My Approved Food review: Does buying short-dated groceries actually save you money?
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How does Approved Food sell short-dated groceries?
Approved Food is an online clearance retailer selling surplus, discontinued and short-dated groceries at reduced prices. Some products have passed their best-before date, while others still have several months remaining and may be reduced because they’re seasonal or excess stock. My Approved Food review explains whether buying short-dated groceries actually saves you money once delivery charges, the minimum order and current supermarket prices are taken into account.
I ordered reduced-to-clear drinks from Approved Food last year and had no problems with the order. The delivery arrived as expected, the products were packed properly, and everything was fine, so my own experience was positive. I haven’t placed a fresh order for this update, but I have checked the current website and collected live examples to show the range of prices and best-before dates being offered.
What is Approved Food and how does it work?
Approved Food buys surplus, discontinued and short-dated stock, then sells it through its website at clearance prices. Its range can include groceries, drinks, toiletries, household products, pet supplies, baby products and more, with stock changing as individual lines sell out and replacements arrive. Some items are reduced because of their dates, while others may be excess stock, discontinued packaging or seasonal products that have become harder to sell.
You browse the website and add products to your basket in much the same way as another online retailer, but the grocery order must reach at least £22.50 before checkout. Product pages display the relevant best-before date, and Approved Food’s terms place responsibility on the customer to check that information before buying. The company can refuse a refund when a past best-before date was displayed correctly on the listing.
This type of online food discount retailer can produce useful savings on branded cupboard goods, drinks and household products, but it isn’t a direct replacement for a full supermarket shop, nor does it claim to be. The changing range means the same products may not be available on your next visit, so Approved Food works better as an occasional clearance shop than as a dependable source for every weekly essential. The idea is similar to the completely separate Company Shop business, which sells surplus and short-dated products through physical stores, helping reduce food waste while generating revenue from stock that might otherwise go unsold.
What was my experience of ordering short-dated groceries from Approved Food?
My experience with Approved Food was positive. I ordered a selection of reduced-to-clear drinks; the delivery arrived without any problems, and everything was properly packaged. None of the products gave me a reason to contact customer services or request a refund.
The order worked for me because I wanted the drinks and was comfortable with the dates shown. I wasn’t adding random products to reach a spending target, and I knew the drinks would be used. That first-hand experience shapes this Approved Food review, but one successful order can’t guarantee that every future product or delivery will be problem-free, of course.
I’d use Approved Food again when I find items we will use and can use promptly. I wouldn’t place an order simply because one heavily reduced item had caught my attention, since the minimum spend and delivery charge could turn a small bargain into a much larger purchase. I'd always ensure I can find enough products we need to make that order worthwhile, in the same way I do with most of the online purchases I make!
What do recent customers say about Approved Food?
Recent customer reviews contain both positive and negative experiences. Some reviewers report substantial savings, careful packaging and products arriving in good condition, while others describe slower processing, missing items or products whose quality had deteriorated beyond what they expected. Online reviews are personal accounts rather than controlled tests, but the recurring themes support checking dates closely and inspecting the delivery as soon as it arrives.
That doesn’t mean another customer’s poor experience should be dismissed, particularly when the business sells products whose quality may change over time. Equally, I’d be surprised to find an online retailer operating at this scale without some unhappy customers. I spent around 20 years working in ecommerce, so I understand how easily mistakes can happen and how important the response is when something goes wrong.
Is buying short-dated groceries from Approved Food like an online yellow-sticker aisle?
I think of Approved Food as an online version of a supermarket’s yellow-sticker area. If the same products were sitting on a Tesco shelf at heavily reduced prices, with the short date or expired best-before date clearly displayed, I’d be interested and would probably buy some of them. Approved Food provides a similar opportunity online, where this type of clearance stock is less commonly offered in one dedicated place.
The same principles I use for yellow-sticker shopping still apply. I check the date, condition, pack size and price, then ask whether we’ll actually use the product. Discounted food that ends up in the bin has increased the shopping bill rather than reduced it.
Buying online adds two further considerations. You can’t inspect the individual item before it arrives, and you may need to build a larger basket than you intended because of the minimum order and delivery charge. That makes it worth reviewing the basket before checkout and removing anything that was added only to reach a threshold.
Is Approved Food always cheaper than supermarkets?
Approved Food isn’t automatically cheaper than a supermarket, discount store or another online retailer. A product can be reduced against its recommended retail price while matching a supermarket promotion or costing more per 100g, litre or individual item. The exact pack size and unit price need to be compared before the displayed saving is accepted at face value; that said, I didn't find the products I bought any cheaper elsewhere.
A comparison service such as Trolley can help you check current supermarket prices, although imported products and clearance lines may not appear in its results. Searching the exact product name and pack size can also uncover loyalty prices, multibuys or lower prices at discount retailers. A supermarket product with a later best-before date may be the better purchase when the price difference is small, and you won’t use the item quickly.
