The community fridge is a free food share in Tobermory. Anyone can put good food in, and anyone can take food out. It runs on trust, no money changes hands, and nothing needs to be arranged in advance.
Where and when
Aros Hall, Main Street, Tobermory, Isle of Mull, PA75 6NU
Open 9.30 to 2.30, every day of the week.
TO CONFIRM: Are these still the opening times? The old site gave no date for them.
Taking food
If you can use something, take it. Before you do:
- Read the instructions and disclaimer displayed on the fridge.
- Have a look before you handle anything. Leave food on the shelf it is on unless you are taking it, as foods are separated on purpose.
- Use your judgement about whether food is safe to eat. Never eat high risk food such as meat or dairy, cooked or raw, past its use by date. For loose fruit, vegetables and bread, use your senses.
- Note what you took on the log out form. This is how we measure the food saved from landfill.
- Wash food before you eat it, and heat cooked food until it is steaming hot at 75°C. Do not reheat it a second time.
- Do not eat anything where the packaging or seal is broken.
- Tell a member of staff about anything that looks wrong, on 01680 812900 or by email.
If you feel unwell after eating something from the fridge, seek medical advice straight away and let us know on 01680 812900.
Food from the fridge is for your own use, not for resale.
Donating food
Local shops and food businesses, residents and visitors can all leave surplus food. Only leave food you have no use for, not food that is past being edible.
- Everything must be within its use by date and sealed in its original packaging.
- Loose fruit and vegetables must be fresh.
- Dairy, meat and prepared chilled food must show a use by date. High risk food with no date cannot be accepted.
- Eggs must be date stamped and traceable.
When you drop food off:
- Weigh it.
- Log the date, food type and weight on the log in form.
- Strike through any branding, so the item cannot be returned to a shop or resold.
- Keep food types apart to avoid cross contamination, and follow the labelling in the fridge.
TO CONFIRM: The old site listed accepted and excluded foods as picture icons, so no wording could be recovered. We need both lists as text.
Is it safe?
The fridge follows guidance from the Food Standards Authority and the Council’s environmental health team. It is checked regularly and has a cleaning rota. If anything concerns you, contact the office.
TO CONFIRM: The old page left the contact email blank in two places. Is enquiries@mict.co.uk the right address for fridge queries, and is there a named contact?
Why it matters
Food waste is a large and avoidable problem. The old site put the value of edible food thrown out by the average household at £470 a year.
TO CONFIRM: The £470 figure is undated and may be well out of date. Replace it with a current figure or remove it.
The fridge is part of the Community Fridge Network, set up by the environmental charity HUBBUB.
TO CONFIRM: The link to the Community Fridge Network was missing from the old page. Please supply the URL.
Scope of this page
TO CONFIRM: The brief groups food, childcare, courses and the ranger service under one heading. Childcare, courses and the ranger service each have enough content to stand as their own service records and are written that way. The Steering Group needs to decide whether this record stays as the food offer alone, or becomes a wider service that absorbs the others.
Contact
Mull and Iona Community Trust An Roth Community Enterprise Centre Craignure Isle of Mull PA65 6AY 01680 812900 enquiries@mict.co.uk