Forum Topic

Shocking food waste - Chiswick M&S

After all that waiting, this is how Marks & Spencers appallingly dispose of their food waste, day in, day out. This is not an isolated incident, and even more shockingly this is filmed in (but not limited to) our new Chiswick branch. Nothing here can be reused, everything is still in plastics so its not even compostable, and none of this - despite being within date - was given to foodbanks. I urge everyone to contact Marks and Spencers and complain - I have and they simply fobbed it off with a generic response. Puts me off shopping there, thats for sure. Please share. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DS5nxHhCFxf/?igsh=MW1aWxna2V5N2YzNA%3D%3Dhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DTBADJ3CNsw/?igsh=MTM3M2p2NjYxajN6MQ%3D%3D

Jenny Smith ● 49d77 Comments

All meaningless corporate waffle if the company won’t even explain the food waste after Christmas which is the subject of this thread. Who can believe them?  Who can believe that they take food waste seriously.

Steve Taylor ● 19d

https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/sustainability/plan-a-our-planet/waste-circular-economy

Philippa Bond ● 19d

That’s incredible. I never knew about that. Well done to Greggs. One wonders why M&S Food doesn’t have similar. Their food waste must be a lot more than Greggs.

Steve Taylor ● 26d

A different approach to food waste:https://www.greggs.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-greggs-outlet-shops

Norman Redfern ● 26d

So it’s easy enough for M&S to confirm that they have a glitch in their management at Chiswick and that staff haven’t been trained to recognise perfectly good food so that it isn’t consigned to landfill or wherever!! Surely their alleged investigation into this issue wouldn’t take this long to conduct.

Steve Taylor ● 28d

Maybe not -  BUT if M&S can have a glitch in their arrangements when they open a new store in Chiswick High Road then it is highly probable that there are others who have staff lacking training and understanding of the regulations that already exist ie the Waste Hierarchy pyramid where Reduction and Reuse are at the top and Recycling near the bottom.  A lot of companies have also signed the Courtauld Commitment - whatever it's new name is.  WRAP (The Waste Resources Action Plan) has a lot of information:  https://www.wrap.ngo/take-action/uk-food-drink-pact

Philippa Bond ● 28d

Future conferences won’t supply the answer on why M&S Chiswick dumped this perfectly good food.

Steve Taylor ● 28d

This Food Waste Conference coming up in March could be useful for those in the industry striving to reduce the huge amount that is being thrown away.Perhaps we should all also be lobbying defra to allocate some funds to remind everyone of the Waste Hierarchy which although we are told we have to abide by it seems to have been forgotten or is sadly being ignored by many.We now have the new Simpler Recycling recently put into law coming into effect for Businesses of 10 or more people - where the same things should be recyclable across the country so that we can move from one place to another and the recyclables will be the same.  The new Household Simpler Recycling collections are still to be implemented.https://www.letsrecycle.com/event/national-food-waste-conference-2026/

Philippa Bond ● 29d

So in ‘answer’ to this accusation of food waste M&S are putting padlocks on wheelie bins and keeping wheelie bins confined within their premises. Why? Is this so the snooping journalists can no longer find evidence of such waste in future?  And instead of providing any explanation or mitigation to the complaint they offer to buy the person, who exposed the issue, a coffee! Why can’t they simply explain their actions?

Steve Taylor ● 33d

Well it's good to hear that someone is getting some of the short dated but IN DATE & EDIBLE food from M&S.  However it would obviously be better if there was a lot more being distributed to food banks and other local concerns to be USED AS FOOD instead of being sent to be turned into fuel and compost which is lower down the Waste Hierarchy. Baked potatoes always used to be one of the staples of a hospital supper menu.  Are they still?  There are cheaper ways to cook them than in a traditional oven at home now that energy is so expensive.  They are also a good way to use up other unused food as fillings.  Blackboard menus as Janice mentioned do often show dishes of the day and eg for baked potatoes the fillings have been run out of. You can put all sorts of things into a chilli con or sin carne or a pasta sauce or potato topped cottage pie. It would help if more of our children knew how to cook and I remember APPLE in Acton working at doing this but schools are now mostly doing more after too many years of not doing this.  There are also businesses with courses children can do and it would be good if more went off to university and college and left home with better cookery skills.  I see from The Grocer that M&S is not the only store that could do a lot better in this area...https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/food-waste/1605.subject

Philippa Bond ● 33d

M&S just had to explain exactly what they did with this food dumped into wheelie bins!