I haven’t completed a complete 10-product basket comparison for this update, so I can’t claim Approved Food is cheaper across its whole range. I have checked several individual products currently on sale, and some offered substantial savings against a supermarket price. Delivery still needs to be included before deciding what the order would save overall.
What do Approved Food bargains look like in practice?
Approved Food sells a mixture of products that are past their best-before date, approaching it and still have several months of shelf life remaining. The examples below were checked on the 4th of August, 2026 and show why the price and date need to be considered together. Stock can sell out quickly, so these examples shouldn’t be treated as permanent offers.
Product | Approved Food price | Best-before date | Purchase limit | What it shows |
Maltesers Mini Bunnies 58g | 1p | The 20th of December | 1 | More than 4 months remained |
Reese’s Mini Hollow Chocolate Egg 92g | 69p | The 1st of August | 2 | Seasonal stock just past its date |
Lotus Biscoff Crunchy Spread 380g | £1 | The 27th of June next year | 1 | Almost 11 months remained |
Corona Extra 4 x 440ml | £2.99 | The 30th of May | 167 | Clearance stock past its best before date |
Maynards Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts 165g | 10p | The 13th of August | 1 | A very cheap item still within date |
These examples show that clearance stock isn’t always reduced because it has passed its best-before date. The Lotus Biscoff spread had almost 11 months remaining, while the Maltesers Mini Bunnies were dated until December. Surplus quantities, packaging changes and seasonal demand can all contribute to products being cleared before their dates.
The Reese’s egg is a good example of seasonal stock losing much of its normal selling appeal. An Easter egg is less likely to sell at its original price in August, even when it has only just passed its best-before date. At 69p, it may still appeal to somebody who views it as a larger chocolate product rather than something that can only be eaten at Easter.
The Maltesers Mini Bunnies were reduced from a displayed reference price of £2 to 1p, but customers were restricted to one bag. Approved Food also listed the Maynards Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts for 10p, again with a one-item limit. Deals of this type can improve the value of an order already worth placing, but they don’t provide enough saving on their own to justify spending £22.50.
The Lotus Biscoff spread is a useful example because its reduction had little connection with an approaching date. Approved Food listed the 380g jar for £1 against a displayed reference price of £3.50, while the best-before date was still nearly 11 months away. That shows why the website shouldn’t be viewed only as somewhere selling food that is already out of date.
How much could you save against Tesco?
Some individual Approved Food reductions are substantial when compared with the same product at Tesco. A 4-pack of 440ml Corona Extra cans was £2.99 on Approved Food when checked, with a best-before date of the 30th of May. Tesco listed the same pack at £6.50, or £5.50 with Clubcard, so the Approved Food price was £3.51 below the regular price and £2.51 below the loyalty price before delivery.
That works out at about 75p per can through Approved Food, compared with approximately £1.63 per can at Tesco’s regular price or £1.38 with Clubcard. Approved Food’s displayed £6.50 reference price matched Tesco’s regular selling price when checked, making the pricing comparison reasonable in this example. The trade-off was that the beer was just over 2 months past its best-before date.
The Approved Food page allowed a customer to buy up to 167 packs, unlike the one-item limits attached to several of the smallest offers. That suggests the retailer had a substantial quantity available, although the purchase limit doesn’t reveal how many cases were in the warehouse. The price might fall again if stock remains, but waiting could also mean losing the deal if it sells out.
Approved Food’s 165g bag of Maynards Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts was 10p, with a best-before date of the 13th of August. Tesco listed the same pack size at £1.50, although it was out of stock when checked, giving a difference of £1.40 before delivery. The Approved Food offer was limited to one bag, so it worked as a useful basket addition rather than the basis for an order.
A 1p or 10p product can make an existing order better value, but it shouldn’t persuade you to spend £22.50 on things you didn’t plan to buy. The best use of these offers is as small additions after you’ve found enough genuine savings to make the main order worthwhile. Delivery and the minimum basket must still be included when calculating the result.
How much does Approved Food delivery cost?
Approved Food currently requires a minimum grocery order of £22.50. Standard mainland delivery starts at £3.99 for one box weighing up to 25kg, with subsequent boxes adding £3 each. The company reduces standard one-box delivery to £3 when the basket exceeds £40 and removes the standard first-box charge when it exceeds £55.
Order or delivery detail | Current rule |
Minimum grocery order | £22.50 |
One box, up to 25kg | £3.99 |
Two boxes, up to 50kg | £6.99 |
Three boxes, up to 75kg | £9.99 |
Mainland basket over £40 | £3 standard one-box delivery |
Mainland basket over £55 | Free standard one-box delivery |
Parts of Scotland | From £9 |
UK islands | From £15 |
Northern Ireland | Temporarily unavailable |
The £40 and £55 offers apply to the standard first-box delivery charge, so larger orders and premium delivery areas can still cost more. Approved Food asks customers to enter the correct delivery address to see the applicable charge. Northern Ireland delivery is currently listed as unavailable.
