What FareShare does

FareShare is an Australian nonprofit charity founded in 2001 that operates the country's largest charity kitchen, producing free, nutritionally tailored, ready-to-eat meals from rescued surplus food for people experiencing food insecurity. It runs two production kitchens — Abbotsford in Melbourne (headquarters) and Meanjin in Brisbane — supported by a Derrimut logistics/warehouse hub and four urban kitchen-garden/farm sites (Abbotsford, Moorabbin Airport, Baguley Farm at Clayton South, and the new Dingley Farm). In 2025 it produced 3.1 million meals (a 34% increase from 2.3 million in 2024), drawing on ~50,000 kg/month of surplus fresh food donated by Woolworths across 100+ stores, plus contributions from Coles, Nando's, Boomaroo Nurseries, and other in-kind partners. Its differentiated programs include Meals for the Mob — culturally appropriate recipes co-developed with University of Queensland dietitians for remote First Nations communities in Queensland, Northern NSW and Victoria — together with shelf-stable meals, nutritionally tailored meals, and a Schools in the Kitchen education program.

FareShare has operated as part of SecondBite since completing a landmark merger on 1 July 2024, which produced an immediate 30% surge in meal production and an 8% lift in rescued food. Post-merger, FareShare's distribution has extended beyond Victoria and Queensland into NSW, South Australia and Western Australia via SecondBite's Community Connect program and charity partners such as Dignity and The V Centre. The organization runs on a volunteer-powered model — 1,325+ regular volunteers and 6,000+ total volunteer engagements annually alongside 11–50 paid staff, a 46:1 volunteer-to-staff ratio — with meals distributed free of charge through a network of more than 50 charity partners including Vinnies, Richmond Churches Food Centre, Outer East Foodshare, Apunipima Aboriginal Health Service, CRAICCHS and Bullinah Health.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable channels: tax-deductible individual donations (from AUD 2), corporate partnerships (Woolworths, Coles, Nando's, Mastercard, NAB Foundation, Goodman Foundation, RACQ, Flight Centre Foundation, Primary Connect, AgTrade, QUBE, Rinoldi, Sealed Air), fundraising appeals (including an A Christmas Carol partnership that raised AUD 182,747 for 52,213 meals), and grants. The organization is governed by a board of directors with no public shareholders. Recent leadership includes CEO Paul Conroy, supported by specialized functional leads covering operations, procurement/planning/production, logistics, gardens, volunteers, kitchens, and First Nations engagement (Jason Mollenhauer as First Nations Officer). It holds HACCP certification (recertified 2024), the 2023 Food for Good Award (The Age Good Food Guide) and the 2024 Food Manufacturer of the Year (FIAQ).

Name

FareShare

Legal name

FareShare Australia

Website

https://fareshare.net.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FareShare is an Australian nonprofit operating the country's largest charity kitchen, producing over 3.1 million free, ready-to-eat meals in 2025 from rescued surplus food and kitchen-garden produce for food-insecure individuals, First Nations communities, veterans and families in crisis across Victoria, Queensland, NSW, SA and WA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charity Food Relief and Meal Production Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Caterers (72232), Food Service Contractors (72231)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Foodservice & Hospitality Waste Services (Non-hazardous, Back-of-house) (EUAIAGAE), Contract Foodservice Management (Outsourced Catering) (THAFAIAH)

Keywords

• Charity meal production
• Surplus food rescue
• Food relief services
• Community kitchen operations
• Prepared meal distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting food relief operations. Regular giving emphasized as making the biggest difference.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations for food donations, volunteer programs, and financial support.
3. Fundraising Appeals: Seasonal fundraising campaigns including Christmas appeals and event-based fundraising partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FareShare operates Australia's largest charity kitchen, with production facilities in Melbourne (Abbotsford) and Brisbane (Meanjin), transforming rescued surplus food and fresh produce grown in on-site kitchen gardens into millions of free, nutritious, ready-to-eat meals each year. Meals are distributed free of charge through a network of charity partners, community meal programs, schools, and Indigenous health services across multiple Australian states.

