TWO supermarkets in Hereford will start to donate unsold fresh food to local charities at the end of July.

Aldi will launch its food surplus scheme in Hereford and Leominster, which will allow local groups to collect surplus food, such as fruit, vegetables and baked goods, up to five days a week.

The scheme has been successfully trialled in other parts of the country, with community engagement platform Neighbourly. Last year, the supermarket donated two million meals to charities and expects to increase this by 50 per cent once all stores are donating.

Fritz Walleczek, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK, said: "We're always looking for new ways to increase the amount of food we are able to donate, as a way to give back to the communities we serve and ensure that fresh, healthy food is accessible to everyone.

"We're looking forward to launching our partnership with Neighbourly in our stores across Hereford, which will enable us to redistribute even more surplus stock, whilst supporting good causes.

"We hope that lots of local charities will sign up to the initiative and get involved."

Aldi has pledged to reduce operational food waste by 50% by 2030 and since 2012 have been redistributing surplus food.

Any local charities in Herefordshire who are looking to get involved should email aldi@neighbourly.com.