Steve Taylor ● 36d

Perhaps they could offer these products to the growing army of shoplifters to stop them stealing and to kill two birds with one stone.

Keith Iddon ● 36d

“ In these instances it is grossly unfair to cast M&S in a bad light” The company will no doubt be cast in a bad light until they explain what happened to all the good food dumped in wheelie bins as evidenced in the video provided by the OP. It seems quite ridiculous that the company can’t respond to the OP’s simple question after so many weeks. Quite ridiculous and unacceptable!!

Steve Taylor ● 36d

I am replying in defence of Marks & Spencer. I can say without fear of contradiction, they absolutely do offer/donate all usable i.e. in date surplus to charities, ours being but one. By all means contact us at Acton Homeless Concern for verification. We would be delighted to put these unfounded slurs to bed. We can provide client testimonies as well as photographs of the delicious, snacks, pastries and meals we are able to offer. Huge thanks to M&S. We have been regular collectors there since before the refurb. There are occasions when some charities scheduled to collect, fail for whatever reason to honour their part of the commitment. In these instances it is grossly unfair to cast M&S in a bad light

Tina Acton ● 36d

Regarding the prices, it's a new store, fully stocked, they have to recoupthe stock cost of that produce before they can lower prices, that's why stores have 'opening day offers'

Janice Evans ● 36d

I am replying in defence of Marks & Spencer. I can say without fear of contradiction, they absolutely do offer/donate all usable i.e. in date surplus to charities, ours being but one. By all means contact us at Acton Homeless Concern for verification. We would be delighted to put these unfounded slurs to bed. We can provide client testimonies as well as photographs of the delicious, snacks, pastries and meals we are able to offer. Huge thanks to M&S. We have been regular collectors there since before the refurb. There are occasions when some charities scheduled to collect, fail for whatever reason to honour their part of the commitment. In these instances it is grossly unfair to cast M&S in a bad light

Tina Acton ● 36d

I am replying in defence of Marks & Spencer. I can say without fear of contradiction, they absolutely do offer/donate all usable i.e. in date surplus to charities, ours being but one. By all means contact us at Acton Homeless Concern for verification. We would be delighted to put these unfounded slurs to bed. We can provide client testimonies as well as photographs of the delicious, snacks, pastries and meals we are able to offer. Huge thanks to M&S. We have been regular collectors there since before the refurb. There are occasions when some charities scheduled to collect, fail for whatever reason to honour their part of the commitment. In these instances it is grossly unfair to cast M&S in a bad light

Tina Acton ● 36d

I am replying in defence of Marks & Spencer. I can say without fear of contradiction, they absolutely do offer/donate all usable i.e. in date surplus to charities, ours being but one. By all means contact us at Acton Homeless Concern for verification. We would be delighted to put these unfounded slurs to bed. We can provide client testimonies as well as photographs of the delicious, snacks, pastries and meals we are able to offer. Huge thanks to M&S. We have been regular collectors there since before the refurb. There are occasions when some charities scheduled to collect, fail for whatever reason to honour their part of the commitment. In these instances it is grossly unfair to cast M&S in a bad light

Tina Acton ● 36d

I am replying in defence of Marks & Spencer. I can say without fear of contradiction, they absolutely do offer/donate all usable i.e. in date surplus to charities, ours being but one. By all means contact us at Acton Homeless Concern for verification. We would be delighted to put these unfounded slurs to bed. We can provide client testimonies as well as photographs of the delicious, snacks, pastries and meals we are able to offer. Huge thanks to M&S. We have been regular collectors there since before the refurb. There are occasions when some charities scheduled to collect, fail for whatever reason to honour their part of the commitment. In these instances it is grossly unfair to cast M&S in a bad light

Tina Acton ● 36d

I am replying in defence of Marks & Spencer. I can say without fear of contradiction, they absolutely do offer/donate all usable i.e. in date surplus to charities, ours being but one. By all means contact us at Acton Homeless Concern for verification. We would be delighted to put these unfounded slurs to bed. We can provide client testimonies as well as photographs of the delicious, snacks, pastries and meals we are able to offer. Huge thanks to M&S. We have been regular collectors there since before the refurb. There are occasions when some charities scheduled to collect, fail for whatever reason to honour their part of the commitment. In these instances it is grossly unfair to cast M&S in a bad light.

