Sainsfreeze, a new concept store from Sainsbury’s is opening its doors today, showing customers how to freeze different types of foods and save on surplus food going to waste.
Freezing food could make a big dent in the £730 a year British households throw away through food waste, according to research from climate action NGO WRAP.
The innovative walk-in freezer pop-up store looks like a regular Sainsbury’s from the outside, but once inside customers will be greeted with frozen groceries that they would usually buy fresh.
Shelves will be stacked with frozen versions of everyday items such as fruit and veg, dairy, meat, fish and baked goods, in a bid to inspire Brits about the ways food can be frozen to help reduce waste and save money.
Meanwhile, new research from Sainsbury’s shows that 58% of Brits say they’re looking at ways to cut costs – including throwing away less food (35%) and purchasing more reduced items (45%).
Top items currently commonly thrown away include bread, milk and salad. According to Sainsbury’s research (36%) say they find an item is mouldy or has gone off before they have had a chance to eat it, and just one in 10 (11%) realise eggs can be frozen, 24% herbs and 18% yoghurt.
Ruth Cranston, director of corporate responsibility and sustainability at Sainsbury’s said, “When people think about climate change, food waste often gets overlooked. Around a third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted and it contributes a whopping 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions globally each year.”
“That is why we are launching Sainsfreeze, to help customers try and combat food waste and learn handy hints and top tips along the way.
Innovative freezing not only allows us to save food we would otherwise have thrown away, but also to buy reduced priced food close to its use-by date, saving even more money on the weekly grocery bill.”
Sainsfreeze is open to the public today and tomorrow in Boxpark, Shoreditch from 10am to 6pm, with all food being given away for free. All surplus food will be donated to Sainsbury’s food redistribution charity partner FareShare, ensuring that no food goes to waste.
