In its first six months of operation a massive 2.4 tonnes of food has been saved from going to waste thanks to the library fridge.

The fridge opened in April this year with the help of a grant from Seaton Town Council and is a joint venture between Seaton Library and SAVE food hub.

The food is shared by the local Tesco, Aldi and Londis stores and has included bread, cakes, potatoes, fruits, veg (including exotic and unusual like pomegranates, celeriac), milk, butter, cheese, yoghurts, mushrooms, soups, meat, herbs.

SAVE food hub’s Aileen Heal said: “If you can buy it in a supermarket and it’s fresh we’ve probably been given it, things like clotted cream, smoked fish, tofu, vegan burgers, dips, strawberries, raspberries, etc. etc.”

Also in recent weeks local people have shared produce from their allotments which has included apples, pears, courgettes, rhubarb and cabbages.

As well as the foods which go into the fridge there has also been all types of bread and cakes which can be picked up from a table in the library.

Of course, some weeks there is a lot of food and others not much but it’s always worth having a look if you are in the library or passing by.

Users were asked what they thought and were enthusiastic about cutting down on food waste; and about being able to read a book, grab a coffee and pick up something for tea all in one visit and for nothing. Possibly our youngest user supplied this feedback -

Richard O’Mahoney, the library supervisor said: "The community fridge has been an excellent addition to the library and has been very well used by a wide range of people and brought nothing but positive comments.  

“Since its introduction in April, we have also welcomed lots of new library users who have come into the library after hearing about the fridge.  

"This has strengthened our offer of providing a warm, friendly, welcoming space for all where you can get a cup of tea or coffee, chat with friends, play games and, of course, borrow books all for free.

"The SAVE food hub team has been amazing in keeping the fridge stocked and the hard work of their volunteers is greatly appreciated."

Seaton’s Mayor Cllr Amrik Singh said: "the council was unanimously supportive of the initiative and he added ‘It is wonderful to see the fridge being so well used to prevent food waste in the town and to benefit local residents.’