Approved Food says delivery should arrive within 2 to 3 working days after dispatch from its warehouse. That isn’t the same as guaranteeing delivery within 3 days of placing the order, because picking and processing take place before dispatch. Its terms also state that it doesn’t offer a standard next-day delivery service.
Could the minimum order make you spend more?
The £22.50 minimum can make a small group of useful bargains more expensive if you add unwanted products to unlock checkout. A basket containing £14 of items you planned to buy would need another £8.50 before the order could be placed. Once delivery is included, the total spend may be much higher than the saving that first attracted you to the website.
The same calculation applies to the £40 and £55 delivery thresholds. Adding £15 of products you don’t need to avoid a £3.99 delivery charge leaves you spending more overall. Paying the delivery fee on a useful basket can be cheaper than chasing free delivery with products that may never be used.
Build the basket around items your household genuinely needs or wants, then compare the final total with the next-cheapest retailer. Remove anything added only to reach a threshold and see whether the remaining order still qualifies and still saves money. This check matters because Approved Food’s minimum spend can change the value of an individual bargain.
Is food past its best-before date actually safe to eat?
A best-before date concerns the expected quality of food rather than the point at which it becomes unsafe. The Food Standards Agency says food can remain safe after its best-before date, although its flavour, texture or appearance may deteriorate. That guidance assumes it has been stored correctly and the packaging remains intact.
Use-by dates are different because they concern food safety. Food shouldn’t be eaten after its use-by date, even when it looks or smells acceptable, because harmful bacteria can’t always be seen or detected by smell. Approved Food confirms it doesn’t sell products after a use-by date and focuses on stock with only best-before dates.
I trained as a chef, but I also have a form of OCD, so buying food after the date printed on the packaging would ordinarily make me cautious. There are still products I’m comfortable buying when the price is right, particularly sealed drinks, crisps, dry cupboard goods and undamaged tins. I’m more comfortable buying those products than chilled food, while still checking the date, packaging and condition before using them.
I also have personal limits on how far beyond a best-before date I’m prepared to go. A product that is a short time past the date may not concern me, while something 6 months or a year beyond it is less likely to appeal, even when it may remain usable. The decision depends on the individual product and how comfortable I feel with its age and condition.
For food carrying a best-before date, I still inspect the packaging and the product after opening. If the seal is broken, the contents look or smell wrong, or the food appears to have deteriorated, I won’t eat it. Saving a few pounds isn’t worthwhile if the product has to be thrown away or may leave somebody unwell.
Tinned food also needs checking despite being shelf-stable. The Food Standards Agency advises against eating food from cans that are bulging, heavily rusted or deeply dented, even when they were bought from a shop. A damaged can isn’t worth the risk for the sake of a clearance price.
Sight and smell can help assess quality for suitable best-before products, but they must never be used to override a use-by date. Food carrying a use-by date may contain harmful bacteria even when nothing appears wrong. The same distinction applies to supermarket yellow-sticker food, which should be eaten, cooked or frozen within the safety instructions on its label.
For me, Approved Food works best when I stay within the product types and dates I’m comfortable with. I buy short-dated and best-before clearance products from this and other retailers on a semi-regular basis, but I don’t treat every item as suitable simply because it can legally be sold. The saving has to justify the age of the product, and it still has to pass the checks I’d make with food bought elsewhere.
What can you buy from Approved Food?
Approved Food sells more than food approaching or passing a best-before date. Alongside tinned products, sauces, snacks, sweets and drinks, the website can carry toiletries, cleaning products, pet supplies and gifts. Some items are short-dated, some have passed their best-before date, and others are clearance stock with no relevant food date.
The changing range can include discontinued products, unusual flavours and goods originally intended for other markets. Check the description, quantity and packaging rather than assuming the product will be identical to the UK supermarket version. This is especially relevant when the listing is for a case, multipack or imported product.
Bulk quantities can reduce the price per item when you have enough storage and know the products will be used. They become wasteful when the quantity is too large, the flavour isn’t liked, or the product deteriorates before it can be finished. The amount your household can realistically consume should be considered before the lower unit price.
Can you get a discount on your first Approved Food order?
Approved Food currently advertises 10% off a first order for customers who join its mailing list. Its About Us page says the £22.50 minimum applies after discounts, so make sure the basket remains high enough once the code is accepted. Offer conditions can change, which makes the current checkout information more reliable than an old code shared elsewhere.
