Our Story
Fair Food was created from a community co-design project and has stayed true to its local roots in West Auckland since 2011.
Fair Food was created from a community co-design project and has stayed true to its local roots in West Auckland since 2011.
Established in 2011, Fair Food is Auckland’s original food rescue organisation born from a collaboration between four key partners: Lifewise, MPHS Community Initiative, Auckland Council and VisionWest.
The idea of food rescue emerged from the Waitakere Wellbeing Collaboration Project under the Food Security Call to Action. Food rescue was an evolution of the original ‘Free Store Waitakere 2011’ project which proved that food insecurity was very real in West Auckland.
With the original tagline, ‘Addressing Hunger. Tackling Food Waste’ the key objectives for Fair Food are to
A few of the original community groups that Fair Food still partners with today are the Glenavon Trust, Leataata O Tapulaga, and Te Ata Mental Health. You can find our full list of recipient organisations here
Free Store Waitakere 2011
Food is not the solution to chronic hunger. We supply frontline community groups with free food, so they can relieve the pain of hunger while addressing a person’s full needs. We don’t distribute food directly to individuals on site.
We collect and share surplus food seven days a week, and there is no cost to the food donor or the recipient. Our Conscious Kitchen cooks hundreds of meals each week in addition to the fresh food that’s distributed to people recovering from trauma, needing a safe place to sleep, missing school because of hunger, or anyone else who needs a helping hand.
We’ve evolved a lot since 2011 but our purpose remains the same, ‘Share good food for all to eliminate food waste.’
This purpose also aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to support #ZeroHunger #ResponsibleConsumption #ClimateAction #PartnershipsfortheGoals.
We Feed People Not Landfill by rescuing good quality food that would otherwise go to waste. This kai is shared through a network of more than 50 local charities across Auckland.
We don’t celebrate the fact that we’re in a growth industry. Behind these millions of meals are thousands of families who should not have to ask for a food parcel. Higher volumes mean more waste and more hunger.
We are incredibly inspired by the ways our community comes together to make sure no child feels the anxiety of wondering when they will next get to eat.
FY 2022/2023 Annual Impact Report (pdf)
2022 – Annual Impact Report (pdf)
2021 – Annual Impact Report (pdf)
We are a registered charity, our charity number is CC48507.
Fair Food were humbled to represent the Cyclone Gabrielle Volunteers who took home the 2024 Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year at the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year awards.
Our Head of Operations and Relationships Tracey Pirini was a 2023 Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year medallist.
Fair Food received a commendation for Outstanding Collaboration (2023) and Social Impact (2021) at the Sustainable Business Awards.
Fair Food was honoured by the Waitākere Indian Association at their 2023 Diwali awards. The award was presented by Prime Minister Chris Luxon.
Fair Food were finalists at the Zero Waste Awards in 2022 for Community Collaboration.
In 2020, we were the Supreme Winner at the New Zealand Food Awards as well as the Greater Good food award for our response during the COVID pandemic.
Fair Food are members of the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance (AFRA) which was formed in 2020 in recognition of the food rescue sector in New Zealand. As one of the founding members of this significant milestone, we are committed to collaborating with our partners across the sector to provide ‘food for all’.
We’re also members of the Rosebank Business Association working together with our local business partners to advocate for key issues in our area.
Her Excellency, The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand has chosen Fair Food for Vice-regal patronage. Fair Food were honoured to host Their Excellencies in our Conscious Kitchen.
Often, people don't think about toiletries, personal care, or cleaning items when they're donating to a food bank, but these are very much needed, especially in homes that are still rebuilding after the flood.
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