FROM this Saturday hopefully there’ll be less food going to waste in Bovey Tracey.

The new Bovey Community Fridge will be formally opened by mayor, Cllr Sheila Brooke at 2pm next to the Methodist Church in Fore Street.

It’s a project set up by the action group Climate Emergency, Bovey Tracey and Heathfield and its main intention is not to tackle rural poverty, but to reduce food waste in the district.

A spokesman explained: ‘The aim of the fridge to reduce the waste of good food that may otherwise be thrown away. It is open to everyone to both take food and put food in, we are not expecting the fridge to be full all the time and an empty fridge is a good fridge as it means the food has been taken and used.’

Committee secretary Ruth Dixon added: ‘A lot of perfectly good food gets thrown away. The community larder will help reduce that.’

Ruth said the scheme was some two years in the planning and based on models used across the country but the group had particularly followed the set-ups at Ashburton and Chudleigh.

Residents and businesses can donate foodstuffs which are still edible, and in turn anyone can take what they need from the fridge and larder.

‘It could be someone who has too much produce from their allotment, or if they’re going away for a few days and they’ve a bottle of milk which would go out of date’ said Ruth.

The huge fridge has been donated by James Mann of The Cheese Shed in Bovey Tracey. Alongside it is cupboard for tinned and dried goods.

‘There are certain foods we cannot accept,’ Ruth said. ‘Meat, fish and partly opened packages, and cooked rice for instance.’

Further restricted items include baby food and unpasteurised dairy item. Other dairy goods, baked items and juices will be welcomed.

Ruth said: ‘We’ve been supported not only by The Cheese Shed. We’ve received donations from the Bovey Tracey Town Trust and the Bovey Paradiso, who gave us £600 after holding an art auction.

The Methodist Church has not only given us a space next to the church, but also donated £500 for electrical work and fuel bills.’

The spokesman added: ‘We expect things to be a little slow at first but hope to build up over time – please support us.

‘We are still looking for more volunteers so if you can help pop along and hear what we are doing.’

Just before the opening on November 26 there will be a short briefing in the Methodist Church Hall from 1pm to 2pm for those people who have volunteered to help with the running of the fridge.

The fridge will be open 24/7 from this Saturday.

For more information or to offer help go to the Bovey Community Fridge Facebook page.