Kairos Food Rescue

What Kairos Food Rescue does

Kairos Food Rescue is a New Zealand charitable trust (incorporated under the Charitable Trust Act 1957, registration CC57832) that operates a community-led food rescue and redistribution service from a warehouse on Tuam Street in Christchurch, Canterbury. Founded in 2018 by Beth, the organization collects surplus food from cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, caterers, and other bulk food providers — including Air New Zealand, Starbucks, Compass Group, Allpress Espresso, Countdown, Pak'nSave, New World, Fresh Choice, and Wonky Box — and redistributes it through two channels: the Kairos Free Store, which serves individuals and families directly, and the Christchurch Food Bank Network, which supplies Christchurch City Mission, Salvation Army Christchurch, St Vincent de Paul, 0800 Hungry, and other community groups across the region.

The core offering is a logistics operation rather than a software product. Kairos runs a paid team of eight staff supported by an active volunteer base covering warehouse operations, food partner coordination, community engagement, funding, and communications. The technology footprint is minimal: a Squarespace website, a Facebook page, an email newsletter, and donation processing handled through an infoodle form provider. There is no proprietary platform, no API, and no AI or automation layer underpinning the rescue-to-redistribution workflow.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable mechanisms — none of which are publicly disclosed in dollar terms. The funding mix comprises recurring individual donations through the 'Friend of Kairos' program ($5/week suggested, $20–$200+/month tiers), tiered corporate sponsorships (Platinum NZ$50,000, Gold NZ$30,000, Silver NZ$20,000, Community NZ$10,000 annually), grants from public and charitable funders (Christchurch City Council, Two Thumb Creek Charitable Trust, Community Matters, Pub Charity, Simplicity, CIAL), direct bank transfers, and in-kind sponsorships from supporting businesses (Mag & Turbo, Ryobi, Bellamy & East, Clean My Car, Jacobsen). Kairos also operates mutual partnerships with NZ Food Network and Orange Sky, the latter providing mobile shower and laundry facilities on-site.

Name

Kairos Food Rescue

Legal name

Kairos Trust

Website

https://kairosfoodrescue.org.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kairos Food Rescue is a Christchurch-based charitable trust that collects surplus food from cafes, restaurants, and supermarkets and redistributes it to food-insecure individuals and food banks across the Canterbury region via its Free Store and partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Rescue and Redistribution Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Food rescue services
• Food waste reduction
• Community food redistribution
• Food bank coordination
• Charitable food services

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Weekly or monthly donations from individuals through 'Friend of Kairos' program. Donations cover warehouse rent, staff wages, and operating expenses like power, petrol and vehicle maintenance.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Tiered corporate sponsorships (Platinum $50,000, Gold $30,000, Silver $20,000, Community $10,000) providing logo placement, event recognition, and volunteer opportunities.
3. Sponsorship in Kind: In-kind donations of goods and services from supporting businesses including Ryobi, Bellamy & East, Mag & Turbo, and Clean My Car.
4. Direct Donations: One-time donations accepted via direct bank transfer to Kairos Trust account.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kairos Food Rescue collects surplus food from cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, and bulk food providers in Christchurch that would otherwise be wasted, and redistributes it to people in need through two channels: the Kairos Free Store (direct distribution to individuals and families) and the Christchurch Food Bank Network (bulk redistribution to partner food banks and community organizations). Supporting programs include recurring individual donations, tiered corporate sponsorships, and volunteer coordination.