Tina Acton ● 36d

That should have been after 15.26 post, they go to the end for some reason.

Janice Evans ● 37d

Probably worth mentioning that we've noticed the "new store" has increased prices above what its other other shops in nearby areas charge. So I'm not suprised they have waste. This isnt to condone throwing it away — but the fact they have extra isnt suprising as I don't like being taken advantage of. 

Tim Mackinnon ● 38d

I prefer savoury to sweet, my partner exact opposite, chocoholic.

Janice Evans ● 38d

That's what Soup of the Day often is.  We've been missing a local one because I *think* they decided to use the pot for mulled wine around Christmas and New Year.  I love mulled wine but not for lunch.Well, whatever I saw it was mainly sweet things and I don't do sweet much.  In fact in general it doesn't seem easy to get anything with a coffee or tea that isn't very sweet except for scones and you don't find those too often.

Philippa Bond ● 38d

Some places have daily specials menu at reduced cost in addition to the main menu, would think to avoid food waste.

Janice Evans ● 38d

Yes, Philippa. Patronized. Check your own wording when it comes to that. You know, your mansplaining of just about everything. If you prefer, let's call it pedantic. Maybe a touch of superiority. As if nary a one of us has given any thought to any of the issues you obviously care so deeply about.Sorry you didn't realize we did savory in Chiswick. We did for about 14 years. With menus. And events all based on savory foods. Specsavers appointment maybe?Venues can't re-invent menus daily. There is actually waste generated from that alone. Not to mention inconsistency, customers wanting what they know and like, and a level of talent with staff that is extremely rare to come by if at all. One reason why multi-nationals can afford high street rents is because they are able to maintain a level of standard and consistency that is predictable when doing the maths to cover costs. Your suggestion of free-styling eradicates that predictability and thus the security of forecasting and basic supply/demand. Not feasible in the best of times. FYI, this is the worst of times.

David Lesniak ● 38d

A reminder that household and business waste is different but the link above will tell you more about what happens to our waste and recycling and the Waste Hierarchy.

Philippa Bond ● 39d

No David  With respect you don't have an iota of a clue of what my experience is and I'm not sure that 'mansplaining' is the correct word, I thought that had to happen the other way around when I was being patronised.What I was suggesting was that hospitality businesses were I would have thought often better placed than households to create meals from unused and in date etc (most people don't even understand that) food.  Maybe more of them should be applying to defra or the food distribution charities to be accepted on their lists to collect excess food to use.  I have in the past seen requests for applications from defra.There is a Waste Hierarchy which should be being followed  and sending good food directly to be recycled is not following this.  It starts with REDUCE ie we should Reduce Waste.  We in our homes (except some flats) should ALL now have Food Waste Bins (FWBs) and these are for plate scrapings, orange peel, orange skins etc which we do not intend eating (although much of this could be composted one way or another). And just in case you think you can't eat banana peel - here's one of several recipes you might like to experiment with as banana peel is eaten in other countries and as I presume you are some sort of foodie (but maybe I'm wrong):https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/nadiya-hussains-banana-peel-curry/Wasting good food that could have been eaten certainly costs households hundreds of pounds..  You can provide free labour or advice if you choose. I'm not asking you to.  I'm sure some people dealing with excess supermarket food will be paid but others will be volunteers.Those working in hospitality will often have good ideas and skills for creating meals out of what they have in stock better than some householders might.  I remember Sam's Brasserie running a competition years ago and the winner said that she would not buy some new food unless she had three recipes for it.  Sometimes it can be difficult to get the other ingredients for a recipe or you just find you are too tired to contemplate trying something new at the end of a hard day's work.I have now looked at your new menu at the Lyric and I noticed that you do have a couple of non-sweet items on it - something I never saw on your old menu in Chiswick.  (I much prefer savoury to sweet and I don't really like coffee - although I try and rink one a day.)  There I toyed with the idea on occasion of pancakes...I was also suggesting that people in general (and that includes me) were perhaps not as good at volunteering as we might be.  Every so often people do talk about their experiences for instance of volunteering and serving Christmas dinner for Crisis at Christmas and I noticed from the local press that Hugh Grant was serving Christmas dinners in Hammersmith this year.

