Foodprint puts food rescue at people’s fingertips while reducing the contribution that food waste makes to the href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/climate-change/" target="_blank">climate change crisis.
The app partners with local eateries, giving them a platform to sell surplus and imperfect food for a discount to prevent food waste, while tallying how much money, food and emissions have been saved on every order.
Once the app has been downloaded, customers can choose to receive notifications from local eateries in their area letting them know when food is available to buy. Discounted food starts from 30% off the original price, with some businesses opting for higher discounts of 70% to 90%.
The Rotorua Daily Post followed up with Foodprint founder and chief executive Michal Garvey, and Guidough’s Bakery, a local Rotorua eatery, to check in on progress.
Garvey said: “Our Rotorua launch has been fantastic, both eateries and customers alike have taken to Foodprint so quickly.
“We’ve received so much lovely feedback from them about how much they love it.”
Anahera, a Foodprint customer in Rotorua, gave a review on the app: “Kia Ora Foodprint team, I just wanted to say how brilliant this kaupapa is!! Saving kai and money. A++++.”
Within the first month, 2500 Rotorua residents joined the app and most found Foodprint in the first couple of weeks.
This number continues to steadily increase and Garvey said this followed the trajectory she’s seen in other regions where the app has launched.
In its first month in Rotorua more than 2500 residents were using the app and about 25 eateries were available. Photo / Michal Garvey
“So far the Rotorua community have prevented 620kg CO2-e (carbon dioxide equivalent) from warming the planet. This adds to the 75 tonnes of emissions that Foodprint has prevented through rescue,” Garvey said.
Foodprint now has 25 eateries in Rotorua on the app and will keep adding more in the coming months.
Guidough’s Bakery is one of these eateries and owner Mel Bachmann says Foodprint brings in completely different customers from all over Rotorua.
“They see us on the app and so they make the trip to come to us.
“For us as a business, it’s actually been good because they try new things, they like the new things and then see everything else we have and often end up buying more.”
Guidough's Bakery has found their most popular products selling on Foodprint to be sweets like cronuts and doughnuts which are a big hit as well as cinnamon rolls and custard slices. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Ninety-five per cent of Bachmann’s customers are new from Foodprint and she said it’s great to see how the app makes people so happy.
“People don’t often give themselves a treat, or they sometimes can’t afford it, so for them to be able to have a custard slice or cronut, it’s like a special treat but at a bargain price.
“It’s awesome to have new customers come into the shop and see their happy faces when they get a bargain,” Bachmann said.
The businesses using Foodprint have already saved more than $1000 in wasted food and others are closing in on that number.
Before Foodprint, this amount may have gone into the bin or given away free of charge.
“It’s great to have that extra little bit of income at the end of the day that we normally wouldn’t have,” Bachmann said.
“It’s not huge but it adds up every day we sell a few things and I think it’s such a good idea because it’s making people so happy.
The Foodprint team is working to diversify food offerings on the app and is aware customers would love more fresh produce and grocery options.
Rotorua has greengrocers that can be found on the Foodprint map, Brown Owl Organics, Fruit and Veg King, Fruit Monster and Rotorua Korean Mart. Photo / Michal Garvey
Rotorua currently has greengrocers available on the app, Brown Owl Organics, Fruit and Veg King and Fruit Monster as well as Rotorua Korean Mart.
Looking ahead to 2025, Foodprint has demand right across the country but needs to be tactical about how they add regions.
A couple of weeks after the launch in Rotorua and Taupō, Porirua was added to the app and more recently Palmerston North.
Now available in more than 20 cities across New Zealand, this summer Foodprint is encouraging customers to use the app on holiday break to help find the best eateries in towns where Foodprint is available.
Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.
