And the rise of food pantries for profit.
Hear me out!
I love the fact that the pandemic has forced businesses to re-think their food waste and donate or sell nearly expired and even expired foods to food banks and pantries. There is still too much food waste of even perfectly fresh food. Last time I checked, it still is illegal in Germany to “dumpster dive” where mainly students and eco-warriors pick out perfect food from dumpsters behind supermarkets and distribute it to friends and people in need.
Two students were put on trial in Germany a few years ago and made a public spectacle of in court to deter others to “steal” food from dumpsters. I haven’t followed the story anymore and am not sure what the verdict was, please do your own research there. But as far as I know in 2023 it’s still illegal in Germany to dumpster-dive, while France changed the laws to force businesses to keep using good/non-expired food and later food share with charities instead of mass-throwing out food.
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Also, side note, someone is copying and pasting my posts one by one. Just make sure you have a leg to stand on when claiming that my writings are yours.
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A visual of foodbanks in England:
Pret A Manger’s High Food Waste
I know that Pret waste a lot of food than they can donate, as I had to throw out countless large bin bags of food for years, as well as members of the public posting pictures and videos of Pret’s food waste in the streets. But since the pandemic, and companies being forced to show their greed in broad daylight, Pret not only carry-over food to the next day(s) to sell (hence, false advertising, as NOT freshly made), but now SELL left-over food as “surprise” bags for cheaper via the TooGoodToGo app.
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The problem with that is not only the risk to get expired/mouldy food, but that while BEFORE the pandemic Pret was VERY strict about NOT even giving for FREE cooled down hot food like hot wraps, soups, porridge, mac & cheese etc. to charity due to safety reasons. NOW they sell it for cheaper via TGTG.
I was reprimanded by my manager when I was new to running a shop and gave hot food to charity at the end of the night. I didn’t know we weren’t allowed to give cooled down hot food away. I was stressed about this and felt humiliated that I was told off like this. And as Pret are Pret, what do they do now? Not only a complete U-Turn on safety issues, but even making money from it under the “charity” umbrella for tax breaks and brownie points with the public.
Can I have an apology by the manager who reprimanded me, while 1. I wasn’t even told about this when I was “trained” to be a shift runner before I became a team leader. And 2. Pret now continuing unsafe food practices, despite 2 customer deaths and 20+ injuries from labelling/ingredient issues. They’re now making money from it.
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Needless to say how hypocritical it is AND unsafe as soups in Pret at times have been re-heated 3-4+ times to save money on waste. I go into great detail in Pret Quietly Change their Slogans in how Pret seem to move away from the “freshly made food” slogan to “handmade every day” as I keep bombarding the internet with writings AND pictures of mouldy food from Pret.
When I pointed out to TGTG UK branch about Pret’s Hypocrisy in Food Safety, they of course blocked me. That’s telling. It means they don’t want to know about food safety and the dangers of unsafe food practices.
I explain in detail in the two above posts on Pret’s slogans and hypocrisy HOW Pret’s food is really made, especially soups that are cooked in factories, delivered in plastic bags (containing 6 cups per bag), then just re-heated in water baths or the microwave. By the time a customer gets a soup, it has for absolute certainty been heated up twice. Again, hence, not freshly made.
I explain how staff even years before the pandemic keep re-heating unsold soup bags the next day after they cooled it off the night before when it didn’t sell. It is not uncommon that the soup you eat from Pret has been re-heated 3, 4 or more times to save money on waste.
“Incredibly unwell after eating a tomato soup”:
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A customer favourite is the Mushroom Risotto soup, but here it tastes “odd”:
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And many more. And this isn’t even from the cheap TGTG surprise bag, these are customers paying the full price.
On Facebook TGTG also recently blocked me after I linked to mouldy, non-fresh food to an excited customer having gotten soups in their surprise bag. But before they blocked, I reminded them that if a customer gets ill or worse, even dies again from any Pret food due to food poisoning and the ongoing mislabelling, where vegans and vegetarians (some for over 25 years) eat meat, and religious people eat pork instead of beef or fish or veg, TGTG will not be able to say that they didn’t know how Pret remain unsafe.
I keep the receipts!
