24 tonnes of food donated per week: Where does the unused supermarket food go?
Unused supermarket produce is being dispersed to dozens of agencies in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Matthew Sims
May 09, 2025
Operating out of Templeton Reserve, Outer East Foodshare accepts up to two tonnes of donated food per day, and sends out loads of so-called “ugly”, rescued or surplus food to 53 agencies across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Friday was no different, as the Eastern Melburnian observed the well-oiled machine of volunteers at work as they unloaded the newest donation from Costco’s Ringwood store.
Outer East Foodshare (OEF) has grown into the largest charity wholesaler in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, delivering donated food to agencies across Yarra Ranges, Knox and Maroondah, including Feed One Feed All, Foothills Community Care and Knox Infolink.
It launched about 10 years ago without a base of operations, and the team moved into the current premises at Templeton Reserve in August 2023.
Fresh raspberries, fruit and veggies were loaded out of the refrigerated van.
OEF hub Co-ordinator, Marilyn Lambert, said the team received 22 to 24 tonnes of food every month from a range of sources, including Costco, Aldi, Coles, Foodbank and Second Bite, with all of that food then going to people in need across the community.
“The need has grown enormously,” she said. “The biggest increase is in those working and young families. The price of food’s gone up, rent’s gone up. It isn’t the weekly shop, but it tops up their weekly food supply.”
Lambert said the group aimed to improve “food literacy” across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
“We often get flatbread and tofu and people don’t know how to cook it,” she said. “We try and encourage people to try new foods.”
She said food was often unnecessarily binned after it had exceeded its “best before” date, and that supermarkets and the food industry could do more to educate people on the difference between “best before” and “use by” dates.
“It suits them (supermarkets) for people to buy it and throw it away.”
Who makes up the OEF team?
The Eastern Melburnian met volunteer Loi, a Vietnamese immigrant who had struggled to speak English in a former job.
However, Lambert said when Loi joined the OEF team, he started speaking English 90 percent of the time, and his language skills improved markedly.
Loi is one of 53 volunteers who share the load to help keep the operation running seven days a week. They include 15 drivers, who get around in two refrigerated vans.
New volunteers are welcome.
Volunteer Loi has enjoyed strengthening his English skills while helping process food at the Outer East Foodshare hub in Wantirna.
What’s next for OEF?
Earlier this week, Knox Council announced it has entered into a five-year lease with OEF to continue operating out of Templeton Reserve, following an 18-month trial at the site.
Knox Council Mayor, Lisa Cooper, said there was “an estimated shortage of 167,138 kilograms of food each year needed to support people here in Knox”.
“Volunteers previously had to travel long distances to pick up food, which costs time and petrol.”
Lambert said, among other improvements, solar panels would be installed at the site to cut power costs.
“We’re very grateful to Knox Council giving us the premises to use,” she said.
For more information about Outer East Foodshare, visit its Facebook page.