Philippa Bond ● 39d

I'm aware of what waste is, Philippa, but thanks for mansplaining it to me.As mentioned already, the implication was the food was being put in the trash with no further use/purpose. Let's call it waste.Being repurposed/recycled or whatever we're calling it, isn't waste. Perhaps I misunderstood, Philippa, but it seemed you were suggesting giving food to hospitality businesses to be prepared for distribution using free labor."Is your menu so structured and inflexible"Just a thought, try running a hospitality business then get back to me on that. You haven't a clue. Not one iota of a clue.

David Lesniak ● 40d

I know Philippa, but this thread may make others think they will.

Janice Evans ● 41d

I have NEVER suggested boycotting the store.  I want to hear their reply.  I have questioned their choice of disposal for so much good food in such a way and have stated that I hope that it is not their ongoing permanent solution to dealing with and disposing of so much good food. NONE of us should be throwing away good food.https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/It's said that UK households throw away 4.4 million metric tons of edible food worth £17bn.  That is households - and if you check out the website above you can make a note of ideas for next year especially if you overcatered and wasted food this last Christmas.Yes, that bread sauce can be spread in the turkey and cranberry sandwich!  It's delicious.

Philippa Bond ● 41d

Agree with David, no one should boycott the store without knowing the facts. It's a new store it was over the holiday and teething problems should be taken into account.

Janice Evans ● 41d

When good food goes straight to anaerobic digestion or is burnt then it IS wasted as GOOD FOOD.  Anaerobic digestion is where our home food waste: potato peelings (not in our case because we don't peel them), orange peel and onion skins and whatever else food anybody is NOT going to eat goes.Are you actually saying that you wouldn't ever welcome any free or reduced price food to cook David? Is your menu so structured and inflexible?

Philippa Bond ● 41d

When good food goes straight to anaerobic digestion or is burnt then it IS wasted as GOOD FOOD.  Anaerobic digestion is where our potato peelings (not in our case because we don't peel them), orange peel and onion skins and whatever else food anybody is NOT going to eat goes.Are you actually saying that you wouldn't welcome any free or reduced price food to cook David?

Philippa Bond ● 41d

Yes, Tania, the article did say that. The OP did not. Nor was it mentioned in the video evidence she shared.I'm a bit speechless with regard to Philippa's comment about the "fuss" over hospitality. As if the solution is for the sector to volunteer...

David Lesniak ● 41d

The article says the food was taken away by ReFood so it's not wasted.

Tania Bapuji ● 41d

There are a lot of questions to be asked including whether we should follow the French with their ban on good food waste being destroyed -v- eaten by humans and animals.  Also how many of us volunteer especially over holiday periods.  How big London exodus over holidays.There is a lot of fuss about the hospitality sector at the moment.  I bet there are some of those people who could have whipped up some good meals the way they have to do at the Upper Room.  I remember chatting to a student from Leith's School of Cookery who were preparing food to serve to guests at a celebratory function there to mark the opening of the additional floor.  It was pleasing to see them creating a buffet from excess food - something we could all do with practising nowadays when the listed ingedients are often not available!Bring back that TV programme with the green bag and the red bag of shopping and the challenge between chefs to create a mealI don't think we realised how important it was at the time - well I certainly didn't!

Philippa Bond ● 41d

Philippa, the impression given, at least to me, was that everything was being binned. Trashed. Period. No other alternative was considered. In reading the forum article, that was the first mention of recycling. Something I posited. Again, why else sort most of it so neatly and deliberately?I'm just tired of people assuming the worst from businesses and making assumptions based on half truths, some in the pursuit of gaining followers.Given the holiday, it is entirely possible that all outlets and avenues are/were overloaded. Maybe this wasn't even the first choice but the second or third. It's possible food banks turn things away. They are always trying to balance needs and sometimes, with the best of intention, that box can't get ticked at that moment in time. So instead of villainizing, maybe just take a beat, present options, ask questions. But the immediate tarring and feathering does no favors for anyone nor any purpose.