A 10% discount can help offset the delivery charge, but it doesn’t prove that every item is good value to you. Compare the products first, apply the code and then judge the final checkout total price. The saving should come from products that were already worth buying rather than increasing the basket to make the code feel more valuable.
Promotional codes can have individual expiry dates and restrictions. Save a copy of the offer and check that the reduction appears before payment is confirmed. Approved Food’s terms allow it to withdraw or refuse promotional codes, so don’t assume a discount will be added later if it fails at checkout.
Can you earn cashback on an Approved Food order?
Approved Food is currently listed by TopCashback and Quidco, creating another possible way to reduce the cost. Cashback rates and eligibility can change, so check the current retailer terms before starting the order, compare the available rates, and use the cashback service with the highest rates on the day. Cashback must be tracked and approved, which means it shouldn’t be treated as guaranteed money when deciding whether the purchase is affordable, but it does add up when it pays out!
Start the shopping journey through the cashback service and complete the order in the same browser session. Check whether any discount code you plan to use is permitted, because codes not approved by the cashback service can cause the claim to be declined. Quidco also states that cashback isn’t payable when a gift card is used to pay for the order.
My guide to the best UK cashback apps and websites explains how click-through cashback works and why payment can take time. My view is that the order needs to represent genuine value before cashback is considered.
What happens if something is missing or damaged?
Approved Food requires missing or damaged products to be reported within 48 hours of delivery. A report should include the customer’s name, order number and details of the affected item, while damaged-item claims should include photographs. The company reserves the right to refuse a refund or replacement when the issue is reported after the 48-hour period.
Refunds are automatically placed into the customer’s Approved Food account as credit. You can ask for the money to be returned to the original payment method, but the company says that request must be processed within 60 days of the first report. After that point, the amount remains as account credit.
Items worth less than £7.50 will normally receive a refund or credit rather than a replacement. Replacements can only be like for like, so one may not be available when the missing or damaged product has sold out. Open the parcel and check the order promptly rather than leaving the box untouched for several days.
Is Approved Food worth using?
Approved Food can be worth using when several products you already want are cheaper than elsewhere, the dates suit you, and the saving remains after delivery. My own reduced-drinks order arrived well packed and without problems, while the current examples show that some products can cost far less than supermarket prices. My Approved Food review is favourable, but it comes with clear limits around dates, minimum spending and price comparisons.
The website is less persuasive when you only want 1 or 2 products, because the £22.50 minimum can encourage unnecessary spending. It also won’t replace a full supermarket shop when you need fresh food or a predictable list of weekly essentials. Treating it as an occasional online yellow-sticker area gives a more accurate picture of what it can provide.
Before paying, check the best-before date, pack size, unit price and final cost after delivery. Use cashback or a first-order discount when the terms allow it, but don’t rely on either to rescue a basket that was already poor value. The next time several suitable products appear together, those checks will show whether the order is worth placing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Approved Food legitimate?
Yes, Approved Food is an established online clearance retailer with published delivery, customer service and refund terms. I’ve ordered reduced-to-clear drinks from the website and received them without any delivery, packaging or product problems. You should still compare prices and read each product’s date before buying.
Is food from Approved Food safe to eat?
Food carrying a best-before date can remain safe after that date, although its taste, appearance or texture may deteriorate. The product must have been stored correctly, and its packaging should remain intact. Never treat a use-by date in the same way because that date relates to food safety.
Does Approved Food sell food past its use-by date?
Approved Food says it doesn’t sell food past a use-by date. Its clearance food may be approaching or past its best-before date, which relates to quality rather than safety. Check the date shown on each listing before adding the product to your basket.
What is the minimum Approved Food order?
The minimum grocery order is £22.50. Check that your basket still meets the requirement after any discount is applied. Avoid adding products you don’t need simply to reach the minimum.
How much is Approved Food delivery?
Standard mainland delivery starts at £3.99 for one box weighing up to 25kg. It falls to £3 for a qualifying one-box order above £40, while the standard first-box charge is removed above £55. Delivery rates can be higher in premium areas and for larger orders.
Can you get cashback from Approved Food?
Approved Food is currently listed on cashback services including TopCashback and Quidco. Rates and conditions can change, and using an unapproved discount code may affect the claim. Check the terms before ordering and don’t rely on cashback until it has been confirmed.
What should you do if an Approved Food item is missing or damaged?
Contact Approved Food within 48 hours of delivery and include your order details, plus photographs when something is damaged. Refunds are normally added as Approved Food account credit, although you can request repayment to the original payment method within the stated period. Inspect the order soon after it arrives so you don’t miss the reporting deadline.
Is Approved Food worth it?
Approved Food can be worthwhile when several products you want are cheaper than elsewhere and the savings cover delivery. It becomes poor value when you fill the basket with unwanted products to reach the minimum order or a delivery threshold. Compare the final total rather than relying on the displayed percentage reduction.
