How to safely donate surplus food from your events

If your event finishes with trays of untouched sandwiches, pastries, salads or hot dishes, you can donate them easily and safely the very same day. Olio connects your event team with food-safety-trained volunteers who collect surplus food and share it with local families, often within 30 minutes.

Once food is handed to a volunteer, Olio takes primary responsibility for its safety. That means your team can say yes to donating without taking on extra risk or extra admin.

Below, we’ll walk you through how collections work, how cooked food stays safe, and why hundreds of events companies, hotels and caterers already use Olio.

How Olio collections work at events

Donating your event surplus with Olio takes three steps, and your team only handles the first two.

1️⃣ Let us know there’s food to collect. With the press of a button on your dashboard, your team notifies an Olio volunteer when surplus is ready. We work around your schedule, and can even facilitate last-minute, one-off post-event collections

2️⃣ Package up your surplus food. Your team boxes up the food before your volunteer arrives, so the handover takes minutes.

3️⃣ Our volunteer collects and shares it. A local Food Waste Hero picks up the food at an arranged time, and redistributes it safely to families nearby.

What food can you donate?

Olio volunteers can collect and share every type of surplus food from catering and events settings:

✔️ Buffet and canapé platters: sandwich platters, pastries, fruit and cheese boards

✔️ Hot or chilled cooked dishes: pasta, curries, roast veg and anything else from the hot counter or serving trays

✔️ Packaged and wrapped items: boxed lunches, sandwiches, wraps, cakes, crisps and cereal bars

✔️ Drinks: juices, soft drinks, milk and bottled smoothies

✔️ Prep kitchen ingredients: any fresh produce, bread, dairy and dry goods that didn’t get used

We ask for a minimum of 5 items or portions per collection, so the trip is worthwhile for volunteers. There’s no maximum, and our national network of 100,000+ volunteers means we can rescue surplus from events of any size across the country.

How Olio keeps donated event food safe

We’re the experts in food safety, so you don’t have to be. Once food is handed to an Olio volunteer, Olio takes primary responsibility for its safety. We have created a specific HACCP so you know exactly what can and cannot be donated and how.

Here’s what’s in place:

✔️ Trained volunteers: every single Olio volunteer must complete food safety training, and they won’t take anything that doesn’t meet our guidelines

✔️ Short, local journeys: we recruit volunteers who live nearby, so collection and redistribution times stay short

✔️ Clear date rules: food past its Use By date is never shared on Olio

✔️ Allergen information passed on: we make sure your allergen information is passed on to requesters for each listing

✔️ Assured advice: our food safety processes are backed by assured advice from our Primary Authority

✔️ A proven track record: we’ve shared over 166 million meals without a single confirmed serious food poisoning incident

“We’ve got no concerns there’s any risk involved.” Stuart Thomson, Cluster Executive Chef, Grand Central Hotel Glasgow and Kimpton Blythswood Square

If your chef or caterer wants the detail, we have a one-page food safety guide you can pass straight on to them, as well as a more detailed Events HACCP.

What events organisers get from Olio

Donating with Olio means your surplus food feeds local families, and you get impact numbers you can report on.

✔️ Surplus food gets eaten: volunteers collect what’s left over, like buffet platters and boxed lunches, and share it with people living nearby

✔️ Collections that fit your schedule: one-off pick-ups after an event or regular collections, arranged around you

✔️ Impact reporting: monthly reports showing weight of food saved, CO2e avoided, water saved and number of families helped

✔️ Stronger tenders and bids: add your Olio partnership and impact data to tenders, giving clients clear evidence of your sustainability credentials when you’re pitching for new business

✔️ A good story for your guests: let attendees know any surplus will be shared locally, giving them another reason to feel good about your event

✔️ Brand visibility: your logo can feature in the Olio app in front of thousands of local users (or stay anonymous if you prefer)

✔️ A team that feels proud: staff hear heart-warming feedback from the people who enjoy your food

✔️ Less to throw away: food that’s collected stays out of your bins, which can help bring down waste volumes and disposal costs

Trusted by events companies, venues and caterers

Hundreds of events companies, hotels and caterers already donate their surplus with Olio.

A really nice way to solve two problems at once. The environmental impact is obvious, but the fact that the food is being enjoyed by people who might not otherwise afford a hot meal is incredibly powerful.

Katie McNeill, Events Manager, BeaconHouse Events

It’s meaningful to know that the food is going to people who can use it. The volunteers have been fantastic: friendly, professional, and passionate about what they do.

Dobromir Barosov, General Catering Manager, Royal College of Surgeons of England

And for the people on the receiving end, it can make a real difference to their day:

“Olio saved me once again. I Haven’t eaten in two days and now I’m sat here eating cottage pie.” Olivia, Olio user

Make your next event zero waste

It’s safe, it’s simple, and it makes a difference to families near your venue. Tell us about your next event and we’ll match you with local volunteers.

Frequently asked questions

Can you donate food left over from an event?

Yes. Olio’s trained volunteers collect surplus food from events, venues and catering teams across the UK and share it with local families. Cooked, chilled, loose and packaged food can all be donated if it has followed all food safety standards up to collection.

Is it safe to donate cooked buffet food?

Yes, when it’s kept within safe limits. Hot food must stay above 63°C and be redistributed within 1.5 hours of collection. Chilled cooked food must stay below 5°C and be redistributed within 24 hours.

Who’s responsible for food safety once the food leaves your venue?

Olio is. Once food is handed to an Olio volunteer, Olio takes primary responsibility for its safety.

How much notice does Olio need for an event collection?

Ideally 24 hours. We can arrange one-off post-event collections as well as regular pick-ups.

Is there a minimum or maximum amount of food?

We ask for at least 5 items or portions per collection. There’s no maximum.

What impact data will we get?

Monthly reports showing the weight of food saved, CO2e avoided, water saved and the number of families helped.