Loose frozen food specialist Fieldfare has estimated that its consumers have saved more than 125 tonnes of food waste in the last year alone – just by buying baked goods and soft fruit loose and from the freezer, rather than fresh.
That is the equivalent weight of around 10 London double-decker buses – or one blue whale.
The data compromises an estimated 67 tonnes from Fieldfare’s baked goods and 58 tonnes from loose soft fruit. The figures have been calculated using WRAP’s (Waste & Resources Actions Programme) most recent report on UK household waste, along with the volume of produce Fieldfare sold in these categories last year. This includes pastries such as croissants and cinnamon swirls, cookies and a range of soft fruit such as blueberries, cherries and mango chunks.
Fresh produce (fruit and vegetables) is one of the UK’s largest types of food waste, with WRAP estimating that nearly half (43%) of fresh fruit purchases are thrown away annually. Bakery waste is also a significant contributor, and is thought to account for nearly half a million tonnes every year.
The new figures from Fieldfare have been released for Food Waste Action Week, the UK’s biggest annual food waste reduction campaign. Matt Whelan, managing director for Fieldfare, commented: “I am proud that we can genuinely say we have made a difference. Every bit of food waste prevented matters, but the reality is that Fieldfare is a relatively small part of the grocery market.
“With Simpler Recycling on the horizon, all households are being given the tools to recycle better, which is good news and long overdue. But, it is simply not enough, and runs the risk of diverting attention from the real issue. Reduction is the solution and the whole industry – food producers, retailers and the regulators – have a responsibility to empower shoppers to buy only what they need, preserve their food for longer and keep food out of the bin.”
Simpler Recycling is a Government initiative in England that standardises recycling and comes into force from June 2026.[5] All local councils will be obliged to provide comprehensive, doorstep recycling.
“Looking at our sales data in this way has been a really useful exercise to understand our impact now and the potential impact loose frozen has in our future,” said Matt. “Fieldfare has been going for nearly 50 years, and always championed loose frozen. Over that time, the amount of food and packaging waste we have prevented would be quite something.”
Fieldfare’s range of more than 100 loose frozen products include pastries, sweet treats, fruit and vegetables, light bites, desserts and meal-makers. Fieldfare freezers can be found in more than 500 stores across the UK including farm shops, premium convenience, food halls and garden centres.
