Surplus to Supper

What Surplus to Supper does

Surplus to Supper is a UK-based Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) founded in 2017 by Andrew Osborne and headquartered in Sunbury-on-Thames. It addresses food waste and food poverty through four integrated service lines: Food Redistribution (collection and delivery of surplus grocery items via a refrigerated van fleet), Surplus Kitchen (meal preparation from redistributed ingredients), Surplus Market (weekend retail sales of surplus items), and Events Catering. The hybrid operating model combines 15 paid employees with a 200+ volunteer base and a fleet of 5 vans moving approximately 3 tonnes of food per day across a roughly 10-mile radius.

The organisation functions as a two-sided intermediary between major UK grocery retailers — including Tesco and Sainsbury's — that supply surplus inventory, and a downstream network of 150+ charitable recipient organisations. Cumulatively, Surplus to Supper has delivered the equivalent of 3 million meals since inception. Strategic partnerships extend beyond core grocery supply to include Encore Kitchens (a cloud-kitchen operator with 600+ units, accessed via board member Thomas Mountford) and British Airways for non-food item redistribution.

Revenue and funding are diversified across individual and corporate donations, weekend market sales, event catering contracts, and an annual Winter Charity Dinner & Auction that raised £40,000+ at its inaugural February 2026 event. The organisation has attracted high-profile recognition, including a Prince of Wales visit in April 2024 and catering for the High Sheriff's Garden Party in September 2024. Forward plans include additional local hubs, expanded storage, and further van acquisition to extend geographic reach and throughput.

Name

Surplus to Supper

Legal name

Surplus to Supper Trust CIO

Website

https://surplustosupper.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Surplus to Supper is a UK non-profit founded in 2017 that redistributes surplus food from major retailers to 150+ charities via a 5-van fleet, supported by 200+ volunteers and a growing events catering line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Redistribution and Charity Catering

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Special Food Services (7223), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Food redistribution
• Surplus food collection
• Food waste reduction
• Community charity catering
• Volunteer meal preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Sunbury-on-Thames

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Food Redistribution: Collects surplus food from businesses and redistributes to local charities and food banks free of charge. This is the core charitable mission rather than a revenue-generating activity.
2. Surplus Market Sales: Weekly weekend market at Sunbury Cricket Club selling surplus food items at affordable prices with 'mindful donations' per bag. Proceeds support operational costs including maintaining the fleet of vans.
3. Event Catering Services: Catering services for weddings, corporate events, and private gatherings using 100% surplus food. Each plate served includes a donation component that funds free meals for those in need.
4. Annual Charity Dinner: Corporate gala events raising funds through ticket sales, sponsorships, and auctions. The 2026 Winter Charity Dinner & Auction at London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square raised over £40,000.
5. General Donations: Cash donations from supporters to help run the charity, cover operational costs, and support expansion efforts including more storage, vans, and local hubs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Surplus to Supper is a volunteer-led charity that collects surplus food from local businesses via a fleet of five vans and redistributes it to over 150 local charities, food banks, shelters, and schools within a 10-mile radius of Sunbury-on-Thames. It also operates the Surplus Kitchen, which transforms rescued ingredients into 1,000+ meals per week, a weekend Surplus Market selling surplus groceries for mindful donations, and an Events Catering service for weddings, corporate, and private functions using 100% surplus food.

