A HIGH-END farm shop is donating surplus stock to a nearby community fridge.

The A38 business, Rumwell Farm Shop has been making weekly donations to the Community Interest Company Foodsave for its Hemyock fridge.

Peta Dayus-Jones, Centre Manager at Blackdown Healthy Living & Activity Centre where the Community Fridge is located, explained: “It’s wonderful that Rumwell Farm Shop is donating any spare fresh fruit and vegetables and homemade baked items, as well as other products it has, to help us support rural communities in need.

“While it’s distressing that society needs support from projects like this, it’s great that with the help of Rumwell Farm Shop and other businesses, we’re helping feed people in a climate-friendly way, and for free.”

Devon-based Foodsave launched five years ago and focuses on creating zero food waste communities, providing free food for anyone that wants it and using donations of perfectly useable food from businesses and individuals.

Now accepting the farm shop donations, Hemyock Community Fridge also takes in surplus stock from Lidl, KFC, Tesco and Greggs which is available to visitors for free from Monday to Friday weekly.

Lucy White, Shop Manager at Rumwell Farm Shop, said: “We’re delighted to assist with such a great initiative and to support food waste reduction. Many rural communities have been hit particularly hard by the cost-of-living crisis, so Foodsave’s openness to all means that everyone who needs to will be able to freely access the items we donate.

“Community Fridges, like the one we’re supporting at the Blackdown Healthy Living & Activity Centre in Hemyock, ensure surplus good food gets eaten and not wasted. Food going to waste is a large contributor to climate change, so by donating to the Community Fridge we’re playing our part in helping the environment.”