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WRONG labels:
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DAYS after Pret opened their first shop in India, CHICKEN hot wrap instead of veg. On Facebook was another India complaint recently where the customer is threatening with legal action against the franchise owner about other issues.
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The one that even shocked me, and I’ve seen a lot, is where the dairy Bircher Muesli was made with MAYONNAISE!!! This must have been made by either a new worker who struggles with reading English when looking for the yoghurt bucket in the fridge or an extremely exhausted staff who rushed like a headless chicken, or both. They all have to rush in understaffed shops under a bullying fear culture.
I speak about how Pret were always and continue to be unsafe in their food practices on my podcast, incl. how staff are pressured to cheat by signing training papers without being trained. I highlight a weird Barbican seminar AFTER the first customer Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died. But there was NO mention of a fatality and further injuries. I also highlight the difference between Starbucks CEO’s proactive handling of crisis and Pret’s CEO (then Clive Schlee) lack of action in crisis, and other insights into work at Pret.
And current CEO Pano Christou who came from McDonald’s, coming full circle, turning Pret into a McDonald’s type business isn’t better as we can see with current mouldy food and ongoing mislabelling. And when the customers died in the UK and more got injured worldwide, Pano Christou was the UK Managing Director and also ignored it before it got public in the press. He was number 2 to Clive Schlee and could have intervened in any way.
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Many more mislabelled products in above “Vegans Eat Meat” post.
And as a little but important side note, no-one will ever know IF or how many homeless people suffered food poisoning or got hurt eating mislabelled food. Homeless people have food allergies and intolerances as well! Food allergies are not reserved for the rich and privileged. Poison, injuries and death don’t discriminate!
The only thing that the rich or middle class people have in favour, they can afford legal aid to sue companies, and like in the case of the millionaire Ednan-Laperouse family are able to reach up to government and get “Natasha’s Law” implemented as well as being summoned by King Charles in his last days of being a prince.
A poor or homeless person simply suffers or dies. That was that. No one would even know why they got hurt or died. But if it is known, there won’t be any repercussions. No-one held to account. End of. Let’s be real here! They might even get ignored by paramedics.
A flatmate and I in Germany once tried to change bandages of a homeless man who had infected wounds on his ankles and always came to our door to ask for money or food. But this time he came with complaints of his ankles.
We made a rare exception to let him in and try to tend to the wounds while calling the ambulance. The ambulance came, but hesitated to help the man as he didn’t want to go to hospital, and they seemed in a hurry to get out again as the man was smelly and dirty. Not only did the paramedics NOT tend to his wounds, but they left him with us! Today I would absolutely demand for the medics to tend to the man, no matter if and why he doesn’t want to go to hospital! They have all the tools to do an initial clean up of the wounds.
This is many years ago, but I’m still shocked about it! So, don’t kid yourself to think a homeless person on the street will get help or justice when dying from hidden or mislabelled allergens.
But now to what I really wanted to write about!
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Food Pantries Seem to be Taking Over the Amount of Food Banks
Rising food banks is a concern for me. But as there’s now money to be made and it adds up. Food pantries seem to be rising and now even seem to outnumber food banks in areas. Good, we may think. Yes … but …
I worked in charities, volunteered since I was a teenager and know the tricks and traps of the multi-million pound charity “industry”, especially with staff making good salaries while the work is being done by unpaid volunteers.
As Pret read my blog, they will be delighted to learn that I rely a lot on food banks and pantries, still unable to work and function in a “normal” workplace. I’m not ashamed about it and we will see who will be laughing more regarding Pret A Manger.
But I do crazy things sometimes where I go to a local restaurant and treat myself to a full blown meal!
As food pantries have popped up all over during the pandemic and since the cost of living crisis, I was given the tip by neighbours about pantries. I was really excited to find pantries where you even get real vegetables, not just canned foods.
The deal is simple and might vary a little bit from pantry to pantry. But in comparison to FREE food banks that mainly give tinned foods and other non-perishable items, and maybe some donated pastries and bread, food pantries don’t require a referral from the Job Center, Citizen Advice Bureau or your GP. And they sell vegetables. And important for me, I feel a little bit “normal” to BUY food rather than get hand-outs!