Product overview

Surplus to Supper is a volunteer-led charity operating a multi-service platform to bridge food waste and food poverty. The core offering consists of four interconnected services: Food Redistribution (van-based collection and delivery to 150+ charities), the Surplus Kitchen (meal preparation from surplus ingredients), the Surplus Market (weekend retail sales), and Events Catering (private and corporate events using surplus food). These services share volunteer labor, surplus food supply chains, and the Sunbury Cricket Club hub. The organization has grown from one van in 2017 to five vans moving three tonnes of food daily, providing the equivalent of 3 million meals per year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 million meals equivalent provided since 2017
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GreggscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor UK bakery chain donating surplus food to Surplus to Supper for redistribution to local charities and communities.
• British AirwayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term supply partner providing surplus items including personal, cleaning and beauty products. These are sorted and packaged into categories: Store Staples, Household, Hygiene and Gifts.
• Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor UK supermarket chain donating surplus food to support Surplus to Supper's redistribution mission.
• TescocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor UK supermarket chain donating surplus food to support food waste reduction and community support.
• ASDAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor UK supermarket chain donating surplus food to support Surplus to Supper operations.
• WaitrosecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK supermarket chain donating surplus food as part of their sustainability and food waste reduction initiatives.
• AldicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK supermarket chain donating surplus food to support Surplus to Supper's charitable mission.
• LidlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK supermarket chain donating surplus food to support food redistribution efforts.
• CostcocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWarehouse club retailer donating surplus food to support Surplus to Supper operations.
• Sainsbury'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor UK supermarket chain donating surplus food to support food redistribution.
• MorrisonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK supermarket chain donating surplus food to support Surplus to Supper's mission.
• NandoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestaurant chain donating surplus food to support food waste reduction efforts.
• FaresharecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational food redistribution charity that likely provides surplus food and/or partnership support to Surplus to Supper.
• Booker WholesalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholesale food supplier donating surplus inventory to support Surplus to Supper operations.
• Cavern BakerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal bakery donating surplus baked goods to support Surplus to Supper's mission.
• A2DominioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing association donating surplus food to support food redistribution to communities.
• BPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy company possibly providing surplus food from their retail sites.
• Mars & SpencercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood retailer donating surplus food to support Surplus to Supper operations.
• Encore KitchenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurope's largest cloud kitchen operator with over 600 kitchen units across 30 locations. CEO Thomas Mountford serves on Surplus to Supper's board. Close operational partnership including food supply for events (e.g., Spelthorne Hub team supplying food for Charity Dinner).
• Food and Welfare Network in SpelthornecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal network facilitating distribution of free meals to individuals and families in need within Spelthorne area.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FareShare: The UK's largest national food redistribution charity, redistributing surplus food from the food industry to charities and community groups. Direct functional peer to Surplus to Supper's redistribution arm and listed partner.
• FoodCloud: Ireland- and UK-based food redistribution charity and tech platform connecting retailers with charities to redirect surplus food. Overlapping redistribution model with a stronger technology layer.
• Plan Zheroes: London-based food surplus redistribution platform matching businesses with surplus food to local charities. Direct functional peer with a technology-mediated matching approach.
• City Harvest: London food surplus redistribution charity collecting surplus from businesses and distributing free food to communities. Direct functional peer focused on the same redistribution-plus-meal-preparation model.
• The Bread and Butter Thing: UK food redistribution charity running mobile affordable food markets using surplus stock. Closely comparable mobile-market-plus-redistribution operating model.
• The Felix Project: London-based food redistribution charity rescuing surplus food and delivering it to charities, schools, and food banks. Operates an overlapping model in London and represents the closest geographic and functional peer.
• The Real Junk Food Project: Network of pay-as-you-feel cafes and meal programs using surplus and 'waste' food. Closely comparable concept—surplus-to-meal conversion via volunteer-led community dining and catering.
• FoodCycle: UK charity that uses surplus food to cook free community meals. Comparable model combining surplus food collection with volunteer-run meal preparation and community dining.

Emerging players

• Too Good To Go: Europe-wide surplus-meal marketplace app selling surplus food from restaurants and retailers at discounted prices. Adjacent surplus-food recovery model with a consumer marketplace approach.
• OLIO: UK-based food-sharing app connecting neighbours and businesses to share surplus food. Comparable end goal of reducing food waste but uses a technology-mediated marketplace model rather than physical redistribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surplustosupper

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Surplus to Supper