner that could work flexibly to maximise the redistribution of surplus fruit.
The Bread and Butter Thing came up with a simple but effective solution to take over the hire and return of the trays. The Bread and Butter Thing uses a business-to-consumer model, redistributing food direct to its members. This means that the logistics chain is end to end, allowing them to mitigate challenges which may not be possible for organisations that operate under a business-to-business model. The trays never leave The Bread and Butter Thing’s ecosystem so it’s easy to retain control.
Following a successful pilot of the new hire and return system in summer 2021, Worldwide Fruit and The Bread and Butter Thing have gone on to forge a Grocer Gold Award-winning partnership.
To date, more than 275 tonnes of surplus fruit from New Zealand, South America, South Africa and beyond have already been redistributed via The Bread and Butter Thing’s hubs across the north of England. The partnership is also reaching areas across the UK through the extended Xcess independent redistribution network.
Furthermore, more than 1.5 million pieces of surplus fruit are now reaching low-income families as well as supporting summer holiday activities, food programme schemes, school lunches and community groups.
“The variety and quality of products provided by Worldwide Fruit play a big role in helping The Bread and Butter Thing ensure that we can offer our members a healthy range of food and improve diet diversity with fruit that they normally couldn’t afford or access locally.” – Mark Game, The Bread and Butter Thing, CEO
“No one wants good food to go to waste, especially when so many people in need of support can benefit from it. I’m delighted that we can work with The Bread and Butter Thing to support parents in feeding their families healthy nutritious food, as well as playing our part in reducing food waste and its impact on the environment.” – Andy Mitchell, Worldwide Fruit’s Senior Technical Manager
Justin Pritchard, Food Planner, [email protected]
IGD is looking to share innovative ways that producers and manufacturers are working to redistribute surplus food. Get in touch via [email protected] if you have any case studies to share.
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