And free food banks are only limited to people who live in that borough. If I live in borough “A”, I can’t go to borough “B” to get free food. But with food PANTRIES, there is no requirement to be in the borough of that pantry. Some require registration for their data base, others just ask for a first name for the list on the day as it is on first-come / first-serve basis with ticketing.
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Example of Two Pantries
Each pantry sells food two to three or four times a week. Pantries that are close together also share food. What pantry “A” didn’t sell on Monday, pantry “B” gets for their Tuesday sales etc. But pantry “B” has to pay pantry “A” for the food. That way food waste is minimized especially with vegetables and fruit that spoil fast.
Anyone can just come by unannounced and in comparison to food banks will not be asked any embarrassing questions on why they need the food. They’re not asked about details of their crisis. This fact has led me to not go to food banks anymore and had my fridge empty many times, because I didn’t have the strength or courage to go to the Job Center or GP to get a referral and then again having to explain to food bank volunteers what my current situation is.
This was then very attractive for me with food pantries. PLUS, in my pride I feel better when I PAY even just a little bit. It has more dignity. And with pantries you CHOOSE items that you like, while with food banks they just collect items for your bag except products you’re allergic to. Since the whole Pret allergy catastrophes, not only businesses are forced to take food allergies more serious. Food banks and some (not all) pantries have the allergy question on which foods you can’t have included in their questionnaire now.
Even when I want to escape my Pret writings, I am constantly confronted in businesses and pantries with Pret due to allergy warnings that only started with Pret’s customer deaths. It always takes death before change happens.
Without calling any pantry out, I just name them in letters.
Pantry A:
Pantry “A” only sells once a week on a Tuesday between certain morning and afternoon hours.
The deal is, you either pay £2.50 for 10 items which are 5 tins/non-perishables (tins, pasta, rice, tea etc.) and 5 fresh items veg/fruit. And for £5 you get double, 10 non-perishables and 10 fresh items.
Pantry “A” is pretty good with fresh stuff, they get fresh veg and fruit (which is NOT donated but purchased by the way), an hour before giving it out. BUT after I received 2 large onions which I wanted to use on the same day, I found that the insides were rotten, I started to tune my ears to conversations of other pantry customers.
Just yesterday I got to know a lady who’s been going there for a while and is a little bit of a “trouble maker”, calling out the pantry staff for hiding fresh fruit and veg under the table and then giving out the older stuff. My kinda trouble maker and we hit it off immediately after I shared my rotten onions debacle which I had to throw away. 😀
I believe the staff member hides the fresh food to minimize waste costs and then be able to sell fresher food to pantry “B”, who might otherwise not take the “older” food. Cheeky bums!
Pret do the same. When I worked at Pret I had to look at all the selection, and an hour before closing time sell sandwiches to the nearest Pret shop that was open longer, as every shop is required to have a certain amount of selection on display until closing time, not too much selection of a variety of products, but also not too little.
Now, people may say, “beggars are no choosers”. Ho-ho! Stop yourself from such disrespect please. First of all, the food is not free, but just a fraction of the cost, and still you PAY money. Secondly, food pantries advertise themselves as ethical, helping the community etc. but NONE of them mentions on their website or posters that MOST of the foods are expired!
One pantry had such NON-fresh veggies and upon taking an oat milk from the shelf, looking at the best-before date, which will be 29.07.2023 (in a few days of writing this), the volunteer, who minutes before was talking about dignity when I pointed out how organised everything looks, said that these are best-before dates which are fine after those days.
She’s right of course, but as I kept looking around at the clearly visibly non-fresh veg, I didn’t feel much dignity.
Pantry B:
This pantry is with the “dignity” volunteer lady. And their deal is £4.50 for 16 items. They have a colour system where they have coloured stickers on shelves. You can get 8 yellow items, which are non-perishables; 6 pink items which are “fresh” (fruit and veg); and 2 red items which are special things that are either more expensive usually or in some way special, like cheese, frozen stuff, large bottles of coke etc.
They also have some free items they would otherwise not get rid of like some green sugar fondant for cakes or bunches of radishes which were okay-ish but the leaves where already yellow.