Product overview

Kairos Food Rescue is a charitable organization operating as a single integrated service rather than a platform with separate products. The core offering is a food rescue and redistribution service that collects surplus food from cafes, restaurants, and wholesalers and delivers it to the community via two distribution channels: the Kairos Free Store (direct-to-consumer) and the Christchurch Food Bank Network (B2B redistribution to partner food banks). Supporting programs include recurring donation schemes, corporate sponsorship tiers, and volunteer coordination. There is no separate technology product or software module offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Rescue and Redistribution Service Core food rescue and redistribution service that collects excess food from cafes, restaurants, and bulk food providers and distributes it to the community through the Free Store and food banks. Targets people in need and food insecure households in the Christchurch and Canterbury region.
• Kairos Free Store Direct food distribution outlet where rescued food is made available to community members in need at no cost, operating on evenings with volunteer support at the Kairos warehouse on Tuam Street, Christchurch.
• Christchurch Food Bank Network Coordination service for food redistribution to food banks and community organizations across the Christchurch region, acting as a hub between bulk food donors and local food banks including Christchurch City Mission, Salvation Army Christchurch, St Vincent de Paul, and 0800 Hungry.
• Friend of Kairos (Recurring Donation Program) Regular giving program allowing supporters to contribute weekly ($5/week suggested) or monthly donations ($20 to $200+ per month) to help fund warehouse rent, staff wages, and operating expenses.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Tiered corporate sponsorship program (Platinum $50,000/year, Gold $30,000/year, Silver $20,000/year, Community $10,000/year) offering logo placement, event recognition, social media mentions, co-branded initiatives, and corporate volunteering opportunities for businesses.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer opportunities in the warehouse, community hub, and collection team for individuals and group sessions, supporting Kairos Food Rescue's operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ tonnes of food processed annually in peak year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• RyobiminorOthersSponsorship in kind - provides tools/equipment support
• Bellamy & EastminorOthersSponsorship in kind - ongoing support through goods and services
• Mag & TurbocoreOthersSponsorship in kind - vehicle maintenance support; helped keep delivery vehicles running
• Clean My CarminorOthersSponsorship in kind - vehicle cleaning services
• Fresh ChoicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood supporter - supermarket providing surplus food for redistribution
• Wonky BoxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood supporter - provides imperfect produce that would otherwise go to waste
• CountdowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood supporter - supermarket chain providing surplus food
• Pak'nSavecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood supporter - supermarket providing surplus food for redistribution
• New WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood supporter - supermarket providing surplus food
• Streamside OrganicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood supporter - organic produce supplier
• OakleysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood supporter - food provider donating surplus
• Air New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating food provider - airline donating surplus food
• Allpress EspressocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating food provider - coffee roastery donating surplus
• Compass GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating food provider - catering company donating surplus food
• StarbuckscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating food provider - coffee chain donating surplus food
• NZ Food Network (NZFN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood network partner supporting food rescue operations
• Orange SkycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner providing mobile shower and washing facilities at Kairos location
• March ConstructioncoreOthersConstruction sponsor - donated sewer pipe installation work valued at $18,000-$25,000 for warehouse facilities
• JacobsenminorOthersSponsorship in kind - vinyl and weld rod donations for warehouse operations

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• The Food Bank Singapore: Singapore-based food rescue and distribution charity operating a comparable surplus-redistribution model in a different geography. Useful regional benchmark for food-rescue operating practices.

Direct peers

• FareShare: Australian charity that rescues surplus food to cook and distribute meals to people in need. Comparable mission of turning rescued food into community nutrition outcomes via volunteer-driven operations.
• FoodCloud: Ireland-founded social enterprise with a digital platform that matches surplus food from businesses to charities in real time. Closely comparable mission and operating model, with an added technology layer Kairos lacks.
• KiwiHarvest: New Zealand's largest food rescue organization, redistributing surplus food from supermarkets and producers to community groups. Operates the same food-rescue model as Kairos at materially larger national scale, competing for the same donor pool.
• SecondBite: Australian food rescue organization redistributing surplus food from producers and retailers to community organizations. Directly comparable food-rescue model and recipient network structure.
• NZ Food Network: National food redistribution network that coordinates rescued food to community food providers across New Zealand. Already a mutual partner of Kairos; operates an overlapping hub-and-spoke redistribution model.

Broad incumbents

• OzHarvest: Australia's leading food rescue charity, collecting surplus food from businesses and redistributing to charities. Comparable mission, volunteer-led model, and supermarket partnerships, but at a far larger national scale.
• Foodbank Australia: Australia's largest hunger-relief charity, sourcing food and groceries for distribution to a nationwide food bank network. Operates a structurally similar food-bank redistribution model, but at national scale with broader grocery sourcing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kairosfoodrescue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kairos-food-rescue

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Kairos Food Rescue