Waitrose works with both Olio and Felix to redistribute their surplus food. When a charity can't make a slot, that's when Food Waste Heroes like you step in. It's also why you'll sometimes see slots added or removed at short notice, as charity availability changes.
🕒 When are Waitrose collections usually?
Your exact time depends on your store, so always check the slot you've claimed in the Volunteer Hub. Across Waitrose stores nationally, most collections fall into one of two windows:
First thing in the morning, around 9am
In the evening once the store has closed, roughly 7:45pm to 9:45pm
🥗 What kind of food will I collect?
You can expect a mix of:
Use By items
Best Before items
Frozen items
There are a few important rules for frozen food, which we've covered just below.
❄️ What should I know about collecting frozen food?
Waitrose can donate frozen food, but there are a few rules that keep it safe to share.
How the store should prepare frozen food:
Food must be frozen before midnight of its Use By date. Stores can't freeze something after the Use By date has passed and then donate it.
Once frozen, the item should be relabelled with the date it was frozen and a new best-before date.
Only food that's suitable for freezing can be donated this way. Not everything freezes safely, so the store should check first.
What you should do:
Please don't list food that's past its Use By date, unless it was given to you frozen.
If you're handed food that's past its Use By date and it hasn't been frozen with the correct labels, submit an Issue Report Form through My Collections in the Volunteer Hub, with the date clearly visible in your photo.
Bring an insulated bag or cool box so frozen items stay frozen on the way home, and pop them straight in your freezer once you're back.
👋 What do I do when I arrive?
Head to the store at your scheduled time. There's no extra confirmation message to wait for, so just turn up. Introduce yourself to a member of staff and have your Olio ID ready to show.
🛠️ What if there's a problem with the food or the collection?
Submit an Issue Report Form through My Collections in the Volunteer Hub. If something keeps happening, flag it the same way so we can look into it.
Got a great story or photo from a Waitrose collection? We'd love to see it, share it with us at [email protected] 😊