A NEW community hub is opening in Cirencester this week offering struggling families cheap surplus food.

The not-for-profit Cirencester Pantry will stock a wide range of fresh food at discounted prices which would have otherwise gone to landfill.

Supplied by charity FareShare, the food comes directly from producers who supply major supermarkets such as Waitrose, Tesco and Lidl and will include chilled meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, pasta, rice and tinned goods.

Organisers hope the hub set up by Park Community Group with the support of Cotswold District Council, Cirencester Roundtable and Cirencester Community Development Trust will have a vibrant community spirit with visitors encouraged to socialise and share recipes.

It will be held at Watermoor Church Hall in Watermoor Road, Cirencester every Friday between 4pm and 7pm starting this week.

Organisers will working with other charities such as Cirencester Foodbank which will be donating excess rice and pasta.

The scheme requires a monthly membership which costs £14 for a single person or £22 for a family.

Members can then fill a pick a basket each week with 14 items (single person) or 28 items (families) and also pick up as many of the week's specials as they like.

To start with there will be 50/60 places available due to the amount of goods FareShare is currently able to deliver but it it hoped the scheme will expand in the future.

Cirencester Roundtable members currently have to pick up the food from Stroud but it is hoped that FareShare will soon be able to set up a new direct delivery route through the Cotswolds to Cirencester.

On their Facebook page, Cirencester Pantry says: "Our mantra is Love Food But Hate Waste.

"In the UK, most of the waste in the food industry is in the supply chain not in stores and accounts for between six per cent and seven per cent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions."

Cotswold district councillor Claire Bloomer, who has been fundamental in organising this project, said: "The Cirencester Food Pantry is more than just a place to pick up good quality food and help save waste.

"We encourage active member participation to build a strong organisation that delivers to members what they want – quality food, at great prices while helping reduce waste.

"But also join other members to help build healthy communities through sharing food knowledge, recipes and activities promoting care for the environment and our neighbours.

"Have a coffee with us, chat with other members, introduce yourself after all you have something in common – you are a member of Cirencester Pantry who loves food but hates waste."

Mary Cobbett, Park Community Group chair, said: "Food is at the heart of the community and Cirencester Pantry will reflect this."

For more information email Cirencesterpantry@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page to sign up.