David Lesniak ● 41d

I suppose if people just helped themselves to the food in the M&S bins, they'd be accused of stealing!I suppose this issue could be related to the new, enlarged store, and some associated miscalculation about stock levels, together with staff there not being aware of the usual charitable distribution arrangements.  Having said that, the way a dedicated truck seemed to turn up to take the bins away looked pretty well organised!

Peter Evans ● 42d

It’s laughable that today M&S has announced an in-store investigation on this filmed event!  Surely the store manager should have this information at his fingertips in order to respond to the OP’s question? I read the comments about an App to purchase out of date produce with bemused interest. Surely a board outside the store, advertising reduced price potatoes, parsnips etc etc, would entice  many people walking past the store to pop into the store take advantage of all the ‘special offers’ ?

Steve Taylor ● 42d

Well I am glad that for the most part my original post seems to have worked and this is being properly looked in tohttps://www.chiswickw4.com/default.asp?section=trading&page=conmandsrefurb009.htm

Jenny Smith ● 42d

I don't know what you mean David.  The point was and still is that a lot of good edible food was not being redistributed to food banks and/or reduced in price to sell in store to be used as food for humans or animals but that it was being sent straight to food recycling.  All that effort and input by farmers and producers, all those foodmiles were being put straight into the bin when much of it could be used to feed people in particular at a time when so many are struggling to put food on the table.Yes, we eat readymeals sometimes in fact we ate an M&S curry for 2 over the holiday because I've been ill and can't eat things on toast at the moment - which is the usual quick effortless standby. It was OK but our verdict was that the portions were too large - and if I'd chosen it myself I would have never chosen and cooked that amount or type of rice anyway.  A curry is something that normally I would have created myself but a treat to have it made for me. I tend to use readymeals most as a way to try tasting something different and not a way of life as that is not recommended healthwise.  We will continue cooking from scratch for ourselves for as long as we can.Potatoes, lemons and more eg readymeals and smoked salmon.  The impression is that the food had not been sorted into different types as some of it is definitely more acceptable and reusable with less/any refrigeration than other types.  We don't know why or if they used Neighbourly who is mentioned in the article or tried to use any other local distribution company or group as well for the very large amount of edible food they were wasting.It needs to be more than just a tick-box compliance with any legislation.

Philippa Bond ● 42d

Ready meals are everywhere Philippa. As are delivery services for ingredients and said ready meals.Interesting to see the comments made by the forum article on this subject. Paints a clearer picture of what might be happening. I'd say it's interesting said details were left out by the OP. But then again, not really.

David Lesniak ● 42d

Food waste in the home is also supposedly enormous and particularly so at Christmas.  That is why the dedicated food waste bins in our homes are so useful.  Separating this waste from the rest shows exactly how much you are wasting and you can then reassess what how when and where you buy food and deal with it - but are we learning enough?  Knowing what long-life products to keep in a store-cupboard for emergencies and to create different meals is a start.We have got very used to ready-meals here - more so than in other countries and have perhaps become less able to create a meal with what we have with ease and without stress.  They have a place but sadly turn what would have been our inventive kitchens into fast food restaurants where you just request a particular ready-made meal.  This isn't a good influence on children and can lead to big problems including huge leftovers when it is not available.  Liking something one week does not mean they will like it the next either!With schools hopefully going back to having cookery classes let's hope more children will be doing their own inventing and understanding the mastering of creating delicious food for themselves.https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/  is a very good website to visit.You can also freeze just about anything - probably more than you think - so learn more - it saves fridge space and extends expiry dates!

Philippa Bond ● 42d

We were in Ikea last year having a snack before going home, a couple stood by our table waited for a family to leave then sat at the table to eat their leavings, I would think they were middle aged couple, you have to be hungry to do something like that don't you it quite upset me.

Janice Evans ● 42d

Particularly disappointing given that the West London distribution centres for both Felix and City Harvest are both now on the South Acton industrialEstate - so yards rather than miles from Chiswick M&S.And they do such a good job supplying food to charities and schools in the area - supporting the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities.Such a shame!

