Did You Know One Stop Gives Away Free Food Every Evening? Here’s How It Works

If you’ve got a One Stop near you, there’s a new way to cut your food bill.

Company-owned One Stop stores are now giving away unsold short-dated food every night between 8 pm and 9.30 pm. No loyalty card, no app, no catch. Just free food that would otherwise be thrown away.

It’s a simple setup. Anything that hasn’t sold that day, usually sandwiches, pastries, meal-deal items and ready-to-eat bits, gets put on a shelf near the tills. You take what you need. That’s it.

Finding out about this useful money-saving tip is helpful if you’re trying to stretch the weekly shop, especially for families juggling rising food prices, so being able to obtain free food is the best way to save money!

Which One Stop Stores Take Part?

Not all of them. One Stop has around 800 stores in the UK, but only the company-owned ones take part in the free food scheme. That’s roughly 270 stores. Franchise stores do not offer the free food window.

If you’re unsure which type your local shop is, ask at the till. Staff will normally tell you straight away.

What Food Can You Actually Get?

It changes daily, but most stores will likely offer products such as:

• Sandwiches and wraps

• Pastries, doughnuts and bakery items

• Ready meals

• Chilled snacks

• Fruit and veg close to their date

• The odd surprise item, depending on the day’s leftovers!
  

Arrive closer to 8 pm for the best choice. By 9 pm, popular items will likely be gone.

How This Compares to Tesco’s Version

Tesco owns One Stop, and Tesco has been trialling a similar idea in a small number of Tesco Express stores. Unsold yellow-sticker items are given away after 9.30 pm in those trial locations.

But it’s tiny compared to One Stop’s rollout. One Stop has gone nationwide in all company-owned stores. Tesco’s trial is only in a handful of branches.

If you’ve got a One Stop nearby, it’s the better option right now.

Other Ways to Get Free or Cheap Surplus Food

If you don’t have a One Stop close by or you want more predictable options, here are two solid alternatives:

Olio is a free app where volunteers collect surplus supermarket food (including from Tesco and One Stop) and list it for locals to pick up. It’s free, but availability varies massively by area.

Too Good To Go - Not free, but you can get “magic bags” of leftover café and restaurant food for a few pounds. Usually £3–£4 for £10+ worth of food. Good value, but a bit of a lucky dip.

Is the One Stop Free Food Scheme Worth It?

If there’s a participating store near you, absolutely, as long as you're already passing by. It’s not worth driving miles for, because the selection varies, and some nights you may find they actually have nothing left to give away; it's the luck of the draw!

But if you’re nearby around 8 pm, it’s an easy, zero-cost way to grab:

• Bread

• Sandwiches

• Fruit

• Pastries

• Ready meals

  
  

Freeze what you can. Eat the rest that evening or the next day. It’s straightforward and genuinely helpful if you’re watching the budget.

5 Quick Ways to Make the One Stop Free Food Last Longer

Freeze it the same evening! Most bakery bits, breads, wraps, pastries, cooked meats and many ready meals freeze perfectly. Pop them straight in the freezer to extend their life by weeks.

Cook it before it expires If something is close to its use-by date, cook it that night. Once cooked and cooled, you can freeze dishes like pasta, meat, pies, veg, and leftovers for future meals. Freezing resets the food's freshness, treating it as a freshly cooked product, giving you extra days to use it.

Turn random items into easy meal ideas. Sandwich fillings work in omelettes or pasta. Veg can be roasted and added to rice or couscous. Bread going stale becomes croutons or breadcrumbs.

Portion everything before freezing Split bread, cooked dishes or leftovers into single servings. You only defrost what you need, which cuts waste and makes last-minute meals easier.

Use the fragile stuff first. Things like salads, fresh fruit and dairy items don’t freeze well. Eat those first, and save freezer space for the sturdier items that will last longer.

FAQs

What time does One Stop give out food?

Between 8 pm and 9.30 pm in company-owned stores.

Do I need to buy anything or show a card? No. It’s completely free.

How do I know if my store is participating? Ask staff if it’s company-owned. Franchise stores do not take part.

Is this food safe? Yes. It’s food that was still safe to sell earlier that day but is now close to its use-by date.

Does Tesco do this too? Tesco is trialling a similar scheme in a small number of Tesco Express stores, but not on the same scale as One Stop.

Can I freeze what I get? Lots of items freeze well. Freeze on the same night and they will be fine!