Food waste in the UK is fast becoming one of the country’s hottest topics, but while critics have accused supermarkets of turning a blind eye, one North London chain of pie restaurants is taking action.
Piebury Corner, which currently has branches in King’s Cross and on Holloway Road, is famed for its lively pre-Arsenal-match atmosphere, featuring DJ sets, free-flowing beer and, of course, handmade pies.
Arsenal postponement led to charity brainwave
But seven years ago, when the Gunners’ Boxing Day fixture was postponed at late notice, their flagship branch – outside their front garden – had around 200 unsold, cooked pies on its hands. Co-owner Nicky Campbell had a brainwave: instead of throwing all the unsold pies in the bin, they could donate them to a local charity, the Pilion Trust, so it could feed the people it supports, who are among the most marginalised in Islington.
Their front-garden branch is no longer in operation, but Nicky and her fellow co-owner, husband Paul, realised they had started something special. Not only is their food waste massively reduced, but the unsold pies – which are kept warm in their shop’s warming counter before being given away – could play a massive part in feeding those who need it most.
Homeless benefit from leftover pies
But now they have gone one step further. Not only is their link with the Pilion Trust still going strong, including providing pies to its Crash Pad sister project on Caledonian Road, now the shops regularly hand out leftover pies to the homeless at the end of the working day.
“Sometimes it’s only 3 or 4 a day”, co-owner Paul said, on his way to the British Pie Awards in Melton Mowbray.
“A perfect way to help the community.”
“This is a perfect way to help the local community. We don’t want to throw any pies away.
“We have some regular ‘customers’ who come to the shop at closing time, and we leave their pies in a special location where only they know where they are. Most of the time we send the pies to the Pilion Trust but sometimes there are not enough.”
On busy weekends, however, when there is likely to be a larger quantity of pies unsold, the leftovers still go to the Pilion Trust’s headquarters behind Piebury Corner’s Holloway Road branch.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://islingtonnow.co.uk/pie-shop-helps-combat-hunger-homeless-cuts-food-waste/&media=https://islingtonnow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Piebury-corner.jpg&description=Pie shop donates leftover pies to help the homeless in Islington - and reduces food waste. Owner says "perfect way" to help vulnerable.){kind=link}