Sara Nathan ● 43d

I thought that both Olio and TooGoodToGo were now in quite common use nowadays by those who have the IT.I don't understand why they couldn't have just called in local companies like City Harvest or the Felix Project (that's now also FoodShare) to take food off their hands if they don't want to/can't yellow sticker it and put it on sale. They both have experience on how to distribute it.  I believe we could then see it going to all sorts of local places like The Upper Room and Ealing Soup Kitchen etc which provide hot meals amongst the other places which receive donations.Every so often Defra announces that it is asking for companies and groups to come forward who feel that they can come up with ideas and events to repurpose excess food waste.There is a National Food Waste Conference in London in March 2026 which it looks like it should be something of interest for quite a lot of people.  Perhaps some can find sponsorship to attend!?https://www.letsrecycle.com/event/national-food-waste-conference-2026/

Philippa Bond ● 43d

True

Janice Evans ● 43d

Obviously an app will reach far more people than the number who are in the store at the time the reduced stock is put out.You just click and collect,that way they very probably have much less waste to deal with while giving their customers who can't be in the shop at that time  chance to benefit.

Keith Iddon ● 43d

Most just reduce the price, it all goes, I often buy it to give to the wildlife.

Janice Evans ● 43d

Tescos have a much simpler approach to selling off surplus stock. Eg for potatoes normally selling at £1.85 per kilo they simply marked them down to 15 pence. No need to use complicated Apps or pre booking online.

Steve Taylor ● 43d

I understand other supermarkets have apps. schemes whereby they sell off boxes of near end of shelf life products at discounted rates which you have to book to buy online.In LIDL they often have boxes of similar produce near to the tills at £2 per box.Perhaps M&S don't think that their customers,who let's face it are usually better off than many,would stop so low to buy such boxes so it wouldn't be worth their while.

Keith Iddon ● 43d

If this is shown to be true, M&S is truly a disgusting company!! “ The campaigner suggested that the volume of waste was linked to M&S’s decision not to match the deep pre-Christmas vegetable discounts offered by other supermarkets. Retailers such as Sainsbury’s had sold potatoes, carrots, parsnips and sprouts for pennies in the run-up to Christmas, a strategy widely used to minimise post-holiday surplus. In the commentary accompanying the video, it was argued that failing to match competitors’ prices had resulted in “unnecessary waste on this scale.””

Steve Taylor ● 43d

Let’s hope Marks are transparent about the investigation well done for exposing this. Most supermarkets have area for ‘bin ends’. Given food poverty surely all the supermarkets are smart enough to fund ways to distribute food to those in need! Not sure if food banks have hygiene rules as signs often state tins etc. Marks you need to do better and turn it into a positive community programme.

Jayne Thorburn ● 43d

So M&S has finally agreed to investigate the alleged food waste shown in these videos. Perhaps the store should be boycotted until the investigation is completed so that the store can follow its moral obligation to distribute the food waste to the needy every day.

Steve Taylor ● 43d

Ask your MP to take it up with the CEO of M&S

Steve Taylor ● 45d

Prepare ypurself for sme 'elf and safety waffle.

Keith Iddon ● 46d

The manager at Chiswick is called Dan Talmedge. I'm sure he will try to answer your question but what happens to the food will probably be corporate policy and not his decision.

Anita Blake ● 46d

The response from the CEO's office was simply a copy and paste generic response which said nothing of any substance and deflected the issue and questions. A reach out to the manager of Chiswick isn't a bad shout, I will ask next time I pass and see if he, she or they exist.

Jenny Smith ● 46d

There have been complaints on here before about the short dates on M&S refrigerated food.  The dates are small and those wanting longer dates are often older and shopping in person.  The piles are high and they become turned over and muddled.  At Christmastime it's crazy.  So many people are now living in smaller spaces.  It's no wonder they had so many orders sitting in refrigerated cabinets in the store awaiting delivery or collection in the clothes section.

Philippa Bond ● 46d

The instagram videos are truly shocking if these wheelie bins are being consigned to some sort of disposal which precludes human consumption. Surely the Manager of the store could be approached for a full explanation. If not forthcoming perhaps the CEO could be approached?

