New community fridge opens at Seaton Library, providing free food for all and cutting down on waste

Seaton is joining the national drive to cut down on food waste with the introduction of a new community fridge in the library. 

Food shops, supermarkets, local food producers and businesses can donate perishable food that would otherwise be wasted to the fridge for anyone to use. 

The Seaton Library Community Fridge will make surplus food available to all for free, meaning less food waste and saving households and businesses money.

The latest addition in Seaton joins four fridges already set up in Devon libraries, with Seaton Community Fridge set up using a small grant from Seaton Town Council.

Working with SAVE Food Hub, which runs Seaton Community Larder, the library has already been able to offer surplus food such as bread, cakes, vegetables, salad and fruit and has also had supplies of tea and coffee for library users to enjoy while choosing their next library book.

Richard O'Mahoney, Seaton Library supervisor, last week welcomed Carly Dean Tribble and Eleanor Carr from the newly-formed Seaton Chamber, to formally acknowledge the start of this new food resource.

Richard said: "We are really excited to have the community fridge in Seaton Library which will extend the fantastic work that the SAVE Food Hub already does in helping to reduce food waste and address food insecurity.

"I'm sure this will be a great and well-used addition that will not only benefit our library users but the local community as a whole."

Aileen Heal, SAVE Food Hub trustee and Seaton Community Larder manager, added: "SAVE Food Hub is delighted to work with Seaton Library on this project. By having a fridge in the library we are able to share more food with the community.

"People who are unable to visit the Seaton Community Larder when it is open will now be able to access food from Seaton Library Community Fridge whenever the library is open."

The Seaton Community Fridge is located in Seaton Library, 23 Queen Street, Seaton.