The reason the lady mentioned dignity was because I asked her some questions and mentioned that I read on their website that the pantry started during the pandemic and how I find this great yada yada. And then I mentioned how impressed I am with how they organised it with shelving, fridges, even some nice lighting etc. looking like a shop rather than a warehouse, like food banks often look and feel.
This is then when she explained that they started with tables and more bare before slowly changing it to a shop type look to give it dignity.
Now, when you mention dignity, I start to “dig” deeper. Pun intended! And please keep in mind that I’m talking about a food pantry that sells food for MONEY, no matter how little the price is. This is not a food bank or a supermarket dumpster!
Again, it isn’t even so much a problem for me that food pantries sell expired or soon to expire foods and somewhat non-fresh vegetables and fruit for a very cheap price. But to do so under the “we care for the community and vulnerable people” umbrella, without even mentioning that the food “may be” expired but still safe to eat is not on. It lacks integrity, transparency and true care.
And mind you, isn’t SELLING expired / out of date food not unlawful?? No matter how cheap the price? Also, there were a lot of large potatoes next door where customers couldn’t see it. This means this pantry is also “hiding” fresh produce to get rid of old stuff while claiming to serve “good quality” and healthy food.
And in my distrusting, pessimistic mind I can’t help but think that this is becoming the norm rather than a momentary exception. Tory politicians celebrate the rise of food banks and businesses cash in AGAIN on non-fresh, expired food for pantries and then claim to be ethical in their care for the “community”. Yuck!
The rich seem to do this on purpose to yet again degrade the poor by throwing crumps at us for which we even have to pay, even if it’s not much, but it does something to the psyche. It’s clever, the poor are hardly to be found in supermarkets so that rich people and people with a regular income can enjoy every place for themselves. Again.
Segregation of another kind. Quietly move the poor over there with the cheap stuff, and have the rich over here with the “proper” goods and services. And then feed the poor with the crumbs that fall off the table. In our modern times all this is done under “charity” and “ethics” while still having a laugh. I know it’s an age-old class struggle. But it will always sit queer in my system like a plank of wood swallowed horizontally.
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Dignity
As I volunteered for many years in three countries with different projects, I once helped out at a local clothes charity in Florida that gave away free clothes that were donated. This was not a thrift store or pawn shop selling clothing items for 50 cent, all clothes, bags, hats, shoes etc. were for free.
I can’t remember the exact rules, but I think it was something like a person could come every so months (maybe 2 or 3 times a year??) and choose 3-5 itmes per person, per visit. I can’t remember exactly. Part of my job with the other 3 to 5 volunteers was to go through bags upon bags of donated clothes each week and sieve out ANY piece that had even the slightest stain or hole.
I remember being literally TOUCHED by the only STRICT rule they had to NEVER give out any item with even the slightest stain or hole, even like a little bleach stain which is a “clean” stain. We had to be meticulous like forensic detectives to look for stains, holes and any imperfections. And because we all were so touched by the care for vulnerable people’s dignity, we all made sure to do the job properly, no matter how long it took! It was a “mission” we completely took on and OWNED!
It was about DIGNITY! It was SUPER important for the charity to give out the best possible to people struggling and already embarrassed to be asking for free things. One little stain, one little hole, and the thing went in the bin, or if any of us volunteers were happy to take it, that was up to us. We were different as we saw the items first thing, but did not want to subject a person in need to take it in the “beggars are no choosers” mentality.
And it might be cheesy for you who read this, but I’m tearing up and have goosebumps remembering this as I’m writing this. This was true lived dignity and respect. I can’t remember where I wrote this on my blog, but this is the same place that occasionally did a spa day for sex workers. Occasionally the charity put on a whole Saturday for sex workers and people who can’t afford it to get free hair cuts, make-up done, manicure, pedicure etc. for them and their children. Someone also cooked a proper nice meal. They did that to remind people that we all have dignity and are worth the respect every human being deserves, no matter their background or circumstances.
What was striking to me as well was that those who served doing the make-up or manicure or cooked, were a mix of “regular” people from the community, current and former sex workers and/or former drug addicts. It was such a mix of people without any judgment! Just one day of “utopia” where people who are simply human beings came together and made something beautiful for all involved. There go them tears again!