Steve Taylor ● 47d

Felicity, with respect, you seem to contradict yourself. My take on the original post was M&S was allegedly putting the food in the trash. You yourself just said that the use of bins may be for ongoing distribution purposes. That was part of my point. Given the evidence I think that is a reasonable assumption. Again, why sort everything so neatly and separately if it were bound for trash? In the event it was still usable, it may be it is no longer fit for human consumption but could be usable for pet food as an example. I've no clue, but I have to believe corporate concerns have multiple means of turning "trash" into revenue one way or another. Putting something directly in the trash is the last thing any business churning toward a profit would do. Georgina just stated that Jenny spoke to a member of staff. That is entirely different than your take on the source of generic wording.I agree with you that I find the lack of more detail odd and you know better than I the mechanisms of both PR and journalism to get a better response.

David Lesniak ● 47d

It's disappointing that it seems they didn't feel that they could do this - this maybe once only highly pressurised - time.  It seems that once upon a time there was much more local involvement and consideration.

Philippa Bond ● 47d

M & S always used to distribute food the children's homes and the like,I'm going back a few years, so not sure if they still do.

Janice Evans ● 47d

Julian, I don't think many people will be comfortable about giving M&S a pass on this until we know more of the facts.The videos show a huge amount of perfectly edible food being put in bins. It could be that this was for distribution to charities like City Harvest which take excess foods from supermarkets or it could be that it was heading for local foodbanks who would be crying out for this kind of donation.On the other hand, if it was being disposed of, I think that  you would be in a minority thinking that is acceptable even allowing for possible teething problems at the new store.A question on this from a journalist means that the company must supply a definitive answer and then we will know either way.

Felicity Caborn ● 47d

Jenny was only relaying what she was told by a member of staff. There was no need to jump down her throat. If you’re querying what Jenny was told, do your own investigations.

Georgina Flint ● 48d

"I've suggested to ChiswickW4.com that they should follow this up and that should provide a bit more insight into what exactly is going on." Chiswickw4 don't investigate, they just ask for comment and move on to the next story. Given the timing, opening and everything else, I think one can excuse M&S on this occasion

Julian Pavey ● 48d

David, Jenny said, in so many words, that she contacted M&S. She can clarify but this isn't the wording that you would use if all you did was speak to a random member of staff at the store. She may have used a corporate email or just the contact point for customer complaints but either way, given the nature of the concerns raised, I would have expected M&S to address it squarely. Giving a generic response either means that the concerns have not been forwarded to the right people or the store has been caught red-handed doing something it would rather we didn't know about. I've suggested to ChiswickW4.com that they should follow this up and that should provide a bit more insight into what exactly is going on.

Felicity Caborn ● 48d

2016!! TEN years ago!https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/04/french-law-forbids-food-waste-by-supermarketsThere's more info on what happens (or happened at the time) in this article.  Kerry McCarthy MP had a similar Bill going through Parliament but I can't remember what happened.  (I now see it ran out of time.)There are a lot of food collection companies so if there's a problem with one ideally they would be able to call in support from elsewhere and locally would obviously be best.However having read a bit more I nearly fell of my chair when I read that M&S consider themselves to be a food specialist rather than a supermarket...Most of us think that good food should be initially redistributed as exactly what it is: FOOD!

Philippa Bond ● 48d

Felicity, this is a surprising take from you.Speculation given the accounting and evidence is entirely in order. You often seem to come from a PR perspective. I see that generic fobbing off as part of a rehearsed response given to staffers as a talking point. The impression I get is Jenny asked one person (no offense to Jenny). If this is happening at other locations, does it strike me as odd M&S hasn't come out with a more detailed description positioning itself as doing good? Yes. It seems to me this would be an opportunity for transparency. But in the realm of PR, perhaps the issue doesn't have traction enough to warrant that type of response.

