The Beautification Trust, in partnership with Foodtogether, celebrated the successful launch of the Foodtogether Pop-Up Manurewa on Thursday, 24th August. The event was met with unprecedented demand, completely selling out of fruit and vegetables just half an hour into the two-hour event.
The pop-up shop offers a range of “ugly” in-season produce that might be over or undersized or have minor blemishes. A first for South Auckland, the event attracted a huge queue of eager people keen to take advantage of the $15 fill-a-bag offering.
Daniel Barthow, CEO of the Beautification Trust, expressed his enthusiasm for the project's success, stating, "Today's launch was a testament to the community's desire for solutions for affordable and sustainable produce during the current cost of living crisis. We are thrilled to have such a great response, and it reinforces our commitment to minimising food loss and supporting our community with access to cheap, nutritious kai."
Sterling Ruwhiu, Community Programmes Manager, added, "The incredible turnout shows the big need for this initiative in South Auckland. We have learned a lot from our first event, and we are doubling our stock order for next week. We are also improving our processes to reduce wait times and ensure people can fill their bags quickly and smoothly."
The Foodtogether Pop-Up Manurewa is a 6-week pilot programme that aims to provide a cost-effective way for the community to access fresh produce while also reducing food waste. The pop-up will continue to run every Thursday from 11am to 1pm at the Beautification Trust, 38 Holmes Rd, Manurewa, until 28th September. Once the pilot programme finishes, the Trust will assess whether to make this an ongoing fixture at their Manurewa hub.
"To make sure no one misses out, we are encouraging people to pre-order their bag at beautification.org.nz/foodtogether before midday on Tuesday," said Ruwhiu. "We are looking forward to making next week's pop-up bigger and better."
Foodtogether Pop-Up Manurewa
Date: Every Thursday, 24th August – 28th September
Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Address: Beautification Trust, 38 Holmes Rd, Manurewa
Cost: $15 per bag, pre-orders available online