Ever wondered how to get your hands on hot, chef-prepared meals through Olio? All across the UK, we partner with contract catering companies who prepare fresh meals at places like offices, schools, universities, hospitals, and government buildings. 🤩
At the end of each day, there’s often perfectly good food left over – and thanks to these generous partners, it’s being shared instead of wasted. And that’s where our amazing volunteers come in. 👇
These aren’t your usual collections…
Unlike supermarkets or retail stores, catered collections come from on or off-site kitchens where meals are often cooked fresh daily. That means tasty, high-quality food like curries, pasta dishes, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, salads – you name it. 😋
Even better? 94% of food from catered collections is requested on Olio – fast! These meals are loved by the community and snapped up in no time.
What kinds of slots are available? ⏰
Catering collection slots vary depending on the site. You might find:
- Lunchtime and evening pick-ups – great if you’ve got a flexible schedule.
- One-off events – perfect for those who want to dip in and out.
- Recurring slots at schools, hospitals or offices – ideal if you love a routine and want to make a regular impact.
So, how can you get involved?
Because these collections involve freshly cooked food, there are a few extra safety steps involved. To take part, you’ll need to complete a short Catering Food training on the Volunteer Hub.
⏱️ It only takes 5 minutes
✅ You’ll unlock access to these exciting collection slots across the UK
💰 Complete it by 22nd June 2025 for a chance to win £/£20 cash
Helping businesses do the right thing 💚
Our catered partners are choosing to share their surplus because they care about sustainability – and you can help them go even further.
By completing your training and rescuing food from these sites, you’re helping reduce waste, feed local communities, and keep valuable resources out of landfill.
This is what existing Food Waste Heroes collecting from these sites have to say…
“It was better than a workout at the gym because there were so many boxes. They helped to load the car but obviously I had to do the other end. I was just delighted that everything got requested and not one item was wasted!”
– FWH Geraldine
“ A very nice company to collect from, food is top quality and even helped bring collections to the car. 5 🌟. A regular collector said: ‘It was so lovely to share these beautiful desserts for afternoon tea with my family – never eaten Opera cake before, it was divine!’”
– FWH JJ
“This is what community is about – thanks to Olio.”
– FWH Shovorne
“This is a lovely collection. Really nice people, lovely food and lots of requests. I have been collecting from F&P Vacherin for about a year now and I’m often told by requesters that this is one of their favourites to request and pick up.”
– FWH Mal
Ready to join in? 🧡
Already a Food Waste Hero?
You’re just 5 minutes away from unlocking catered collections.
👉 Complete your Catering Food Training
Want to get in on the action?
Become a Food Waste Hero today. Complete your training, claim a slot, and start saving food that deserves to be eaten – not binned.
👉 Sign up & start rescuing food