David Lesniak ● 48d

Sit down, folks, I agree with Philippa here.Jenny, there is a very strict protocol for cold chain distribution. Should that chain break, goods are often deemed unusable. Period. Like it or not. This would be particularly true for a large corporate entity where liability is an enormous concern. If anything goes south with regard to an unbroken chain, people would target a large corporate purse before they would do the same for a smaller one. I think this is where efforts to eradicate "use by" and best by" are justified. Common sense seems to have gone out the window. Those practices generate enormous amounts of waste where none need exist. But that's food safety regulation at present. And while it shouldn't vary, it does depending upon who the inspector is that day or in that borough.I've no clue what M&S and others do. But apart from seeing evidence of a food charity pulling up to collect, I see no reason why something similar wouldn't be happening when things go back to a distribution center. As Philippa says, the bins appear to be used not for rubbish but for transport. I thought the same because everything is so neat and organized. Just because they're bins doesn't mean they haven't been cleaned appropriately for the purpose of transport. There could also be a second tier market for, let's call them used, produce hence a potential revenue stream as opposed to a loss. To me a catastrophic failure would have looked like a mish mash of ugly one bin to the next. That's not this.Farmers will grow and outlets will order based upon projections. Perhaps this is evidence not as much was bought this year as last and, again per Philippa, if it is a new site it is highly likely they overordered expecting a higher footfall for the season. Personally I think they missed their window by opening so late into December.

David Lesniak ● 48d

I'd be very surprised if it was sent to landfill as I think you will find that most waste is now sent to Energy from Waste.Food waste from homes is sent for Anaerobic Digestion.I completely agree about the waste of good food and I particularly love the sound of the person making jacket potatoes for people in need. Hopefully if this is not going to be eaten they will not be relying on just one option for redistribution next time. Remember also in London that space is in short supply for storing anything safely and they will need to have a paper trail.

Philippa Bond ● 48d

Why would a refrigeration or handling issue automatically mean this food couldn’t be redistributed? Food banks routinely accept food that can’t be sold but is still safe — that is exactly what redistribution schemes exist for. I’ve looked into this since seeing the footage, and M&S are well known for dismissing these issues when questioned. Perhaps something did go wrong, or food was over-ordered — that’s certainly what it looks like — but then what did the farmers grow all this produce for? It’s wasteful and indefensible.Much of what’s shown in these videos becomes contaminated because of how it’s disposed of. If it were genuinely unusable, why wasn’t it at least separated from plastic and composted? Sending tonnes of food straight to landfill is a choice, not an inevitability.This also isn’t an isolated incident. There are dozens of documented cases across multiple M&S stores (and others, I might add), alongside public data showing large-scale, systemic food waste by major retailers. I am a regular M&S customer and have been all my life, but this seriously makes me question their values.I don’t have an “agenda” beyond wanting to understand why enormous amounts of food are destroyed where I live and shop, while food banks, shelters, and homeless people are overwhelmed and going hungry. They could have sold it off for 5p a bag or similar — dismissing that concern instead of addressing it doesn’t change the facts. There’s even someone online who makes jacket potatoes for people in need; a quick cab ride with surplus potatoes wouldn’t have gone amiss.Perhaps it’s worth reassessing where the real agenda lies.

Jenny Smith ● 48d

https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/sites/marksandspencer/files/2025-05/Marks-and-Spencer-Group-plc-ESG-Report-2025.pdfHave a look at what M&S state they are intending to achieve which does include distribution to local food groups.  It doesn't always work out of course but this shop has only just re-opened right before a very busy holiday period.  You can't expect all the staff to be able to quote all the information in the report above or be able to swear that that is what always happens!

Philippa Bond ● 48d

'Binning' things doesn't necessarily mean that they will be destroyed.  It can simply be a method of sorting and transporting.  Let's hope it was just that.  However all systems can suffer glitches every so often and also all systems need to be reassessed every so often.It was in 2016 that the French passed a law to say that all supermarket food excess should be distributed - and that is now ten years ago.  It is better that it is all eaten if it is safe to do so - especially when there are so many people struggling to put food on the table here for their families nowadays.There is a lot of ignorance nowadays about what is safe to eat and what isn't.  What you do at home and what a well-known business does is likely to be quite different.

Philippa Bond ● 48d

M&S had the opportunity to explain when Jenny asked, so your speculations on what might have happened don't seem justified.

Felicity Caborn ● 48d

You have no clue if there  might have been a mechanical failure with refrigeration rendering product unusable.You have no clue what happens to this product upon its return to a distribution center.You have an agenda. Yes. Just no clue.

David Lesniak ● 48d