Product overview

FareShare is Australia's largest charity kitchen operating as part of SecondBite, transforming surplus food and fresh produce into millions of free, nutritious, ready-to-eat meals. The organization operates two main production kitchens in Melbourne (Abbotsford) and Brisbane (Meanjin), supported by a network of kitchen gardens and farms (Abbotsford, Moorabbin Airport, Baguley Farm, and the new Dingley Farm). Key programs include the Meals for the Mob First Nations initiative, shelf-stable meals for remote communities, nutritionally tailored meals developed with dietetic partners, and the Schools in the Kitchen educational program. Meals are distributed through charity partners across multiple Australian states. The organization also maintains an internal Volunteer Information Management System (VIMS) for managing its large volunteer workforce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FareShare Meal Production and Distribution
• Meals for the Mob
• Kitchen Gardens Program
• Shelf Stable Meals
• Nutritionally Tailored Meals

Quantifiable outcome

• 34% increase in meal production from 2024 to 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• WoolworthscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008Woolworths is FareShare's biggest food donor, with partnership beginning in 2008 as a food rescue trial in two Victorian stores. Has grown to over 100 stores donating around 50,000 kgs of surplus fresh food every month. Also runs round-up campaigns and ready-to-eat meal promotions to support FareShare.
• SecondBitecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFareShare operates as part of SecondBite following a landmark merger on July 1, 2024. The merger resulted in a 30% surge in meal production and 8% increase in rescued food. SecondBite's Community Connect program enables food collection from retailers and distribution through charity partners nationwide.
• University of Queensland, School of Nutrition and Human MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDietetics Department collaborates with FareShare to develop master recipes for Meals for the Mob program, maximizing nutrition while delivering familiar, appealing taste profiles for remote First Nations communities.
• Indigenous Futures FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated refrigerated container for Meals for the Mob program enabling permanent storage at Cape York Peninsula community.
• MastercardmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate volunteering program that donates $500 to approved charities for every 40 hours of employee volunteering time.
• ColescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupermarket partner through SecondBite's Community Connect program, providing surplus food for food relief.
• Nando'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant partner through SecondBite's Community Connect program, providing surplus food for food relief.
• A Christmas Carol (Melbourne Production)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial charity partner for the 2025 festive season production at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre. Audiences donated $182,747 providing 52,213 nutritious meals.
• Les Baguley / Baguley FarmmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides land at Clayton South for FareShare's kitchen garden program, having increased growing space and providing ploughing services. Produced 21 tonnes of vegetables in first year.
• Moorabbin AirportmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides land for FareShare's kitchen garden operations.
• Boomaroo NurseriesminorOthersContributed over 25,000 seedlings for winter plantings.
• Taranto FarmsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted with vegetation clearing at Dingley farm site.
• KS EnvironmentalminorOthersSupporting development of new farm in Dingley.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SecondBite: Australia's other major food rescue charity, now merged with FareShare (July 2024). Operates the Community Connect program that sources surplus food from supermarkets and distributes produce nationwide through charity partners.
• Foodbank Australia: Australia's largest food relief organization, sourcing and distributing food to thousands of charities nationwide. Directly comparable food rescue and redistribution model at larger national scale.
• OzHarvest: Australia's leading food rescue charity, also collecting surplus food from retailers and redistributing to charities. Directly comparable model (rescue, repurpose, redistribute) operating nationally with similar volunteer and corporate partner dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Anglicare Australia: Network of Anglican social service agencies providing food assistance, emergency relief, and community support. Comparable food relief end-customer base, particularly for disadvantaged and crisis-affected individuals.
• Mission Australia: Large national charity addressing homelessness and poverty, including food relief as part of broader social services. Comparable end-customer segment (people facing food insecurity) with different delivery model.
• Red Cross Australia: Major humanitarian organization providing emergency food and relief assistance across Australia. Comparable in emergency food relief to vulnerable populations including disaster response, similar to FareShare's Meals for the Mob remote community support.
• The Salvation Army Australia: Large established charity providing food relief among broader social services including emergency housing and welfare. Comparable in food distribution to vulnerable populations, but operates at much larger organizational scale across many programs.
• St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies): Major Australian charity providing food assistance among broader welfare services. Comparable in food relief to disadvantaged populations and is an existing FareShare distribution partner (receives Christmas meals).

Emerging players

• Willow Warriors: Smaller Australian charity focused on food relief and meal distribution to vulnerable populations. Comparable mission and volunteer-powered meal production model, but operating at smaller scale than FareShare.

Regional players

• Foodbank Victoria: State-level food rescue and redistribution operation in Victoria. Comparable model focused on food rescue and distribution, but operates regionally rather than nationally and focuses more on produce redistribution than prepared meals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fareshare_aus
• Facebookfacebook.com/FareShare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fareshare
• Instagraminstagram.com/fareshare_australia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FareShare