What’s Surplus?

Here at StreetBox we source all our fresh produce from surplus - but what does that really mean, and why is it a good thing?

In a nutshell, surplus fruit and veg =
oversupply / under-demand

And if surplus doesn’t get sold or donated then it is highly likely to go to waste.

Fresh produce can become surplus in many different ways but the most common are:

overproduction

Too much of something is grown and by the time it’s ready to be sold there isn’t as much demand.

When you consider it can take between 50-70 days to grow the humble cucumber, then you can understand the lead times growers are working with and how much can change in that time.

Imperfection and Off Cuts

We have become very used to our fruit and veg looking like something out of a botanical art book, but nature is a lot more varied.
Supermarkets tend to demand only the most consistently (and conventionally) beautiful produce for their shelves, but this can mean that odd, ugly or misshapen produce can be discarded. There are also parts of veg and fruit that may be removed which are often completely edible which contribute to food wastage.

DAMAged Packaging

Especially in supermarkets and larger retailers, something as simple as a damaged package can make great produce end up as surplus. This can either be while it’s in the store, or on its way to it.

Sometimes this produce can be found at a discount in the marked down section which can be a great way to save this produce from going to waste, but more often it’s just thrown away.

misleading best before dates

Much has been done in the past few years to educate consumers on the true meaning of Best Before Dates. Here in the UK we waste a estimated 6.5 million tonnes of food every year, when in fact 4.5 million tonnes of it is still edible.

Best Before only means that it will taste best before that particular date, and so is very often still edible far beyond the date on the packaging. Just don’t confused it with a ‘Use By’ date which must be followed for food safety.

How StreetBox Saves Surplus

When you order a box from us, you’re getting access to the best surplus produce that the wholesale markets (Spitalfields in our case) have to offer, and you’re helping us make sure that it doesn’t go to waste!

We come from a long line of London greengrocers and have decades of experience and connections with the UK fresh produce market, it’s how we came to the realisation that all this fresh, hard-grown food deserved to be saved!

By making sure that this produce ends up on your table it means that we can rest easy knowing that this amazing food won’t end up in a landfill or contributing to the climate crisis, and will do what it was intended to do, which is feed people!

But that’s not all…

StreetBox is also a CIC (Community Interest Company) who supports local charities, food organisations, food banks, primary schools and many more, with donations of fruit and veg for every box sold, with the aim to helping end food poverty in London.

So when you buy a box you’re not only feeding yourself and your family, but helping others gain access to this amazing surplus produce and feed themselves as well!

Sound Good?

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from Fridays at 12PM - Tuesdays at 6PM