A packing adjustment at Emery Soft Fruits in Hampshire has enabled surplus berries to be redirected for redistribution, in collaboration with BerryWorld UK and food charity FareShare.
Soft fruit is challenging to recover because of its short shelf life. At Emery Soft Fruits, lined crates are now placed under each packing table to collect surplus or out-of-spec berries. These are sent directly to FareShare's Southern Central warehouse in Southampton for distribution to local charities.
James Emery, managing director at Emery Soft Fruits, said: "It's truly wonderful that we can take something that would otherwise go to waste and repurpose it to help so many people. It's something we're genuinely proud of."
The system, introduced earlier this year, will remain in place for the rest of the season. BerryWorld UK and FareShare are assessing how it could be extended to other growers in different regions. Emma Brown, head of fresh produce at FareShare, said she hoped the practice would encourage more growers to participate.
According to Simon Ryan, regional manager at FareShare Southern Central, more than 80 local charities have received fruit through this initiative. "Almost 50kg of fresh strawberries have been distributed, and charities now really look forward to their deliveries of local Hampshire strawberries," he said.
BerryWorld UK has worked with FareShare since 2020. Its growers have diverted over 750 tonnes of fruit to the charity, equivalent to about 1.8 million meals.
Paul Avery, commercial director at BerryWorld UK, said: "We've seen a wonderfully even crop from our growers Emery Soft Fruits, Withers Farm, Tasker Partnership, Busby Partners, and Winterwood. When volumes do spike, we work side by side with FareShare to turn seasonal abundance into opportunity, not waste."
FareShare reported that 51% of its network charities expect demand to rise during the summer holiday period. Fresh fruit is especially valued by charities as an option for children.
Historically, FareShare has received more surplus vegetables than fruit. Brown noted that closer links with growers and packers could help improve redistribution: "Increasing direct access to growers would enable us to achieve even greater impact."
Stefan Rusev, technical director at BerryWorld UK, emphasized the need for speed in handling berries: "Soft fruit's 'quality countdown' begins the moment it is picked. The task is to align that clock with transport, chill chain, and FareShare. Sharing estimates with FareShare, keeping surplus cool, and coordinating loads from our nationwide growers helps us move more berries efficiently. Costs can be a barrier, so we stay as streamlined as possible, winning extra shelf life and making every punnet count."
Source: FreshTalkDaily