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Friends are Stranger than some Strangers
You know this thing when a friend clears out their cupboard and comes to you to give you a pile of jumpers or dresses to choose from as they’re clearing out. And you choose an item or several clothes with excitement, especially if one piece was always your favourite when your friend wore it. Only later when you have more time to take a closer look to find stains on the jumpers, or the odd little hole in the dress. And you start questioning your friendship! Well, I did.
If the friend would have said to a group of friends that they have some clothing which have stains/holes and they can’t or don’t want to wear it anymore, maybe due to a public job, but if anyone still would want it to help themselves, that’s different.
If a clothing item for example is really expensive and you could never afford it, but maybe you’re an arty person and know ways to cover up the stain or hole, go for it, as long as it is communicated that the person wants to get rid of it due to imperfections.
But to come under this “mantle” (pun intended again! Sorry!) of “I’m clearing my cupboard because I have too much stuff …”
Well …
I was lead to write today’s post after I ate vegetables from “dignity” pantry “B” yesterday, which were okay-ish, but I noticed that I have increased stomach aches, diarrhoea, and a few months ago even vomited for the first time in 8 years.
The last time I vomited was in early 2015, days after I learnt that my brother died and in the following days finding out more and more detail, which were so shocking to my system that I vomited at one point. Good thing I was at home and not on the bus or at work.
Without going into personal detail with my physical and reproduction health, but I knew that it wasn’t pregnancy or food poisoning. My body just exploded in shock. And after that I must have cramped up my body during trauma because I never vomited again, even during the most drunken moments.
My body has always been robust and I have always been able to eat everything. I am very lucky to not have any allergies or intolerances.
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Not just Health but Dignity
Today, from yesterday’s “dignity” Pantry “B” shopping I made myself a salad with the spinach, pepper, the free rubber radishes, some herbs that are still kind of in the green-ish area. In addition I used the vegetables that are more on the “softer” side like an aubergine, spring onions etc. to stir fry them.
I threw as many spices and lemon juice at everything as I could handle, to pimp up the taste. But while eating I realised, you can’t pimp up texture. There’s nothing worse than the texture of non-fresh vegetables, especially with aubergine. And vegetables that are not fresh also lose taste. There’s just something eerie and yucky about non-fresh vegetables.
And after the meal my stomach felt achy again and still feels off while writing this. I started looking at everything in my fridge and kitchen cupboard. Everything from food pantries have either soon-to-expire best-before dates, or have already expired, or are about to expire in the next days. Even tinned foods have expiry dates of no later than August and September 2023. So, you can’t even stock up for a rainy day like what we experienced with empty shelves during lockdowns or rising prices.
So, you’re forced to eat stuff before they expire for the sake of health and dignity. I am re-thinking the food pantry opportunity and think of eating less, even though I don’t even eat a lot as my stomach can’t take much food anymore, but eat at a higher price with FRESH produce from the supermarket.
In the long-run when eating non-fresh food and expired foods, I feel I’m paying with my health for it.
Less food but fresh, tasty and healthy, though more expensive = dignity.
Or regular meals, but expired, not tasty at all and potentially a health risk in the long run. No dignity.
Not yet decided if I should feed my body on the sacrifice of my dignity via food pantries, or my dignity at the cost of my bank account with other important things I need via supermarkets.
Feeding both body AND dignity isn’t possible at the moment.
©2023 expret.org
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I worked at Pret A Manger and survived systemic workplace bullying during bereavement that involved HR, the top leadership, HQ and even the now “retired” former CEO Clive Schlee. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather speak out to help others. For an overview of important blog entries of my experience with Pret, please visit “My Ordeal with Pret A Manger”. The little arrow to the right next to each heading will lead directly to the post.
An incomplete list on what other Pret staff say about Pret’s bullying environment: Caught in the Act Bullying at Pret and What shop MANAGERS & HQ staff say about Pret incl. CEO Pano Christou.
I tell my story for the first time verbally in below audio player interview on a podcast by The Adam Paradox, and wrote two articles in the Scottish Left Review as well as mentioned by the BBC.
Please also see the MEDIA page for more.
NEW LinkTree
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Thank you for reading/listening.
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Interview:
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Bullied during bereavement in Pret A Manger 