Oor Wee Café in Kelty has teamed up with Tesco and food charity FareShare, to receive surplus food and additional items from the supermarket, supporting a volunteer-run community service, providing hot meals and drinks to local residents.

Located in the Kelty Community Centre on Main Street, the café and pantry has been serving the community for over seven years. It continues to offer a warm, welcoming space each week, where locals can enjoy hot soup, a stovie, and a cup of tea or coffee. The community space also plays a vital role in tackling social isolation, offering a friendly environment for conversation and informal meet-ups.

Operating on a ‘pay what you can afford’ basis, Oor Wee Café also provides a collection point for families and residents to pick up essential supplies, including tinned food, healthy meals, pet food, and toiletries.

Surplus items are collected by the café team from several local Tesco stores. These items – such as tinned goods and bread – help provide additional support for members of the community in need.

Oor Wee Cafe receives surplus food from the Community Food Connection

placeholder image — Oor Wee Cafe receives surplus food from the Community Food Connection

The café also hosts free community sessions, including mental health talks and discussions with members of the Citizens Advice Bureau, providing a forum for people to access employment, welfare, and housing advice.

Suzanne Ritchie, volunteer at Oor Wee Cafe, said: “Our hub at Oor Wee Café has become a weekly event for so many members of the community to get together for a nice bite to eat, socialise, make new friends, and even learn new skills or receive life advice.

“I’d like to thank each of our volunteers for their ongoing commitment to the café and pantry - without their help, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. We’re always on the lookout for more volunteers, so please get in touch if you’d be willing to help us support the community.

“We’d also like to thank Tesco and FareShare for all their support in helping us provide even more for our users and ensuring they get the provisions they need to get by.”

The Community Food Connection scheme ensures that surplus food from Tesco doesn’t go to waste and is instead provided to charities and community groups whose volunteer members then distribute it to the public.

Kelly O’Sullivan, head of communications for Scotland at Tesco, said: “Working with community groups and schools, such as Oor Wee Cafe to help them get the food they need is such an important service for us to offer. The dedication they show to their local community is amazing, and we are pleased to do what we can to support.

“We firmly believe no good food should go to waste, which is why we began our Community Food Connection scheme. It enables us to ensure our surplus food is put to good use in communities.”

FareShare is the UK’s leading food redistribution charity. FareShare’s charity partners do more than just feed people, they provide other vital services, such as mental health support or childcare. Two-thirds of the organisations it provides food to, support children and families.

Katie Sadler, Head of FareShare Go, said: "The food that Tesco redistributes through FareShare is a lifeline for thousands of charities nationwide, enabling them to feed countless individuals within their communities. This consistent food supply empowers charities to not only provide essential meals but also to sustain vital support services for local people."

By providing the surplus food to help communities, Tesco is also aiding the environment by ensuring that the food does not end up as landfill.

Charities and community groups that could benefit from the support of the Community Food Connection scheme can find further information at https://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/.