When Katie and her husband Peter celebrated their wedding anniversary this August, they wanted to do something a little different, inspired by their passion for reducing wasteā¦
This year we were curious to see if we could host a BBQ with only food rescued through Olio. Everyone we asked thought it was a brilliant idea and this quickly spread to inviting Olio-ers, many of whom have become great friends.
Katie first joined Olio in 2020 and has since become a Squad Captain for two Food Waste Hero squads, with teams of dedicated volunteers rescuing and redistributing unsold food from local businesses.
The BBQ was also a thank you to them for their dedication. We invited some of the Tesco staff we collect the surplus food from and lots of regular requesters, who we now consider friends, many of whom really helped me out through a difficult time when my MS flared up. Even though we all live in the same community, without Olio, we would never have met these people and made these friendships.
The couple began saving rescued food weeks in advance, freezing their 10% share from food collections and any unrequested items. By the time the day of the BBQ arrived, they had enough to cater to the 30 plus people who were on their way!Ā
The celebration was truly a zero-waste success – the gazebo, banqueting table, plastic chairs and benches had all been rescued from going to waste and renovated by Peter. Even the leftover salad was fed to their two rescued battery hens (aptly named Tessa and Saasha after Olioās two co-founders), so there was no waste there either!
Everyone who came said it was great to be able to meet other local Olio-ers and put names to faces. The sun shone on us and Matt, a fellow Olio-er (and DJ!) provided the music. It was such a wonderful day and weāve already been asked if we can do it again next year, bigger and better – looks like it might become an annual event!
What started as a simple idea became much more than just a BBQ; it was an opportunity to bring the community closer together, celebrate the power of sharing, and showcase the incredible impact we can have when we come together to reduce waste and support one another.
Whatās the number one thing you love the most about Olio?
The best thing about Olio is the reduction of waste, especially food, which I think is criminal in this day and age. Iām very much a āmake do and mendā person.